A longish day today. Slept well despite crowded albergue and headed out of Castrojeriz past the church with its two life size skull and cross bone carvings set in the wall at eye level in the narrow street. One is inscribed "death" mori, the other "eternity" eternitas.
With that cheerful message absorbed, headed off into chilly early morning country side, up the steep climb out of the valley. The grade was 12 percent going up one side and 18 percent coming down the other. A heart starter going up and a knee test going down.
The wind kicked up and it seemed a long cold way to the next village. The albergue had a nice young lady with three nice dogs stationed on the outskirts handing out leaflets advertizing "desayuno completo" basically English breakfast with orange juice and coffee, all for 5 euros, which is what I had sitting in the sun when I got into the village. Hard to see how they make much profit on that.
The weather was mostly sunny but cold and windy, and the country side just glorious. The edges of the fields are a mass of wild flowers - poppies, daisies, buttercups, a deep blue flower which might be a corn flower? Coming from Australia I was expecting the Meseta to be dead flat and empty, but in fact there is plenty of variety.
The last section of around six kilometres ran past the Canal de Castille, constructed for transport rather than irrigation if the impressive lock system near town is any guide. Lovely to walk beside water.
Fromista has a couple of impressive churches. San Martin, a romanesque church constructed 1066, has some of the strangest carvings I've seen.
Staying in a lovely private albergue with a big friendly black dog who will happily accept pats for as long as you are ready to give them.
A relatively short flat day tomorrow to Carrion los Condes, so I will sleep in till 7 unless the rustling from the early departing perigrinos becomes unbearable.
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