Episode 4 – Madrid to Sahagun

Ok honestly the day didn’t start out so great. I had to pack my ginormous suitcase, must be 45 pounds, just as I reviewed the detailed information about my itinerary. Unlike the average pilgrim, I used a tour company to book all my stops in advance because when we were here in 2014, the people we met told us that many of the places to stay were filled early in the day and if you showed up late you were stuck staying the night in a dormitory like environment. Another advantage is that they’ll transport your bag to the next stop so you don’t have to carry all your things in your backpack. But I hadn’t actually read the detailed info until last evening and realized the weight limit is 15 kilos, my bag is more like 22 kilos so I know they’re going to throw a tizzy fit and want to charge me out the kazoo to transport it each day.

The first train from Madrid was great. It was an AVE (high speed) traveling at 300 km/hr

but then I had to switch trains in Palencia and when I was retrieving my bag from the shelf above my seat I practically dropped it on the head of an elderly Spanish woman who was sitting next to me. She was startled as it swept within centimeters of her head but I gave her my best Spanish apology.

Then I had to drag the stupid thing up and down and over to the platform where I caught the train to Sahagun and broke into a sweat as I raced to jump on as it was leaving the station.

On the train, I met my first peregrinos of the trip who in my judgement were overly friendly. An Australian guy and his Canadian GF who had become acquainted on the Camino 4 years earlier. They were going to work several weeks at a hostal and then head to Porto to walk the Camino Portuguese. The guy was full of anecdotes about the Camino that I could have lived without, like when he slipped and cracked his head open in a small town on his first Camino and had it stitched up by someone with no medical training or anesthesia and the little reported fact, at least according to him, that half of the people that set out on the Camino check out before they get to Santiago. Honestly I was glad to bid them farewell as I dragged my ginormous suitcase filled with stuff I don’t need, won’t use and shouldn’t have brought the better part of a mile in a cold sweat to the Hotel Sahagun where I was booked for the evening. The place is modern, fairly new with 90 rooms maybe 10 booked. The only other people there were English speaking pilgrims like me who had overpaid to book in advance.

I felt a little better when I opened my pilgrims package including my shell, an unabridged version of the guide I had in abridged form and passport:

I almost just stayed in the room but it was only 5:00 and the guidebook said that Sahagun was an important place of ecclesiastical power in the 10th through 13th Century and has many sites (although decaying) of historical significance so I ventured out.

It got cooler and I felt better when I got to the town center where I should have been staying. I stopped in a quiet bar for a cana where a group of older Spanish gentleman were watching a bull fight televised live from Madrid. I watched with them til the bull gradually weakened by the multiple picadors that had been stuck in his back was put to rest by the matador’s sword with a flourish to the cheers of the men watching.

Sure enough the town has some cool churches and ancient structures

and then I came upon the towns Plaza Mayor.

All of these little towns have one. It’s a place where the families gather in the evening. The kids play soccer, ride bikes and run around, the men sit in adjacent bars smoking cigarettes and drinking beer and the women talk and watch the children.

Cary loved to sit in these Plazas and watch the kids play. She was all about families and children. We would always have a deck cards and play gin. She hated losing but loved it when she’d beat me. Among the 10 kilos of stuff that I didn’t need I brought a deck of bicycle cards. I don’t know why I’ve never been much on solitaire.

I then came upon the Sanctuario de la Peregrina which is a 13th Century convent under restoration. It was 7:50 pm, 10 minutes before closing, but the attendant welcomed me warmly and I took a brief tour. The register showed that only 2 other people had visited during the day. She asked me if I had my pilgrims passport so that she could stamp it for me as proof that I have been in Sahagun. I had left it in the room and she then prepared for me a personalized certificate as proof that I had been there.

Interestingly there is a display in the sanctuario that confirms that Sahagun is the geographical midpoint of the Camino Frances.

I then stopped at the old classic hotel in town where I should’ve stayed and enjoyed an excellent meal offered only to pilgrims. It included an appetizer of incredible mushrooms, Cordero with fried potatoes dessert, wine and coffee for €10.

While I was dining, a young Priest entered the room with seven women parishioners for dinner at a large table. He stopped and visited with me for a few moments and then sat with me while I told him in my best Spanish one of my favorite priest and rabbi jokes that he enjoyed immensely.

So it’s now about midnight, I just had a nice FaceTime call with Emily and William.

I have a7:00 wake up call. I want to get on the road before they come to pick up my bag so I don’t have to hear them complain.

Tomorrow my first day walking the Camino heading for a place call El Burgo Reinero.

Until then Buen Camino