Day 20

From Tradajos I am walking to Hornillos del Camino, I don’t have a booking for tonight so hope to get there early enough to stay at the Municipal Alburgue. As I leave the town I spot this birds nests up in the church steeple.

I am now walking on the Meseta it’s a long flat way with little shade, elevations or variety. This is crop growing land there are rows of wind turbines to break up the view.

I arrive in town in time to get a bed, happy days! After a very quick cold shower and some washing, I head to the communal kitchen area where there are other pilgrims trying to get warm. I sit with a lady from the States and an Australian guy from Canberra, she shares her wine and we sit and have a great chat.

I decided to do some reconnaissance for dinner options so go for a wander. I don’t get far when I bump into a Camino friend I met on day One, she has her brother with her for a few days, he has flown in from the States. We have a beer and then the rain starts, big serious rain so we dive into the bar which is a blast, there are electric guitars on the wall the barman has a Bob Marley tee on and there is Bon Jovi rocking it out through the speakers. More and more wet pilgrims pile in, there is more beer, power cuts and lots of cheering, I chat to a Kiwi couple they live on the Central Coast.

We go to dinner my friend and her brother we have made a reservation at a place that has “Opera and Jazz” from 7pm. What follows is a night of great music, great food and Vino Tinto! I did warn them if he sings Nessun dorma, I will cry. Of course he sings Nessun dorma.

We are the last to leave, we can’t believe we are on the Camino and got to experience a live musical performance like that, all for the cost of dinner and a donation when the hat went around. Amazing.

Distance walked 11km.

Elevation 950m

Day 21

The entire dorm is awake early so I am walking by 6:30am there is enough light to see the way, there are no bars open so thankfully I have some fruit to get me going.

The first town is 10km away. A guy from Belgium passes me he has the most excellent curled moustache and a fabulous walking stick which has a grey wolf as the handle, I say to him what a lovely walking stick, he says it’s called Ronny, because his husband is called Ronald, and he always supports me, I tell him my husband is called Ronald too, and he always supports me too. we both laugh and walk on.

A little later a lady catches up with me, I recognise here from Burgos she was in the lower bunk to my top bunk. She is from Argentina her English is ok and we spend the next 15km talking all things from Opera to travel and the best way to experience Santiago. She is a great swimmer and even has her kit with her. This is her 3rd Camino, she prefers the mountains to this flat walking on the Meseta.

I find an Alburgue with a bed available, it has a small pool for dangling your feet in in the upper terrace of the backyard, it’s cold and refreshing and my feet love it.

I meet another lady from the States we go and have a beer and pizza for lunch and then because I need cash and can’t read a map we walk the entire length of the town looking for an ATM.

Our pilgrims meal at the Alburgue is great there is a clear broth with noodles to start followed by roast chicken a green salad and a jus, the desert is an Ice cream slice. We are in an ancient building that looks like it had something to do with the wine. The husband of the house after dinner bids us to follow him downstairs to the cellar, its fascinating 12th Century stonework and wine store which goes not only under the Alburgue but under the street as well originally it stored the wine for the castle now a ruin on the hill above us.

Distance Walked 20km

Elevation 960m

Impact of walking in the warmth of the sun – enormous!

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