Leaving the huge monastery converted into Hotel Real Monasterio del Zoilo in Carrion de Los Condes. Not a seamless transition from monastery to hotel, but really interesting, nonetheless. Construction on the monastery began in 1047.
These pilgrims were feeling a bit stiff as they arrived at the Monastario... You're wondering which ones, right?
There are a number of these stone or concrete cross monuments along the trail and throughout the towns along the Way. Face of the Monasterio/hotel.
This enterprising senor provides straggling pilgrims rides on the Camino trail from Carrion de Los Condes to Calzadilla -- 17 km (about 10.5 miles) for only 12 Euros! This stretch of the Camino has no villages, cafes or bathrooms. We saw the cart go past us full of passengers while we were obeying the important sign below at the tilt-up cafe.
This pilgrim from Milwaukee was sporting solar panels on her backpack to power her (annoying) radio. We hustled past her. To the right below is Jeff's favorite sign so far. This was posted on several trees at the single refreshment site on a long seven-mile stretch of trail--that had no facilities! The trees just past this makeshift cafe were getting lots of "watering."
We stopped here on the outskirts of Calzadilla de la Cueza for lunch before going to our hotel. Jeff's mantra, where there are cops, there must be donuts! There were donuts, but instead we had the best dish of paella ever! Yummy rice with saffron, shrimp, sausage, peppers and more! Still having our best meals in these roadside or trailside cafes. Our hotel host was a truly engaging gentleman who proudly displays his seven Compostela certificates. He has walked the Camino de Santiago seven times between 1998 and 2017. Wow. He was a very congenial hotelier.
We leave Calzadilla for Sahagun and as we cross the Rio de la Cueza we enter Tarradillos de los Templarios. In the 13th century the church here belonged to the Knights Templar, protectors of the pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela. Jacques de Molay in the mosaic sign below, the grand master of the Templars was arrested on a Friday the 13th in 1307, on what are said to be trumped-up political charges and burned at the stake. It is suggested that this may be the origin of the superstition about Friday the 13th (Dintaman & Landes, 2017).
The weather is improving every day now, but there's still a bit of mud to negotiate.
Still not sure what happens to the pilgrims that belog to all the boots we see along the way... This one saved his shoelaces. Hmmm.
This large Albergue (hostel) in Moratinos, population 68, had a Canadian flag flying so of course we stopped to visit and have some refreshment.
Trees with sweaters in Moratinos! No idea...
About 1.5 miles out of Sahagun this ancient bridge leads us to the Church - Ermita Virgende del Puente. This church and the city of Sahagun are protected by the two large Templar statues you can see below.
Us with our protectors the Templars. There's a second Templar opposite this one, but he's bashful (in the shade and not as photogenic).
Jeff kept trying to strike up a conversation with this pilgrom, in Sahagun, but even he couldn't get the guy to talk. Jeff was so disappointed (not!) that we were just a week too early for him to participate in the bull fight activities in Sahagun. While we were walking through town, workers were constructing the corral fences through the busniess district of town in which local men will "run" several unhappy half-ton bulls up to the Plaza de Toros de Granada bullfighting ring. They do this six times during the fiesta honoring St. Juan of Sahagun.
Cast of pilgrim soles leaving Sahagun, population 2,625.
Leaving Sahagun we crossed the Rio Cea over the Puente Canto, the "singing bridge." Jeff chose Willy Nelson's "On The Road Again" as his bridge song today. The path now follows a beautiful line of popular trees which provide shade now that we're seeing some sun. Eventually, the popular trees are replaced with maple trees.
This former pilgrim hospital, "Our Lady of the Pear Trees," is just east of Bercianos de Real Camino. That doesn't look like a pear tree to me... We contunue along our maple tree-lined path to Burgo del Ranero where we will stay for the night.
