A day off sick, but back on the road now!

I haven't posted for for a couple of days, partly because I have been sick, but also because I couldn't get a secure wifi.

We had a wet walk from Fromista to Carrión de los Condes.  So wet, what I would call a heavy drizzle, that I relented and put on my rain pants.  I must say they are extremely comfortable to wear and well worth the money I spent on them!  They don't make a noise as I walk which is fantastic!

Leaving our hostal in Fromista.

Not only was it wet, but we had a fairly strong wind as well, fortunately most of the time a tail to a cross wind.  It would have really added to our woes had it been a head wind!

The path didn't cross here, but turned right.

Pilgrims entering Carrión de los Condes.

For the first time I managed to avoid a lot of the path that goes along side the road, and for a time we followed the Rio Ucieza.  I had not walked this way before, and even in the mud and rain I enjoyed it.  In a couple of the villages we made use of the bus stops, sheltering and having a great before pushing on.  When it is wet and cold and there are no warm bars open it is sometimes difficult to find a suitable place to rest.

Because it was New Years Day places were more deserted than usual, and we didn't find a bar open until we got to Villalcázar de Sirga.  This bar, as it has every time I have visited, was humming.  We had some food and a chat with some of the locals who were also pilgrims and headed off, suitable refreshed, 5.5 kms along the way to our nights stop.

A pilgrim statue leaving Villalcázar de Sirga

A pilgrim statue leaving another village on the way.

A pilgrim statue entering Carrión de los Condes

Here we stayed in the albergue Espritu Santo run by the nuns of St Vincent de Paul.  They are a lovely group of women, and I think quite tickled that, by chance, a whole group of us arrived at once -  2 Koreans, 2 Spanish, 2 Australians, and 1 Italian.  When we got to the dormitory there were already a Spanish, German, and Danish ensconced.  A multi national group indeed!

Our dormitory at albergue Espiritu Santo

That evening Jill and I went to mass in the historic Iglesia de Santa Maria del Camino.  This was obviously a special mass for New Year and the big treat for me was the music.  This is the first mass that I have attended since the Basque Mass in St Jean de Luz back in 2009 that has had a choir. This choir had no accompaniment at all, was about 30 strong, and had a lovely sound.  The only song I recognized was Silent Night, but the others were beautifully sung too.  My day was made!  Because we only just made it in time (mind you there were people coming in right to the end!), we didn't get a chance to look around until the end.  This church too had a beautiful Nativity scene.  The work that goes into setting these up, and the care that has been lavished on them is amazing.  These scenes, often quite unexpected, have been a highlight for me walking at this time of the year.

Iglesia de Santa Maria del Camino,

Carrión de los Condes

The Nativity Scene in the Iglesia de Santa Maria del Camino, Carrión de los Condes

After Mass Jill and I went in search of food.  We eventually found a pizza / pasta place open.  Not sure if my carbonara (to give me energy for a hard days walk) was my downfall or not, but come midnight I was feeling decidedly unwell, and come 2 am I spent several hours in the toilet!  One of the Koreans was up and I had to ask her to help me back to bed as the walls weren't staying still.  Getting up the next morning I THOUGHT I was better, but after sitting in a bar for a half hour with Jill I decided there was no way I could walk.  She went on to the next village, and I went back to the albergue and slept for the rest of the day!  The bonus was that I managed to get all my walking clothes washed in the washing machine.  They smell so nice today!

My sleeping bag is like my comfort blanket!  Yesterday morning, when I was feeling so crook and trying to summon up strength to walk the 100 metres back to the albergue, all I could think of was snuggling up under it!  When I did it was like a feather cacoon, so light I could hardly feel it.  Delicious!

A new day has dawned, and I am feeling well.  The plan is for me to catch  the bus to Terradillos de Templarios where I will walk the three kilometre's to Moratinos where I will meet Jill and we will stay the night.  I had a good day to stay in bed as it rained all day, and apparently Jill got quite damp.  By the sound of it the albergue she stayed in was pretty basic.

Can't post photos now, will do so later, so keep looking.