The World is Quiet Here

(from my journal) Astorga 20 April Breakfasted in the Benedictine hotel with Francine. We walked to the bus station – maybe 1.5 km – and caught the 9:30 bus to Hospital de Órbigo. Walked across town to Puente de Órbigo and walked across (and back across) the astonishing medieval bridge there. Saint Benedict, Pray for Us! My late, lamented hiking […]

(from my journal) León 19 April In León after a relatively easy 18km walk, made only slightly more difficult by the fact of walking on sidewalks for much of it. This is a fantastic city! It’s probably my favourite so far – other than Pamplona of course. Narrow, crooked streets, bursting with life and commerce. A Lion in León! Plaza […]

(from my journal) Mansilla de las Mulas 18 April Another long Meseta trek. Breakfast in El Burgo Ranero. Met a cat outside the bar who begged for food. Power-walked after El Burgo Ranero – not sure why the energy. Met back up with Eamon at rest area about 5km before Reliegos where we lunched. Second half of lunch in Reliegos, […]

(from my journal) Bercianos del Real Camino 17 April Francine is in flight! Meanwhile, today was another introspective Meseta day – bleak, virtually unchanging scenery pushing thoughts deep within with little distraction. Entered the Province of León. Just before arriving in the town of Sahagún, at a little place called Ermita de la Virgen del Puente, I crossed the halfway […]

(from my journal) Terradillos de los Templarios 16 April / St. Bernadette Leaving Carrión de los Condes Ruined Church Overlooking Carrión de los Condes Monasterio de San Zoilo, just outside Carrión de los Condes Today started out with 17.5 km of nothing. It didn’t get much better as the day went on. Lots of time to think, about what comes […]

(from my journal) Carrión de los Condes 15 April A record-breaking 34km day. The walk to Frómista along the Canal de Castilla was very pleasant. It was not yet hot – we left at 7:30 – and a cool breeze blew through the trees beside the canal as Eamon, Mia, and I walked in the morning light. Lunch in Frómista, […]

(from my journal) Itero de la Vega Third Sunday of Easter Hot. Dry. Sunny. The Meseta – at least what we’ve seen of it so far – has not, however, lived up to its reputation for “flat”. We had two trying climbs today, one before lunch, one after. We left San Bol early, partly with the idea of getting to […]

(from my journal) Arroyo San Bol 13 April Burgos Cathedral this morning. We spent about two hours wandering around through this – superlatives fail me – magnificent? glorious? fantastical? – Gothic marvel. I was a little disturbed by the decision to turn most of it into a museum, seemingly to include virtually all of the little chapels radiating out from […]

(from my journal) The standing stones of Atapuerca, at a place called Fin de Rey.This is where the armies of two brothers – King Garcia of Navarra and King Ferdinand of Castile – met in battle. King Garcia’s defeat and death here paved the way for Castillian dominance of Spain, and pretty much marked the end of the road for […]

(from my journal) Iglesia San Juan de Ortega 11 April 4:20PM Felt much better after a good sleep and three boxes of orange juice. We left Belorado in good form and breakfasted in Tosantos. It was a sunny, if breezy, walk through the countryside we’ve come to expect – brilliant green farm fields in bowl-shaped valleys. Belorado Ermita de Nuestra […]

(from my journal) Belorado 10 April After the severe physical trial of yesterday, we were determined to take it easy, starting late and perhaps only going as far as Grañón or (at the most) Redicilla del Camino, some 11km distant. Before setting out, we explored the Cathedral. Santo Domingo himself is buried in the crypt, and I knelt there a […]