Today is another long walk, but we celebrate marking the official halfway point on the Camino which means we’ve walked about 245 miles of the 490. Then, there are the additional miles we walk most days once we arrive at our destination to look around and explore!
It was clear and a bit cold this morning, and we had some confusion. Sara’s I-Phone GPS was leading us back the way we had come, while Evan’s internal directional system insisted on heading through town and on to the main path forward. But it was finally resolved, and this time Evan’s system – the EPS – was correct. Thank you for not adding an extra six kilometers to an already long day. Walking from the dark through the sunrise is great. We love the color of the sky and the golden hue cast on the field and the hills.
We pass what look like hobbit houses, small hillsides covered with grass, with low doors, a chimney rising through the grass on top, and sometimes a window. A sign conveniently explains in both Spanish and English: “No, hobbits don’t live here! These little caves are called “bodegas,” used in the past for food storage and wine-making. Moratinos is one of several hillside bodega groups visible along the Camino de Santiago trail, part of a wine-culture that goes back 2,000 years to the Romans.”
The Entrepreneurial Spirit, Again: Today it was just this clever sign, quoting Socrates. We fell for it, but this time it paid off. We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast of toast with tomatoes and queso, fresh squeezed orange juice and mint tea.
Passing through Sahagun, the midpoint of our walk, we stopped at a wonderful little bakery for coffee, tea and some lovely pastries. We also enjoyed watching as a group of quite young pilgrims came to rest.
Sara: “As I walked today, I thought about what I think about or what I don’t think about. I don’t think I’m actively thinking lots of the time. I listen to the sound of my feet on the path or to the birds. I look at my surroundings and look back where I’ve come from. Sometimes I think about where I’m going or where I’ve just been. I try not to think about my aches or pains or if my legs are tired. Evan’s not thinking about anything either: he says he’s just in the moment.”
At the end of today’s walk, we followed a long section of the Calzada Romano, the old Roman Road. It’s one of the best remaining sections of the Roman roads in Spain. We certainly had it to ourselves, seeing only two other pilgrims briefly along the way. But it was incredibly windy today, with gusts probably as much as 20 mph coming right at our faces. Thus an easy walk becomes a bit more difficult.
But that struggle was well worth it. We stayed at a wonderful albergue, the Hotel Rural Casa El Cura. As we approached the entry courtyard, we heard singing, a beautiful male voice. It was Leo, the owner and chef. His lovely wife welcomed us with sangria and beer in the garden. Then Leo came out with a bowl full of fresh figs. There are eleven for dinner: four from Sweden, one from Australia, and six Americans. Their hotel is old, but so beautifully finished off, that you would think it is new. Leo is a fantastic chef and quite funny. He seems to understand our English, but he speaks only in flamboyant Spanish. He and his wife make a wonderful team. He even treated us all to his home-made coffee liquor. Evan especially loved that. He’ll have to work with Scott Clawson to figure out how to make it.
