15/9/2014 0 Comments Day 11 to 15 on The CaminoDay 11 Aug 11 Hortanas to Poblacion de Campos
38.4km Started walking 5:45 am finished about 4:30pm It was a long day most of the time we walked on smaller gravel roads, some was small earth tracks and some concrete roads, landscape quite hilly few step hills 12 and 18 %. I had to walk backwards on the ones going down just too much pain in my toes. Most of the field are harvested and have been barley wheat or corn, there are still quite a few sunflower fields, which is not ready for harvesting yet. We also have the pleasure to walk along some canals into Poblacion de Campos it was very nice also because there were some trees for shade it was a very warm afternoon. Most say this morning was quite cold lots of walkers had extra cloth on till about 10 am. I did not put my on till 9am I was just in too much pain the first 2 hours, it was quite nice 24 degree maybe till about 12 noon and it got really hot in the afternoon, sure more then 30 degree. Svend had the idea we should do about 35 km, I really did not know how to do it with my toe problem also that would mean doing 37km tomorrow because there is no village for the last 17.8 km tomorrow The first 2 hours today was very painful sometimes when I looked at the road I felt I was just falling over in pain and lots of thought went though my head, how to fulfill this walk and still enjoy it, I can't walk in my thongs now, it’s all dirt road and open wound would not be good, maybe if I could find an old pair of shoes a few numbers too big, Svend sandals will not work (I tried) will rub on my toes. I want to enjoy the walk, what can I do. We stop after 10 km 2,5 hours very slow have coffee and chocolate croissant I do not take shoes of. It's better now seem like the pain have gone a bit we walk 11km and about 11:15 am we stop for lunch I still do not take shoes of, sleep on the outside concrete floor for 20 min with legs up on a chair we walk 9km, could stay here for the night, nice place lots of people I have mars bar coffee and we go on in the heat 6 km, Svend think it here we stay for the night, but I have other plans and suggest an other 4 km to where we are now all up 38.4 km, now we will have about 32km tomorrow that is if I can get going ?????? Svend don't understand how I get this energy in the afternoon?? Must say he was just finished when we got here, have now got blisters under one of his little toes and the next toe Towns walked through today : Hontanas Convento de San Anton Castrojeriz. Puente Fitero. Otero la Vega Boadillo del Camino. Fromista. Poblacion de Campos Day 12 Aug 12 Poblacion de Campos to Calzadilla de la Cueza 32.6 km. (half way to Santiago de Compostella 387.9 km) Started walking 7:05 am finished about 3:40 pm Again what a day, got up 6:15 am after a horrible night sleep with the noise from a few walkers and a terrible pain in left little toe. Anyway we had our breakfast sorted our bandages and left at 7:05am not too bad this morning to get going only really heavy pain for about half an hour and it start getting a bit better, the last 17.8 km today was hell just straight gravel road lots of pain and only 1 stop at the side of the road where we had a bit to eat from the previous town, glad we got here to this brand new albergue and so far not too many people so maybe we can get a good sleep, I chose a bed in the very far corner of the sleeping room lets hope it will be quite. Today's walk was really ok not much to write about very straight in farm areas we can see the soil is not so good anymore but they still grow barley wheat and sunflowers, most of it have been harvested and the farmers have started cultivating. Our walk is mainly on gravel tracks and roads but very straight it's ok still a great feeling of just walking to nowhere, and still knowing you get somewhere, because we know after today's walk is concluded we have walked half way to Santiago de Compostella, have only walked 12 days at this stage, a long time ago I was thinking it could be great to arrive in Santiago de Compostella on Svend's birthday Aug 25, but we still have a long way to go, our feet are hurting, in our heads and the rest of our bodies we are ok. We are meeting some really interesting people and for Svend and I it seems to be new people every 3 to 4 days. We seem to walk a bit longer then most (average so far 32.5km per day, most people do maybe 24 to 30km per day) The last few days we have met Big Ben from California again 34 years old, fast walker when he walks and think a lot about himself but quite nice to talk to a few times a day. We also have talked to a girl from Slovenia she is walking for about 8 days never done this before, quite young would say 28 are purchasing person in a steal company and just want to walk for a few days. Then it's the German guy we have seen and talked with him maybe a week ago. The town we are in only have a few houses and this Albergue, which is new so the only place to eat is the hotel 200 meter away Towns walked through today: Poblacion de Campos. Revenga de Compos. Vil lamented ode Campos. Villalcazar de Sirga. Calzadilla de Los Condes. Calzadilla de la Cueza Day 13 Aug 13 Calzadilla de la Cueza to Bercianos 32.4 km Started walking 6:33 am finished about 4:30pm The way the walk today was very flat and mainly through landscape with farm fields still harvested wheat and barley fields with cultivated fields lots of the walk are on