Via Lemovicensis: Carry On

Breakfast didn’t start until 7:30, so it was almost 8:15 before we were out the door. Herve and I were joined at breakfast by Appalachia John, who had stayed in San Nicolas last night. 

The morning was overcast and cold. Cold enough I put my gloves on.

After the last house in the village, the Camino proceeded on a brand new gravel sidewalk between the road and a vegetable field. Within just a few minutes, we were walking on a broad dirt road through the wheat fields.

At 8:45, we crossed over the Canal del Pisuerga. Here, Herve and I caught up with John and had a brief conversation before passing him. This would not be the last time this happened today. 

The sun was starting to break through the clouds now, highlighting the low hills of wheat that heaved on the Meseta like waves in the storm.

By 8:55, the fleece had come off.

Just after 9 AM, Herve and I went over the only real hill of the day. Compared to the previous weeks, this one was barely a bump.

Just after 9:45, we entered the farming village of Boadilla del Camino looking for second breakfast. We found it in a place called En el Camino. It’s a bar, restaurant, three-star hotel, and albergue all rolled into one. I stayed the albergue portion three years ago. It’s pretty swank for an albergue.

Herve and I did some stage planning over second breakfast, so we may have stayed here a little longer than was prudent. We left after 10:35. And the church was locked. 

Just a few minutes later, we were back on a broad smooth dirt path with an almost powdery coat of gravel. It was definitely sunny now, as we passed by the first of the Meseta’s famous irrigation channels.

Right at 11 AM, the Camino met up with the Canal de Castilla. The path followed the canal for some time. This was originally a shipping canal built in the 17th and 18th centuries, but its true usefulness came as a means of irrigating the Meseta for agriculture. It’s still used for this today. 

The canal and the path were lined with trees, but the sun was so high in the sky they provided little in the way of shade for us. On either side of us beyond the trees stretched endless seas of wheat.

The trees grew more intermittent as we walked. With the cooling breeze across the canal, this was truly a pleasant walk.

I see from my Facebook memories that one year ago today, Francine kissed me. Was it the last time?

At this point, she was rarely recognizing me. She was not eating much and losing weight alarmingly fast. She slept through most of the day, and her attempts at communication were reduced to low moans.

And even so, in a moment of will and supreme effort, she kissed me.

The canal route took us towards the town of Frómista, which we sighted in the distance about 11:35. We crossed over the canal at this point, and the Camino took us into the town.

By 12:10 we were sitting on a terrace with beers and bocadillos. We were right at 16 km down and probably halfway through our walking day. 

After lunch we visited the 11th century Iglesia de Saint Martín de Frómista. This is considered to be one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Spain. And it is beautiful. It’s had such extensive restoration work done, though, that it’s sometimes difficult to tell what is original to the building.

I prayed here, to the consternation of a German guided tour group.

We headed back to the Camino right at about 1 PM. A sidewalk took us through a residential neighborhood to the end of the city, and then over a long bridge. 

Soon enough, we were back on the dusty white dirt and gravel. This time, the path followed next to the highway, mostly in an arrow-straight line. 

We entered the village of Población de Campos at about 1:35. There are a lot of albergues here – it very much gives the impression of an old, down on its luck farming town that has been transformed by the Camino. Even so, the Camino just skirts the edge of the town.

Here, we had to make a choice. The Camino splits into two: one path continues along the road as we’ve been doing, and the other, 1 km longer, follows a river through trees and more natural surroundings.

We flipped a coin and took the latter road. It was absolutely the correct decision. To our left was the river, densely covered in trees, and to our right with the open fields of the Meseta. It was gorgeous.

Along the way, we caught up with John. Again. There’s very much a tortoise and hare thing going on here, as I think it’s the third time today we’ve caught up with him and passed him, only to have him somehow in front of us again.

We stopped in the little village of Revenga de Campos in the hopes of finding a cold drink. Herve was having some trouble with his feet and wanted to rest for a bit.

As usual, the village church was locked (in this case with a chain and a padlock), but the bar was open.

By now, it was 3 PM.

It was back to the gravel path beside the highway. We still had something like 12 km to go, and it was getting late in the day. We had a discussion about stopping in Villalcázar rather than going all the way to Carrión. That would save us something like 5 km today, but of course we would have to make it up further down the line.

And the thing about Carrión de los Condes is that the next village after it is more than 17 km. It’s the sort of thing usually best done first thing in the morning, rather than starting it an hour into the day. I did that in 2023, and I can’t recommend it.

We agreed to reassess once we got to Villalcázar. Meanwhile, I’ve been singing bits of a song from my youth, “Carry on My Wayward Son”. I’m sure it was put into my head by the name of our destination town today – Carrión de los Condes .

One of my prayers at the start of this Camino, way back in Vézelay and what seems like a lifetime ago, was that I could learn to carry my grief.

Not that it would go away, but that I would learn to hold it within me as part of who I am without letting it overwhelm me.

And I think, in some ways, that prayer has been answered. It has been a process, beginning with my tearful account of Francine at the very first gîte after Vézelay, continuing through weeks of walking what was effectively a silent retreat, and in my discussions and friendship with Herve.

I thanked him today. He really has changed my life for the better.

The Spanish portion of this pilgrimage has been instrumental in my resocialization, as I am learning again to be among people.

Herve and I walked through the tiny farming hamlet of Villarmentero de Campos at about 3:20. It might be tiny, but like most of the little places we have passed on Meseta, it has an albergue. Unlike any place we’ve passed in a week, though, it smelled of cow.

The Lord has been very good to me; He has showered me in His mercy with gifts and graces and with the right people in the right places during this pilgrimage.

I felt Francine’s presence through this pilgrimage as I have walked for her and she has walked with me.

I am reminded again of Saint Augustine’s Maxim, “Solvitur ambulando – it is solved by walking”.

We sighted the church and village of Villalcázar de Sirga right at about 4 PM. Herve elected to continue walking on the road, while I went to see if the great church of Santa María La Blanca was open. Three years ago, I had been so transfixed by this place that I ended up spending the night here.

I arrived at about 4:20 at the door to the church to find it locked.

By the time I rejoined the road, Herve was nowhere in sight. I passed a road sign that said I had 6 km to go. I thought it was four. For some reason, the phrase “low morale death march” popped into my head.

At the 3 km marker, I saw mountains in the distance to the right. It was about 4:50 PM.

Ten minutes later, as I crested a shallow hill, I saw the town of Carrión de los Condes ahead of me. That was a serious morale boost.

I passed the 2 km marker sometime before 5:05.

I passed the 1 km marker just at 5:15. I entered the town a few minutes later. The markers must provide distances to the town center, which made me feel a lot better.

The Camino crossed the highway at 5:20, and I found myself on a sidewalk.

I finally caught up with Herve as the both of us were entering the albergue at Santa María. By 5:30 we were off our feet, and the hospitaleras were giving us iced tea and cookies.

After the usual pilgrim chores (no nap this time), I joined Herve’s friend Elisa in the church for Mass and a pilgrim blessing. Normally, this church has a group of Augustinian sisters who sing with the pilgrims, but they are apparently in Madrid for the Pope’s visit.

Herve, Elisa, and I had dinner at a local place and barely made it back to the albergue before they locked the doors. 

Date: 05 June 2026

Place: Carrión de los Condes 

Today started: Itero de la Vega  

Today’s Photos!