Day 19 – Carrion de Los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios

May 25th – Last night I stayed in the Real Monasterio San Zoilo that Brierley says are pilgrim hesitant but was not my experience and I paid far less than he quotes.  Located 1k outside Carrion and on the Camino it dates from the 11th century.  When I entered the lobby, Gregorian chants were being played through the 13th century room that greeted me. My room was in what had been the cloisters and I am overjoyed to have this experience.  My room is simple – as it should be – and looks out over a peaceful garden.

Today’s walk – about 16 miles – is on the old Roman road which is now covered in 21st century asphalt.  I hear a clip clip behind me and turn to see a horse drawn wagon.  As it passes me, who do I see waving from the wagon but my pilgrim friend Kristine who is seated with about five others.  What a charming experience to bring to the Meseta!

After a couple miles the asphalt gives way to the more common path of dirt and gravel.  I can imagine that if this long straight way had the summer sun beating down on it, walking could be far more difficult than it is in this cool and cloud covered sky.  There are drainage ditches along the side the road and frogs join into natures song for the day.

There will be no villages or shade for the first 10 miles today.  As in the last few days, the farmland is busy with tractors which I enjoy watching.  I don’t want to miss a thing realizing that everything I see is new and I may never see again.  The last few days I have seen the Cantabrian Mountains that stretch across northern Spain to my right but today they have disappeared.  Today’s walk reminds me on one of my training walks that I did along the Snoqualmie River farmlands with the big difference being here there are crop fields only, no homes.

Every day before I start my walk, I open a little book called The Way by Josemaria Escriva and randomly choose a passage to read.  Today’s was:

Alone!  You are not alone.  We are keeping you close company from afar.  Besides abiding in your soul in grace is the Holy Spirit – God with you! – giving a supernatural tone to all your thoughts, desires and works.

These small psalms keep my “being” intention alive and well.

I’ve heard about people walking the Camino barefoot but today was the first time I witnessed it – I can’t imagine.  While the surface here was smooth, we’ve had some incredibly rocky and diverse ground to walk upon.  His stride is very zen like and flowing.

When I am walking I get a little spacey between the continued walking and scenery, almost dreamlike.  All of a sudden I was jolted out of my reverie with an expected very large and bright green lizard who ran out of the brush onto the path then just as quickly U turned back into the brush.  Was it my imagination?  I think not.

I arrive in Calzadilla de la Cueza – the first stop of the day – after walking about 10 miles and in time for lunch, my mainstay tortilla and orange juice.  Refreshed and ready to continue brings me to my resting place another 5.9 miles later – Albergue Los Templarios.  Time to do some laundry.  One the great things about the Albergues are the home like atmospheres that include outdoor clothes lines.

The cafe here has a mural in the wall that I can only photo a portion of that shows the main stops on the Camino starting at St. Jean and ending in Santiago.  According to this I am exacting halfway into the Camino. Amazing!