Camino Pilgrim

Today I didn’t get that much sleep at night. The hammock idea outside seemed like a really cool idea. In terms of seeing the stars when waking up. Waking constantly because of the wind and cold temperature was not that fun. Without a proper seeping bag, it’s a huge hassle to put blankets and other stuff in a way that you feel comfortable and warm.

The best part of the morning was breakfast. The hippie resort I stayed at had a donation breakfast system. The table was covered with all kinds of food and beverage options. Later you just leave some money under the chicken-shaped piggy bank.

The hiking journey itself was total hell. First you had to walk 10km next to a highway with absolutely nothing around to look at. At least the sunrise as seen in the picture was beautiful. It colored most of the sky around it in pink and purple shades with hints of green. Quite a unique spectacle.

There were two villages in the first ten kilometers, but both of them were extremely plain looking. Carrión de los Condes did have a nice park and church on the far side of the village. I probably should have stayed there for the night.

Once the village had ended, the worst part started. The weather forecast for today was +36°C and it got extremely hot already around 10am. There was absolutely no shade or wind. Just 17km of completely straight road with NOTHING on it as far as you can see. Even sunflowers died on the one field next to the road. You just walked endlessly forward without seeing anything in the end, as far as your eye can see.

That is when I decided that running was the best way to pass time. Getting some extra exercise on a shorter day seemed somehow like a good idea. For the next 10km, I took a decent pace and tested my long-distance running skills. Surprisingly good, even taken that I haven’t trained for a few months now.

At one point, the blister on my heel really started hurting and I took a quick five-minute break in the shade. Walking the last few kilometers was still no fun. The weather just kept melting me down. You could only see a granary with two buildings, but the village was hidden downhill from them. Not knowing how far you still have to go in bad conditions is heavy on the mind.

Finally, there was a small downhill and you could clearly see the Albergue first thing in the tiny village of Calzadilla de la Cueza. Most pilgrims that pass by stop here for a beer and some food. Business must really be blooming. In this weather everyone just seems like dying on the road.

There will be two more days with this furnace heat and desert around. It gets really cold at night here in the Spanish desert of the North. Perfect motivation to get up really early in the morning and avoid the heat as much as possible.

Today around sunset, a solar eclipse is visible, so everyone is excited to see it just before bedtime.