May 1 - Day 18

Day 18 - Castrojeriz to Frómista - 25 km

So they turned off the heater for the night and our room was a frigid 1 degree (at least I assume it was about the same temperature as outside, which was 1 degree).

We had a small pilgrim breakfast (mostly bread), which we supplemented with yogurt, threw on almost all our clothes, and went out to walk.

I knew we didn’t need quite that much clothing on, and by the time we were half way up the giant hill a short way out of town, we had to shed a layer. And at the top of the hill we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the town and surrounding area.

After the hill and a bit of flat terrain, came a steep downhill stretch. Strangely, this, but nothing else, was paved. Might be treacherous in the rain but today if was easy.

The first 12 km had no towns, but we did make a quick stop at San Nicolas church, where they were serving coffee and stamping credencials. Nice, simple church with an almost Ukrainian looking altar. They do have an albergue there (no electricity though). Kind of in the middle of nowhere.

A few km later we got to Itero de la Vega, where we had a wonderful bocadillo (sandwich). The host even sliced the meat and cheese as he made the sandwich. Apparently this sleepy Spanish town hosts a heavy metal rock festival in August. According to my guide book anyway.

A while later we got to walk along the Canal de Castilla. Interesting- it was built in the 18th century, now used to irrigate fields. It’s a combination of old and new, with pumps and aqueducts. And this area is nothing but fields of grains. Beautiful.

We arrived in Frómista shortly after 1:00. Earlier than expected, but since we had sent our packs ahead, we made good time. In fact we arrived before our backpacks.

Today Rachel and I treated ourselves to a room for two, it didn’t cost much more than a dorm with bunk beds. It’s almost like a little motel, and is right by the train tracks, not sure how many trains go by yet. Hopefully not many at night. Our room has a space heater but feels pretty cold. Might have another chilly night as the temperature is expected to get low again.

Once our backpacks arrived we showered, warmed up, and walked down the hill into town. Today is May 1, a holiday in Spain, so no stores were open, but many restaurants were. Also, the church here, San Martin, was open to tour, just 1€ for peregrinos (pilgrims). This is a lovely church, not so much embellishments as the cathedrals we have seen, but beautiful stonework carvings in the corners and columns.