Hontanas to Castrojeríz to Boadilla
July 21 to 23, 2015, 32.7 km 48,550 steps
We left Hontanas and had a lovely walk to San Anton where we stopped and had coffee with Oliver. He gave us the grand tour. Leea asked, Why didn't we stay here?" I had to shrug my shoulders. It looked very cozy. The new mattresses look very comfy. Good job Rebekah!!
We arrived in Castrojeríz and somehow walked right by the Albergue. Both times I have stayed here before, I've stayed at the Municipal Albergue which is over City Hall. It's a nice Albergue, but I decided to try something different. But we reached the end of town and hadn't found it.
We looked at a map on my phone and one posted by the City Hall and decided we needed to backtrack. But we also found the location of the farmcía, to get stuff for Leea's feet, and the location of an ATM. I think we arrived in Castrojeríz with about two euros between us. On the way to the ATM, we walked through a farmer's market, but we didn't have any money to spend.
After the farmacia, we started to backtrack to the Albergue, but it wasn't open yet, so we got a bite to eat. Then we went into the church in the middle of town and discovered that they had installed an interpretive center about the Camino inside the church. It cost 1.5€ and was well worth it. They had video presentations with beautiful words. There was lots of information about medicines used in the old hospitals for pilgrims, foods that were eaten and dishes that were cooked. It was really enjoyable.
Then we went and found our Albergue, Albergue del Peregrinos Ultreia. And there we met Jose and his lovely wife. She was a little shy but very nice. Jose was very animated, always smiling and helpful. They have a great little stone pool with cold water to soak your feet.
We had a lovely dinner with an Italian couple, with Spanish as the common language. The Italians and Jose had trouble understanding why we were drinking water and not wine. I think it is probably a misdemeanor in Italy, to not drink wine. Then Jose explained what the long wooden thing was that went down the length of the dining room. It turns out that it was used to squish grapes. Jose
July 21 to 23, 2015, 32.7 km 48,550 steps
We left Hontanas and had a lovely walk to San Anton where we stopped and had coffee with Oliver. He gave us the grand tour. Leea asked, Why didn't we stay here?" I had to shrug my shoulders. It looked very cozy. The new mattresses look very comfy. Good job Rebekah!!
We arrived in Castrojeríz and somehow walked right by the Albergue. Both times I have stayed here before, I've stayed at the Municipal Albergue which is over City Hall. It's a nice Albergue, but I decided to try something different. But we reached the end of town and hadn't found it.
We looked at a map on my phone and one posted by the City Hall and decided we needed to backtrack. But we also found the location of the farmcía, to get stuff for Leea's feet, and the location of an ATM. I think we arrived in Castrojeríz with about two euros between us. On the way to the ATM, we walked through a farmer's market, but we didn't have any money to spend.
After the farmacia, we started to backtrack to the Albergue, but it wasn't open yet, so we got a bite to eat. Then we went into the church in the middle of town and discovered that they had installed an interpretive center about the Camino inside the church. It cost 1.5€ and was well worth it. They had video presentations with beautiful words. There was lots of information about medicines used in the old hospitals for pilgrims, foods that were eaten and dishes that were cooked. It was really enjoyable.
Then we went and found our Albergue, Albergue del Peregrinos Ultreia. And there we met Jose and his lovely wife. She was a little shy but very nice. Jose was very animated, always smiling and helpful. They have a great little stone pool with cold water to soak your feet.
We had a lovely dinner with an Italian couple, with Spanish as the common language. The Italians and Jose had trouble understanding why we were drinking water and not wine. I think it is probably a misdemeanor in Italy, to not drink wine. Then Jose explained what the long wooden thing was that went down the length of the dining room. It turns out that it was used to squish grapes. Jose
- Leea squishing imaginary grapes
pantomimed most of the story and had us take turns pushing the handles to make the press revolve to squish the grapes.
He then took us down to the Bodega under the Albergue and gave us a history lesson. Apparently the area that the area that had been a bodega in the tenth century had actually been constructed as part of a tunnel that ran underground through the town to the castle. Again Jose poured little glasses of wine from the keg in the Bodega and tried to get me to drink the ounce he had put in one glass. He just wanted me to try it. Leea and Zi were cracking up. Anyway, it was a good time, Leea's favorite Albergue up to that point.
The next day we were headed to my favorite Albergue, En El Camino in Boadilla. I just love that place, from Eduardo who is always so nice and helpful, to His mama who cooks the most wonderful food, to the converted bunkhouse, green lawn and swimming pool.
Leea had decided after five days rest and doing half stages for four or five days that she would try twenty kilometers. Her feet didn't like it at all. She has been resting them and icing them, along with trying everyone's other suggestions, but they are just getting more and more painful. She had to make the tough decision to stop walking.
He then took us down to the Bodega under the Albergue and gave us a history lesson. Apparently the area that the area that had been a bodega in the tenth century had actually been constructed as part of a tunnel that ran underground through the town to the castle. Again Jose poured little glasses of wine from the keg in the Bodega and tried to get me to drink the ounce he had put in one glass. He just wanted me to try it. Leea and Zi were cracking up. Anyway, it was a good time, Leea's favorite Albergue up to that point.
The next day we were headed to my favorite Albergue, En El Camino in Boadilla. I just love that place, from Eduardo who is always so nice and helpful, to His mama who cooks the most wonderful food, to the converted bunkhouse, green lawn and swimming pool.
Leea had decided after five days rest and doing half stages for four or five days that she would try twenty kilometers. Her feet didn't like it at all. She has been resting them and icing them, along with trying everyone's other suggestions, but they are just getting more and more painful. She had to make the tough decision to stop walking.
We didn't have good phone reception or wifi in Boadilla, so it turned out to be difficult to make plans about what to do next. So Eduardo helped us get a bus in the morning to go to Palencia where we got a room and have been able to check out our options. It turned out the cost of changing our flight was prohibitive. So we decided to use the money we would have spent on the Camino toward visiting some other cities. Tomorrow we will go to Seville, where I started the Via de la Plata last year, for four or five days. Then we'll go to Córdoba for a few days. I've been there, but Leea hasn't. Then we'll go to Granada. We were there in 2009 but haven't been back since. All three of these cities have excellent opportunities to see some flamenco performances. Then we might go to Barcelona. We were there in 2009 when I had major emergency surgery. It's a fun city!
We were both very sad yesterday and most of today as we got on the bus and rode away from the Camino, but I think we're recovering our acceptance and are curious to see what else this trip has in store for us. I must be feeling better, I just ate a whole bag of Risquettas for dinner. lol
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