Well OK, right off the bat I’m just gonna say this (for anyone who was already thinking it) a big plate of marinated mushrooms followed by an even bigger plate of Cordero Asado with fried potatoes and a bottomless carafe of wine is not a prescription for a restful night sleep.
I sort of knew that which is why I picked the fresh fruit for dessert as a counter balance rather than the chocolate cake, flan or ice cream.
It was unsuccessful which I felt immediately after dinner while I was in my room working on my blog. I wasn’t at the point of regret because I still wasn’t feeling that poorly and the food was so delicious.
But the Wi-Fi in my room was terrible so I went down to the lobby to finish my blog and was feeling not too well but still not at the point of any real regret until after I hit the publish button.
The hotel is one of those places where every hallway is dark until it senses someone walking and then the lights come on and in this case they really just kind of flickered. After the ride up in the shaky elevator I was walking to my room, the lights were flickering on and off and I began to feel a little queasy. By the time I got to my room I was feeling really woozy, had quite a headache, lots of heartburn and thought I was going to discharge orally everything I had eaten.
One thing I brought that I actually did need was a big bottle of Tums and Advil. So I chewed some Tums took the Advil and laid on the bed holding on tight while the room kind of spun around me and that’s when the real regret set in. I laid there til about 3:30 am looking forward to throwing it all up which at that point I deemed would be preferable to keeping it all down but no such luck.
I drifted off to a fitful sleep and some really bizarre dreams. Large enormous trees were being uprooted left and right exposing root balls larger than our house. I kept urging Cary to help me keep the trees from falling but she just shrugged.
At 7:00 I got my wake up call and not too enthusiastically packed up my stuff, got dressed, dropped my bag at reception and had a light breakfast (mostly fruit, one half a bolio, coffee and lots of water). Other than weird muscles cramping in my stomach, some heart burn and a dull headache I felt better. A fistful of Tums, a couple of Advil and by 8 o’clock I was ready for the Camino:
But not before I received my first official stamp on my Camino passport:
I decided to take Cary’s cherry red trekking poles. Ironically she had used them quite a bit as she fought her way back after the brain surgery and the shunting.
It was a great morning, overcast and cool and lots of peregrinos like me were on the road early. The Camino is great as you leave Sahagun, dirt path with a row of trees for shade for many many kilometers.
These shade trees are called plataneros but they don’t bear fruit. After about an hour walking, I was feeling great (other than the stomach cramping).
I hadn’t hiked with a back pack since Boy Scouts so I was careful not to pack too much. It has a bladder for water but I didn’t fill it because there are a number of places to stop along the way to El Burgo Ranero and I wanted to avoid the extra weight til I was comfortable carrying the backpack.
About 10 kms out, I noticed an old church with a bell tower that looked interesting.
Every other pilgrim kept going because it’s only another couple of kms to a built up place called Bercianos de Real Camino which has a couple of bars, cafes and a hostal.
I’m so glad I stopped because turns out it’s a 300 year old church called La Ermita de La Virgin de Perales. I was awed by the beauty of the interior of such a modest structure when I stepped inside, of course removing my hat as I entered.
The attendant, a mature gentleman, was so happy someone had stopped he turned on all the lights, told me the history of the Ermita and walked me to the front so that I could see under the dome where the year 1716 was inscribed.
And he then placed the second stamp on my passport.
I left a generous donation, received a strong abrazo and a nice “Buen Camino” from my new amigo as I proceeded to Bercianos where a number of pilgrims I had met in the morning were taking a well deserved break. They were all wishing they had stopped when I showed them the pictures of the interior of the Ermita.
At that point, I decided an a Coca Cola with lime and ice in the hopes it would settle my still cramping stomach and it did for a while.
The sun was now out so I shed my long sleeve shirt and switched to my sun hat.
Looks good I think.
Other than a couple of small new blisters (which I covered with mole skin), I was feeling really great and set off to complete the last 9 kms or so to El Burgo Ranero arriving near 1:00.
I sat at a table at one of the 2 places on the Main Street and watched as many pilgrims were rushing into town to secure a bed at the municipal albergue or the 2 or 3 hostals which I was told had limited space.
Of course, I was chill cause I had a reservation at the Hotel Castillo Burgo which I thought was going to be a refurbished Castle.
Cary and I had stayed at many of the paradores in Spain and many of the pousadas in Portugal many of which were ancient castles. We loved those type places.
I wandered all over this tiny town but couldn’t find a castle anywhere until a local directed me to retrace my steps back out of town from where I had come and to the major highway about a km away. The Hotel Castillo Burgo wasn’t even in El Burgo Ranero and was neither ancient or a castle.
Turns out it was a fairly modern gasoline station combination hotel, store and cafeteria owned by a firm named Grupo Castillo but the room was clean, my UV light revealed nothing of concern, good WiFi, plenty of hot water and a/c so I cleaned up and rested for a couple of hours, treated a few blisters, dressed comfortably
It’s a really cute but very quiet town.
The first thing I noticed was that there were very few young people or children and that every business in the town catered to Pellegrinos. It seems to be one of those places that wouldn’t exist anymore but for the Camino.
The men were in the bar played dominoes and out front were playing cards.
I dropped in at one of the hostal restaurants and ordered the Peregrino meal. Still feeling a bit uneasy (stomach wise), I opted for fideo and sparkling water for my first course (which was very good light and hit the spot), ternera and potatoes for ny second course (which I hardly touched) and paid extra for a mixed salad that had really delicious tomatoes.
For dessert I asked for fruit and they brought me an apple with a knife and fork of course.
By 8:30 The town was completely quiet the temperature dropped considerably and I had a pleasant walk back to the gas station hotel cafeteria convenience store which by the way is open 24 hours.
I left a 7:00 wake up call and am looking forward tomorrow to my next stop about 20 kms away called Mansilla de Las Mulas. It’s quite a bit larger than El Burgo Ranero. It has a 12th Century medieval wall and a restored Convento San Augustin with a Museo Etnográfica that I am looking forward to seeing.
Interestingly, I never even thought about pulling out my earbuds today. Usually I listen to music on long walks to break the monotony but I was fully occupied today with the sights and sounds and my own thoughts.
It isn’t much but a couple of things occurred to me:
1. The Camino is laid out before all of us but we have to find our own way
2. On the Camino there is always someone in front of you and someone behind you or put another way, you are always leading someone and following someone else but it isn’t static. The person leading you stops to rest and then you may lead them but only for a while.
So it’s now after 11:00, I’m bushed so I’m going to hit the publish button, recite the shema and express some special words of gratitude to the Lord above who blessed me with 30 years with Cary and 3 magnificent children and brought me to this day.
Gmar Chatima Tovah
Buen Camino