The four of a kind transformed into the pack of pilgrims. Our B&B owner drove us back to Hornillos del Camino, the town where we each turned to reach Isar. On one of buildings, we saw a plaque that recognized the movie, the Way. Keith, John, and Andrew said that the movie significantly influenced them to consider walking the Camino. We heard that comment from others that we met on the road.
It was 8:45 and the townspeople seemed to be getting started with their day. We saw only five other pilgrims this early in the morning. Throughout the day, we probably saw about 20 in all. We all commented about how peaceful this journey has been. Late March is good time to walk the Camino to avoid the hundreds who come later.
We all agreed that the Meseta had received a bad rap. It is not completely flat as the guide books describe though there are some flat sections. The terrain is quite varied – as I said before, every mile is different.
The church in the picture above was being renovated. Unlike construction sites in US, we walked in and saw a work in progress. I wondered if we would have witnessed a similar scene on an logarithmically grander scale at Notre Dame in Paris.
As we reach the three-quarter mark, we encountered the Abbey of San Anton, 14th century. Totally abandoned with a road running under one of its supporting buttresses. I have never seen a road bisecting a church structure. It was purposeful because the main entrance was under the buttress.
As we left the Abbey, we caught the first glimpse of Castrojeriz in the distance. We could see what looked like a castle at the top of the hill behind the town. After we checked into our various B&Bs, Keith, Andrew, I walked up the hill to great a close up of the castle. Hence. The plus two miles.
What remarkable views. We could see the road from where we entered the town. We could appreciate the road on which we would hike tomorrow that will snake uphill into the mesa beyond to the west. I even decided to have my picture inside the castle. Too bad John missed the views; he needed some sleep,
The sun was beginning to set. The bells began to ring the time, 6:30; dinner was set for 7:30 at the El Meson, just around the corner from my hotel.
Andrew joined me for dinner. Our host was Arancia who wore a Brooklyn t-shirt. At the next table were two women from England, Helen and Caroline. We engaged in a lively conversation about football, BBC TV, and the general state of the world. Mixed into the conversation was our dinner: beans for me, lentil soup for Andrew. We both ate salmon and we swooned over the homemade rice pudding. Did you notice something in salmon photograph that we rarely use in America? The cost of the three courses plus wine and bottle water was 13 Euros each. Perhaps inflation is not as rampant as one thinks. I need to do more sampling. I can say that the cerveza at our afternoon break was still only 1.70 Euros.
Throughout the day, we began to reveal ourselves to one another. Keith was a colonel in the Air Force. He was a medical doctor. During the last five years, he took care of his wife Sara of 57 years before her passing. Though he has met another partner to share his life, he has dedicated this Camino to Sara. His brother is Randy Stollemeyer, long time University of Pittsburgh wrestling and well known to Lehigh faithful,
John was a Los Angeles County deputy sheriff for 34 years – 24 years on motorcycle patrol. He was born in Detroit, spent his early years in Mexico City, and then moved to Southern California. He is Spanish and Basque. He is thinking about doing the Northern route sometime because it traverses the Basque land.
Andrew is a labor attorney. Turns out that he is a good friend of Keith’s son. Who knew. He will be meeting a friend in Leon who will walk with him to Sarria. His friend will leave from there for home but his daughter who currently lives in London will join him for the final days to Santiago. He has wanted to walk the Camino for several years but work interfered with finding the time. He committed to come this year; he left his computer and work behind.
To show you how small the world is, a man named Emilio dined at our restaurant whom I later ran into at my hotel. He is from Garda, Asturias. I asked him if he knew the woman who owns the B&B that I stayed in two years ago. Of course, said he, and proceeded to tell me about her and her family’s history.
The Camino is not just a physical path. It also offers those who walk it the opportunity to gain insight into what makes us human. It is the Way.
88 Photos 
Great photos Ron.
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