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| Villafranca Montes de Oca - the large yellow building is the albergue. |
I seem to have been in Villafranca a while, it is good to get moving again. And, a nice day to be walking, blue sky and the wind has dropped which is good. A lovely route today too, climbing through forest, I'm over a thousand metres of altitude now, not that getting up here involved anything steep. After a bocadillo for lunch, I detour to check out an archaeological park, but sadly it is shut, like many businesses here, victims of the covid madness I guess. Today's destination is Cardeñuela Riopico, not much of a place, but there is a pleasant albergue where I get interesting food - Castilian soup, which seems to involve vegetables, bread, and eggs. To follow, fish meatballs - the lady in charge is surprised I've never had them before.
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| Burgos cathedral. |
Out of Cardeñuela, the way is very flat, gravel tracks and a delightful trail along a river. This turns into a park, as I am walking into a substantial city, Burgos - I recall riding through this place seven years ago on my way to Rio. A slightly slower pace this time, I visit the cathedral and take a few photos at least. Then out of town, through the university district, I remember riding this way. Not too far to the end of the day at Tardajos, another small place with an albergue, tonight the menu has red beans, more cod, and carrot cake - can't complain.
Time to leave Tardajos, I think I am still on my cycle route from 2016, it sure looks familiar. I recall passing a lot of pilgrims, well, I was here in the high season, whereas March is supposed to be too early... in fact I am watching Spanish TV, they say, 'summer temperatures... in March'. Well this may be bad for the planet but I am not complaining. Another lovely walk today, spring is here, blossoming trees, butterflies flit around as I walk. A whole 30km today? Still very easy, I I reach Castrojeriz for half past three, time for a lie down, then sightseeing - above the village there is a very impressive castle, most of it around 1,000 years old, but built on an older roman structure. Back to my hotel, beer and, for a change, pizza - Spain isn't very good at pizza, no matter, it is food, and honestly I'm not hungry - lunch today involved a truly enormous bacon and cheese bocadillo.
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| Pilgrim monument in Villalcázar de Sirga. |
Another day, I walk out through Castrojeriz, and not for the first time I am struck by the amount of decay evident in this part of Spain. For sale signs are everywhere, sometimes recently vacated businesses and homes, but often a shell of a building, just the exterior walls with no roof or rooms. I get the feeling the population is in steep decline here, I see few people, and notably no schools. Ah well, out into the country, cold today but still good walking. I seem to have left the vineyards behind, they are growing actual food here. After lunch I join the Castilla Canal for a few kilometres, again this is familiar from the cycle back in 2016, wow, seven years ago. I leave the canal at Frómista, a decent sized place with many restaurants, all shut for some reason. Well, one bar is open, I get a bocadillo, some tortilla and a few beers, it will do.
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| Quail! |
An easy day from Frómista, only 19km, so lazy. Well, I manage to make some more work for myself by forgetting my watch, I have to walk back to the albergue to get it. Cold today, but a pleasant riverside trail to Carrión de los Condes, a sizable place with much to see, time for a day off then. I've settled into a regime with zero days, one night in an albergue, then a hotel for a bit of peace. So, a lazy afternoon, I visit numerous churches and monasteries, stroll along the river Carrión for which the town is named, then back to a proper menu for dinner - this time there's quail! More sightseeing on my day off, including actually getting into one of the monasteries - there is of course a cloister, and also 1,000 year old wall hangings in the style of the Sassanid empire, very cool. Dinner tonight features fried eggs and black pudding, I could be back in England.
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| Cloister in El Monasterio de San Zoilo. |
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