Medina de Rioseco canal

Well, as nice as the rooms were at the convent were, the soundproofing left a lot to be desired! I could here every mattress squeak and cough or snore in both M&E and Gunter’s rooms (he’s a German walker who showed up around 6pm). I probably only got about 5 hrs sleep…yawn…
We stripped our beds, as per the nun’s instructions, and collected our passports and pilgrim credentials, before heading out at 7:30am.

Pilgrim´s credential with sellos (stamps)

We had to wander through town again, before coming to a lovely narrow boat canal, which the camino followed beside for several kilometers.  It was a sublime walk – the narrow lane between the water and shrubbery, shaded by green poplars swaying gently in the breeze. The birds were chirping away their morning songs, and the occasional fish would snatch at the flies on the water’s surface. A small stray dog played it’s own game of tag with me – it would run ahead, then wait for me to come up within a certain distance, then run off again.

I walked with the boys again for most of the day, but this part of the morning I walked ahead alone and so was able to experience all this nature in tranquility.

The rain of the previous night had unfortunately made the tow path quite muddy; I had forgotten how hard it was to walk in the mud, with slipping sideways off-balance, it sticking to your shoes so much until the excess gets thrown up onto your pant legs. I had to occasionally remind myself to lift my gaze from my feet to the skies else I trod the whole way missing the unique scenery.

The canal ends all too soon at an old, leaking lock, with a huge ruin of a grainary attached. Between 1860-1880 they’d process grains there and ship the processed bags out by barge but the coming of the railway soon put an end to that. Now only a tour boat transverses the lock, but unless they soon fix the water squirting out between bricks inside the lock, I don’t think even that will continue.

Then it was 3kms of solid road before arriving in Tamariz. We’d hoped to find a bar to have a little snack in but nothing was available. Luckily I was able to surprise the guys with some cupcakes I had bought the night before! A suncreen application and foot check, then we were off again.

Nothing but fields and 8 kms of hard pavement between Tamariz and our lunch stop. Walking on the road is a jarring, tedious, draining business. We felt fortunate there was a strong cold wind to keep at bay the heat from yesterday; I listened to my music for inspiration and watched the swaying seas of grass for interest on the long 2-hour trek to Cuenca.

400 kms to go!

Our final leg was to Villalon de Campo, a nice short 6kms after a restoring meal. The town was fine, larger than most of the small villages we’ve stayed in with several stores and bars. Pasquale, the albergue’s hospitalero, took us on a little tour of town. I had asked how many people lived there but he didn’t know (he was a visiting ‘host’, he hails from Barcelona), so he took Micheal, Gunter, and me to the town’s library so the librarian could answer my question! Like all the locals I’ve met, they’re very happy to meet pilgrims and are in awe of what we are attempting, and a little surprised that we’ve traveled from so far to pass through their little town.

main plaza in Villalon

All the boys went out for dinner, at the usual 9pm!, but I was happy to stay in the comfy albergue with my bread, cheese, red wine, olives, and Jane Eyre.

Two more days till we arrive in Sahagun which marks the end of the Camino de Madrid and the start of the very popular Frances route. I think we are all wondering what it will be like walking there – how many pilgrims will there be? Will there be a race to find a bed in the albergue? Will we make new friends and walking partners or stick together?

Thanks, Allison
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