Postscript from yesterday: I forgot to narrate that since Day 11 to
Belorado, I crossed over to the region of Castilla y Leon. Quite
different from the mountain regions of Navarra, the Basque country.
Also in Navarra, there was always a rosary 15 minutes before the
evening mass. Not in Castilla y Leon. First part of Castilla y Leon is
the province of Burgos. Yesterday I crossed into the second province,
Palencia, marked by flat plains and endless fields of grain. Fromista
itself seems to take from frumentum, the Latin word for grain.
I attended mass at Fromista in the Church of San Pedro at 8 pm with
the French couple Alain and Pascale. A simple mass with a good homily
on the readings. Had dinner by myself in my pension, Marisa. It was a
good dinner to make up for the bad lunch. Had chicken noodle soup,
very hot and a nice comfort food. Then an excellent salmon filet. For
dessert, I asked for flan, but they had run out. So some good ice
cream instead. Another difference here is that in Navarra, they gave
you a 3/4 bottle of wine with the meal. Here they give you the whole
bottle. I do not know if it is the weather or the long walks or simply
adjusting to Spanish ways, but I usually finish half the bottle with
no particularly strong effects! They tell me that the Americans finish
the whole bottle and ask for more! (They give you one bottle each if
you are several).
Day 18: Fromista to Carrion de los Condes
Today as you can see is a shorter walk and quite flat. The whole way
was through so-called Sendas de los Peregrinos or something like
Highways for Pilgrims. The guidebook talks of them as "soulless", but
they are a relief from the tougher sections. They are flat with mostly
good solid earth walks. The only downside is that they run parallel to
the highways with cars zooming past (speed limit in Spain is 120
km/hr, but most travel 10 or 20 km faster, I remember that it was nice
driving at those speeds when Fr Ting and I were in Spain for the
Ignatian pilgrimage in 2006.)
The memorable experience of the day was meeting a man, named Pepe
about 8 or 9 km into the walk. (I had stopped a few minutes in a
little town, Revenga de Campos, found a shade and drank some water and
had one of the peaches I brought with me.) He had a little van parked
on the senda as I was leaving Revenga and when I was about to pass, he
signaled me to stop, rushed off to a little shade tree and came back
with a little basket of candies and asked me to take one. He then told
me that he is like a Friend (or maybe better, Apostle) of the Camino.
He had his own sello (stamp) for my credencial and, of course, I was
happy to get it from him. A Canadian lady also passed by and I asked
her to take my picture with Pepe. On the sello, he wrote his name and
mine (same for the lady). As we were parting, he said "Venceremos" "
We will overcome." Meaning, I think, we will overcome all these high
speed modern cars with the spirit of the camino. Then, " El camino
para hacer mas bueno el mundo" and I agreed, "para mejorar el mundo."
After I left him and as I reflected on these physically parallel
roads, the high speed highway beside me with cars and trucks roaring
past, and the senda beside it with us pilgrims walking slowly, it was
two worlds and two ages. I like the mass at the end of the day,
because it really puts its stamp on connecting with a world that is
being bypassed by the modern world, but with its own power. I was
quite touched by Pepe and his positive way of helping me connect with
the world of the camino. (By the way, he had a special medal as a
friend/apostle of the camino and he put it on carefully for our
photo.)
14 km into the way and around 12 noon I stopped at a cafe/bar in
Villalcazar de Sirga, described by the guidebook as a center of the
Knights Templars in the Middle Ages. Will say more about the Templars
tomorrow, as I will be staying at the Albergue Jacques Molay (who
should be known by all who know about the Templars) in Terradillos de
los Templares. I tried to order a plato combinado as I wanted a hot
lunch, but the lady said no kitchen till 12:30. I did not want to
wait, so I had my favorite bocadillo: jamon con tomate. I then had
time to visit the Church of Santa Maria across and it was a very good
experience, to have quiet time to pray at lunch, away from the heat of
the day. Will try to make that a more regular part of the walks.
(Churches are usually open late morning till the 2 pm lunch time and
again in the evening.)
From Villalcazar to Carrion was just 6 km and I was at my pension,
Hostal Santiago, a little after 2 pm. I asked a man I met where the
Santiago was and he said, they have no room. But I have a reservation,
I said. In that case, he said, I will bring you there. Which he did.
He called out to the lady in charge who was busy hanging clothes to
dry and I waited a bit as she finished her task. I was actually happy
to see her doing that as I had asked her on the phone yesterday if I
could have my laundry done and she said yes. Later as I gave her my
laundry, I asked how much it would be and she said it is included in
the room charge. Nice thing here is that the sun is out till past 10
pm, so more than enough time for the clothes to dry.
There will be mass at the Church of Santa Maria later tonight, have to
check the time. Hope to have an early enough dinner and get an early
rest. Tomorrow is a longer walk, about 27 km and would like to start
early.