gravel tracks next to bitumen roads. It's quite cold this morning up till about 11am even the sun comes out it’s like the weather pattern have changed a bit We walk 13 km before our first coffee and croissant stop. Then 10 km to where we have lunch, shop at supermarket and eat at coffee shop where we get a great Americano coffee. We decided to do 10 km more which end up taking me over 3 hours, but we are now in a very nice old refuge it use to be a priest 's home, very old house which have been converted to this wonderful albergue for pilgrims it's payment by donations and dinner is at 8 pm with reflection time after that. Regarding my condition it's not good had a terrible 6 hours with constant pain after lunch I put new bandage on, that helped a lot but must have walked in wrong position all morning so I'm hurting in hips and knees also my shoes no longer have inlays, because my feet are too big, so it’s like walking on very hard surface all the time But life goes on and let's prey tonight that tomorrow will be better then today. Regarding our sleep last night. It was fantastic think we got 6 hours sleep with no party or silly loud people We met up with the Italian crew; they stayed at the Albergue next door. We played pig with Big Ben Andre from Italy. Svend and I. Andre won good fun Towns we walked through today: Calzadilla de la Cueza. Teradillos de Templarios. Moratinos. San Nicolas del real Camino. Sahagun. Calzada del Coto. Bercianos. Day 14 Aug 14 Bercianos to Arcahueja 8 km before Leon 36.9 km Started walking 6:50 am finished about 4:15 pm Woke up at 6:10am breakfast is not ready before till 6:30am. I try to make sure my bandage is on perfectly. Feet hurt so much last night I could not sleep till after 1:30am. Took 2 headache pills just after midnight which must have settled down to pain Great breakfast and the walk starts really well and all day I have very little pain 3 out of 10. We have a rest after 1,5 hour for 15 min then again at about 11:50am have lunch relax for 50 min we have done 22 km so far we decide to walk to about 32 km but end up going to the next town and the last town before Leon (which is a big city) so all up today 36.9 km. Long but great day the weather has been great little windy and chilly in the morning. All the walk again today have been much the same as the last 3 days on gravel roads next or not far away from large bitumen road with quite a bit of traffic very flat but at least a few towns now and then except one stretch it was 13 km between any house and town and that is a long way, it means 3 hours of walking, the other day we had 4 hours or 17.8 km. that is honestly a long way when you walk. Svend got some cash out of ATM at about 1pm and now know the ATM it's working. He suggest when we find our albergue to take a taxi in to Leon see the town and have dinner there I think it's a great idea but ask to wait with commitment till we get to our albergue. We get to albergue at 4:15 pm have shower wash cloth have 20 min sleep. I'm not up to going to town and tells Svend I want stay back at the albergue where it's only 10 beds, my feet need a rest and I want to talk with Helen on Skype. He says he want to go himself, I tell him I'm really happy that he does go. He then gets a bit a shitty says I'm boring and I better stay home to talk to my wife. I tell him he better go and there will be no excuses anymore why I don't want to go and just remember we are not married. Thank god I finally show I'm 58 and have my own meaning. I sitting here in the sun drying my toilet bag getting warm and letting my feet recover from 37 km walk Towns we walked through today: Bercianos. El Burgo Ranero. Reliegos. Mansilla de las Mulas. Villamarcos. Puenta de Villarente. Arcahueja Day 15 Aug 15 Arcahueja to Villar de Mazarife 29.4 Km Started walking 7:10 am finished about 4:15 pm The 8 km to Leon was quite an easy walk not as boring as the into Burgos walk the cathedral did not open before 9:30 so we have coffee and a bit to eat before I go to see this beautiful Cathedral it's smaller then Burgos, but build in a very simple way compared to its age about 1250 AD it took only 50 years to complete, even it has been restored a few times, it has over 1800m2 of lead light glass which is absolutely amazing. Left Leon about 10:30am we were planning on about 28 km today. We decided to do a nicer but 6 km longer route, which go through some small towns instead of along the main road. It was hard going and quite hot. Must say its much nicer to walk through fields and smaller roads then where we can hear the cars and trucks all the time, it's become a little more variety in the landscape a bit more hilly smaller fields and some time a herder on his donkey driving his sheep along the fields with his 2 or 3 sheepdogs We end up meeting up with Eva from Sweden Andree from Germany also we meet the new lady Claire from Cornwell she has done about 140km of the Camino over the last 6 or 7 years. 2 weeks at the time. My feet hurt a lot today especially this morning not sure what to do it really is painful. But then again yesterday was not too bad it's 289 km left to Santiago and 380 km to the coast Anyway we end up at Albergue it’s very nice and 21euro for bed dinner breakfast. Towns we walked through today: Arcahueja. Valdelafuente. Leon. La Virgen del Camino. Oncina de la Valdoncina. Cholas de Abajo. Villar de Mazarife
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