Winding my way through Spain
The latest progress report from Richards Bay’s Leon Willemse, who has now passed the halfway mark of his six-week, 800km-long Camino pilgrimage in Europe. He set off in France late last month and has since been crossing Spain
During week three the weather through the Meseta was mostly cool and overcast.
A blessing if one thinks about the warnings we got earlier about people taking real strain on this part of the pilgrimage.
My biggest problem this week was the multiple blisters that eventually became very painful.
I even walked 7km with flip-flops on.
The longest stage was 26km, while the shortest was 17km.
Day 15
As I was getting ready this morning for the 21km from Burgos to Hornillos del Camino, I realised my aluminium walking pole was missing.
I must have left it at a street café while waiting for the landlord to open my apartment.
I missed my stick today because it has sentimental value as it accompanied me up Mt Kilimanjaro.
Today’s walk took almost five hours and it was relatively easy, although the wind picked up and rain was forecast for around lunch time.
I arrived at about 11am, just in time to miss the sprinkling of rain.
Today’s highlight was when I visited the Ermita de la Virgen de Monasterio in the small town of Rabé de las Calzadas.
Tomorrow will be 19.5km to Castrojeriz.
Another Spanish lesson – the ‘J’ is pronounced as a ‘G’ (like in the Afrikaans word ‘gees’).
Day 16
Today was my second day on the Spanish Meseta – the flat plains on central Spain’s plateau.
As I entered Hontanas there was a restaurant selling freshly made fruit punch.
The ex-Cuban was an absolute entertainer, playing Cuban/Spanish music while serenading the ladies.
The rest of the route took us past the ruins of the 18th century San Anton monastery.
On entering Castrojeriz you see the impressive Collegiate Church of Our Lady of the Apple, which now serves as a museum for the sacred arts.
Today’s 21km took me 4 hours and 45 minutes.
Day 17
Thanks to everyone sending me messages; I really enjoy receiving them.
To date I have covered 380km with about another 430km left to Santiago.
Today was another day on the Spanish Meseta from Castrojeriz to Frómista, and the 26km took me 5 hours and 46 minutes to complete.
After heavy rain early this morning which had reduced to drizzle when I began walking, and which stopped 200m into my walk, the rest of the day was overcast.
The last part of today’s walk was alongside the Canal of Castile, built between the last half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century.
It runs for 207km, supplying irrigation water to this part of Spain.
Tomorrow is a 19km short walk to Carrión des los Condes.
I now have two blisters on each foot.
Day 18
Today’s 20.6km from Frómista to Carrión de los Condes took me 4hrs 18 minutes.
According to the Buen Camino app, the Condes in the town’s name refers to the Counts of Beni Gómes (Gómes Dias and his wife Doña Teresa), local benefactors from the 11th Century under whose auspices the Benedictine convent of St Zoilius, a bridge over the river Carrion and a pilgrim’s hospital were built.
Tomorrow’s route will not be through any villages so I must stock up on food and water.
Day 19 (13 August)
Today’s boring 17km to Calzadilla de la Cueza took me 3 hours and 31minutes.
The entire way was just recently harvested farmlands with absolutely nothing interesting to break the monotony.
All the fruit I bought yesterday will come in handy tomorrow as the nuns who ran last night’s accommodation insisted I take their packed lunch after a breakfast of banana bread.
Calzadilla de la Cueza has a population of 40 and my very slow walk around the town took about 10 minutes.
Tomorrow I am heading for Sahagún, about 21.5km away.
Day 20
Today’s stage was 22km from Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagún, which took me 5 hours.
People and things I met along the way included some Spaniards with hangovers at breakfast in the town of Ledigos, chasing a special shot with coffee, and a rabbit alongside the road which reminded me of my delicious rabbit supper last night.
At Moratinos I saw some strange looking giant ‘anthills’, which are 500-year-old storage cellars called ‘bodega’.
This morning was beautiful, with the sun rising and the fresh smell of nature.
An eyesore along the Camino is the graffiti – slogans, phrases and signs on rocks, road signs and walls.
It is sad to say that it is pilgrims carrying out the graffiti, not locals.
The last 7km I walked into Sahagún wearing my flip-flops because of my blisters.
Tomorrow is a rest day.
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