All for now. All the best.
Belorado, I crossed over to the region of Castilla y Leon. Quite
different from the mountain regions of Navarra, the Basque country.
Also in Navarra, there was always a rosary 15 minutes before the
evening mass. Not in Castilla y Leon. First part of Castilla y Leon is
the province of Burgos. Yesterday I crossed into the second province,
Palencia, marked by flat plains and endless fields of grain. Fromista
itself seems to take from frumentum, the Latin word for grain.
I attended mass at Fromista in the Church of San Pedro at 8 pm with
the French couple Alain and Pascale. A simple mass with a good homily
on the readings. Had dinner by myself in my pension, Marisa. It was a
good dinner to make up for the bad lunch. Had chicken noodle soup,
very hot and a nice comfort food. Then an excellent salmon filet. For
dessert, I asked for flan, but they had run out. So some good ice
cream instead. Another difference here is that in Navarra, they gave
you a 3/4 bottle of wine with the meal. Here they give you the whole
bottle. I do not know if it is the weather or the long walks or simply
adjusting to Spanish ways, but I usually finish half the bottle with
no particularly strong effects! They tell me that the Americans finish
the whole bottle and ask for more! (They give you one bottle each if
you are several).
Day 18: Fromista to Carrion de los Condes
Today as you can see is a shorter walk and quite flat. The whole way
was through so-called Sendas de los Peregrinos or something like
Highways for Pilgrims. The guidebook talks of them as "soulless", but
they are a relief from the tougher sections. They are flat with mostly
good solid earth walks. The only downside is that they run parallel to
the highways with cars zooming past (speed limit in Spain is 120
km/hr, but most travel 10 or 20 km faster, I remember that it was nice
driving at those speeds when Fr Ting and I were in Spain for the
Ignatian pilgrimage in 2006.)
The memorable experience of the day was meeting a man, named Pepe
about 8 or 9 km into the walk. (I had stopped a few minutes in a
little town, Revenga de Campos, found a shade and drank some water and
had one of the peaches I brought with me.) He had a little van parked
on the senda as I was leaving Revenga and when I was about to pass, he
signaled me to stop, rushed off to a little shade tree and came back
with a little basket of candies and asked me to take one. He then told
me that he is like a Friend (or maybe better, Apostle) of the Camino.
He had his own sello (stamp) for my credencial and, of course, I was
happy to get it from him. A Canadian lady also passed by and I asked
her to take my picture with Pepe. On the sello, he wrote his name and
mine (same for the lady). As we were parting, he said "Venceremos" "
We will overcome." Meaning, I think, we will overcome all these high
speed modern cars with the spirit of the camino. Then, " El camino
para hacer mas bueno el mundo" and I agreed, "para mejorar el mundo."
After I left him and as I reflected on these physically parallel
roads, the high speed highway beside me with cars and trucks roaring
past, and the senda beside it with us pilgrims walking slowly, it was
two worlds and two ages. I like the mass at the end of the day,
because it really puts its stamp on connecting with a world that is
being bypassed by the modern world, but with its own power. I was
quite touched by Pepe and his positive way of helping me connect with
the world of the camino. (By the way, he had a special medal as a
friend/apostle of the camino and he put it on carefully for our
photo.)
14 km into the way and around 12 noon I stopped at a cafe/bar in
Villalcazar de Sirga, described by the guidebook as a center of the
Knights Templars in the Middle Ages. Will say more about the Templars
tomorrow, as I will be staying at the Albergue Jacques Molay (who
should be known by all who know about the Templars) in Terradillos de
los Templares. I tried to order a plato combinado as I wanted a hot
lunch, but the lady said no kitchen till 12:30. I did not want to
wait, so I had my favorite bocadillo: jamon con tomate. I then had
time to visit the Church of Santa Maria across and it was a very good
experience, to have quiet time to pray at lunch, away from the heat of
the day. Will try to make that a more regular part of the walks.
(Churches are usually open late morning till the 2 pm lunch time and
again in the evening.)
From Villalcazar to Carrion was just 6 km and I was at my pension,
Hostal Santiago, a little after 2 pm. I asked a man I met where the
Santiago was and he said, they have no room. But I have a reservation,
I said. In that case, he said, I will bring you there. Which he did.
He called out to the lady in charge who was busy hanging clothes to
dry and I waited a bit as she finished her task. I was actually happy
to see her doing that as I had asked her on the phone yesterday if I
could have my laundry done and she said yes. Later as I gave her my
laundry, I asked how much it would be and she said it is included in
the room charge. Nice thing here is that the sun is out till past 10
pm, so more than enough time for the clothes to dry.
There will be mass at the Church of Santa Maria later tonight, have to
check the time. Hope to have an early enough dinner and get an early
rest. Tomorrow is a longer walk, about 27 km and would like to start
early.
All for now. All the best.
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