Stage Seventeen –Fromista to Carrion de los Condes

21 km

October 24, 2011

Just Keep Walking....

Today was the flattest day of walking up till now. Not a hill or tree in sight. Kim and I passed the time talking. It was a difficult walk in the wind and rain in the afternoon, with nowhere to stop for 17 km. Just keep walking....My thoughts today were about my mom. It was an emotional day.

There was very little changing scenery to take  pictures of until we got to Carrion de los Condes (pop. 1000+). We passed the 12^th century, Romanesque church of Santa Maria del Camino with its well preserved entrance with cows guarding the doors. I was starting to see a theme develop with my picture taking. There were so many things to take pictures of in cathedrals that I decided if there was a cow in the scene, it was worthy of a picture. I have always loved cows and have had a fondness for them since growing up on the farm.

Kim and I went out to scout some shops in the town and she picked up a new blue raincoat. She was not happy with the way her red one was fitting over her pack and flapping around in the wind.  She graciously gave me her red one to use, as mine was thin and getting ripped. I was happy to have it for the rest of the Camino. We also stocked up on some food for the anticipated long walk the next day. The pilgrims menu at a restaurant was 10 Euros. It included a big plate of spaghetti and meat sauce, then chicken in mushroom sauce, fries, fruit and wine. Lots of wine cause again, I got to drink Kim’s share. (I am starting to see a wine theme happening too!) Kim is a vegetarian, so finding things available for her to eat was a challenge. Often the cooks would alter the recipe to suit her diet but she didn’t have a lot of choices. I, on the other hand, couldn’t get enough meat...the carnivore that I am. I was starting to notice the pounds dropping off me and was happy to be eating and drinking whatever I liked and still keep losing. I call it the Camino Weight Loss Plan!

The albergue in Carrion was run by chunky Spanish speaking, nuns in training. We were strictly told that doors were locked at 9 pm and we had to leave by 8:00am. Anyone staying past that time would have to help clean. (Nun’s humour). There were many pilgrims staying here tonight including the 5 South Koreans from a couple of nights ago. It made one wonder, where did everybody come from when we hardly saw a soul on the trail...The wonder of the Camino!

The nuns washed my clothes in the machine, for a fee, and I elected to hang them on the line in an adjacent building, to dry. All my hiking clothes were clean now but I had to bring them in and let them finish drying, draped all around my bunk. This was a familiar scene in the albergues; clothes hanging from anywhere to dry. And if you could find a radiator that was working..bonus!! Plug-ins were also at a premium in albergues, as most pilgrims carried something that needed charging..phone, ipod, camera, e-book. The beds beside the plug-ins were prime sleeping spots.

The lights were turned off at 10 pm, with the nuns tucked into their beds, separated from the snoring pilgrims, by only a ¾ wall of panelling, That is dedication! Maybe nuns snore too!