Pilgrims on the Way

Francine stands at the entrance of an abandoned bodega in Moratinos, looking for all the world like she’s visiting some Hobbit friends. We’re looking and feeling a lot better, as you can see. The weather has cleared up and the terrain is perfect for a long walk. Date: 18 April 2016 Place: Moratinos (Castilla y León, Spain) Today’s map:

A smail is, of course, a Hobbit hole (and that means comfort!) These, however, are not really those. They are bodegas, as we have seen before in this region. I’m including a bonus photo below of the sign that explains it all! Date: 18 April 2016 Place: Entering Moratinos (Castilla y León, Spain) Bonus photo! Today’s map:

We are entering the village of Moratinos on the Meseta. If you look carefully to the right, you will see what appear to be Hobbit holes. If you’ve been following the “Camino Photo of the Day” series here, you will already know what these are… but more on that tomorrow! Date: 18 April 2016 Place: Entering Moratinos (Castilla y León, […]

There are many memorials on the Camino to fallen pilgrims. This one is on the wide open Meseta, just before Moratinos. This particular pilgrim died here only a few weeks after I passed this very spot on our first Camino. Date: 18 April 2016 Place: Between Terradillos de los Templarios and Moratinos (Castilla y León, Spain) Today’s map:

Pilgrims often leave encouragements for the pilgrims following them. This one is on the back of a stop sign, which seems appropriate. It may seem cheesy, but sometimes this sort of pep talk is incredibly helpful to a flagging pilgrim on a bad day. At least, it was for me. Date: 18 April 2016 Place: Between Terradillos de los Templarios […]

After our second breakfast, it was back to the Big Flat. Despite the looming clouds, it was a beautiful day for walking. The air was cool, but not windy, and eventually the sun broke through the clouds. This was, as you might imagine, a welcome break from the trials of the last few days. Walking the Meseta favours contemplation. You […]

Francine is so excited, she’s a blur! We stopped for second breakfast in the delightful Albergue de Jacques de Molay in Terradillos de los Templarios, which is, of course, entirely appropriate. It’s a homey place with a big fireplace. The walls bear a suspicious resemblance to our own dining room in terms of colour and texture – not to mention […]

After about an hour and a half of early-morning hiking, we came to the village of Terradillos de los Templarios. This is an ancient village associated with the Knights Templar, the legend of El Cid, and is even mentioned in the Codex Calixtinus as a “prosperous and excellent village, abundant in bread, wine, meat and all kinds of products”. We […]

We had our first breakfast of April 18 early in the morning in the bar of the Albergue La Morena in Ledigos. For some reason, everybody was moving slower than usual this morning. It might have been the wine from the night before. Of course, what you see here are our packs and the breakfast aftermath. Date: 18 April 2016 […]

In Ledigos, we stayed at a relatively new place, the Albergue La Morena. It first opened in 2015, and it’s clean and comfortable. Here we see the Washington State Pilgrims: Francine with a group of students and friends from the Evergreen State College, of whom I have spoken before in these pages. Now you get to see them! Date: 17 […]