Camino Francis Day 14, The Meseta

 Day 14 it’s 6:38 AM in the morning. 53 degrees, mild windy & cloudy w/ a good chance of rain possibly around noon today. My place of stay was very nice, but it was way overpriced. I don’t think there were even more than four or five people staying there. I just passed a sign mileage marker that said I have 248 miles to go, but I don’t think that’s really accurate. This little village of Hontanas actually sits in the bottom of the valley, so you know what that means,? that’s right we’re gonna have to climb to get out of this valley. Since I left early in the morning, there is nothing open to grab a bite to eat, so I’ll have a 4 mile walk to the village. Hopefully they’ll have something open by time I get there. Looking at the road from a distance, it looked like it went straight up the hill, but just as I reached the point where it was starting to go up, it turned to the left, YESSSSS. Not far from town I come across what looks to be an old castle ruins. Not much is still standing, but it had that look to it of an old castle. The trail, this morning, reminds me of a lot walking the PCT in the high Sierras. It’s a hard packed 1 foot wide trail with grass growing up on either side of it, very different than any off the trails Iv’e done so far out here.

It’s a great morning out here are so far. It’s so peaceful, the birds are chirping and singing and I am walking by a little stream listing to the water flow. I am also really surprised of all the big beautiful trees down here in the valley. Have I mentioned, yet, how green everything is?🤣  

I earlier, noted that I passed what looked like an old remnants of a castle but lo and behold, I turn a corner and bam!! the remains of a real old castle staring right at me. It’s a big one, so cool. 

8:10am, still 54° and cloudy I have reached my first town of the day Castrojeriz. I am at 5 miles, 1hr 34 min. Now something different about this town from the others, there is a huge castle on the top of the hill, not a church but a castle, go figure. This is another popular stopping point for pilgrims on the Camino, w/ lots of services. Found an open cafe, stopped in, got my stamp, cafe con Leche, fresh squeezed OJ, there is nothing better than fresher squeezed OJ, & a pastry. I sat with Charlotte, the lady I met yesterday from Copenhagen and another lady who just showed up, Gail from South Florida. I went over to the church, it was actually open. Got my stamp and paid 1 euro to walk through the church & museum, it was worth it. I just met Daniel from Munich Germany and he said he lived in San Jose for a short time and this is his second Camino, the last one about 10 years ago. One funny moment, as I was just about to leave Castrojeriz, an old man looked at me and with his arm point upward and then kind of laughed. I would soon know what he meant.

Currently walking past these fields of these very pretty pink flowers I took a picture and it said they were called Sainfoin’s, never heard of them but they are pretty. The sun has currently broken through the clouds, and I am currently looking at the trail ahead of me and it goes straight up!!., that’s what older man was pointing to. Well it looks like I’m going to be going up and up and up some more, I’ll keep you posted, where’s that dam donkey when I need him!!

Holy of a Hill Batman!!! that was a doozy. You know it’s steep when you pass two Pilgrim grave markers on the side of the hill.🤣 Wow, I took 20 minutes, but the views are just amazing from up here of the valley below. A song that came to mine when I got to the top was the song by, Drowning Pool, “Bodies” let your bodies hit the floor, let your bodies hit the floor, let your bodies hit the floor..🤣🤣. That one is for you Matt. 🤟🏻🤟🏻

It’s 10am, after whipping that hills butt!!  I am at 8.8 miles 3hrs 51 min. It’s still mostly cloudy, 56°. I currently come to a point on the Camino Francis, it’s one of the most iconic photos you see on the Camino,  of the Meseta. You are high on top of the Meseta Plateau and you’re looking out over the vast farm land and you can see the trail below just goes on and on and on just cutting through the fields, I’ve seen this photo many times it’s so cool. I stopped to speak to two younger pilgrims, Kat from Munich, and her walking partner, Ricky, now roll those R’s, from Italy. 

11am, 10.3 miles, 4hrs 21 min. Currently 57° slight headwind still mostly cloudy. I just stopped at a little roadside trail Magic. I didn’t actually get anything to eat there. I just had some of my trail mix and my last tangerine. My next little village is only less than a mile away, but I don’t really feel I need to stop there either. I’m not hungry at this point in time. 

11:21am, now entering the province of Palencia, still in the Castilla y Leon region. I just crossed over a very cool medieval looking bridge over the Pisuerga River, and stopped at a very small church. There was actually someone in the church that I got a stamp from. Quick weather update, the wind has really picked up and I can definitely see ominous clouds over my shoulder. It’s coming!!!!!!!

11:30am, entering Itero De LaVega. Another popular pilgrim destination to spend the night. The skies are really starting to darken up in the distance. I have a sinking feeling that I am about to get wet. I passed a couple of restaurants/cafeterias but I decided to keep moving. I wasn’t that hungry since I just stopped a while back and had my snacks. 

11:54am, stopped at a park bench put on my rain pack and my rain jacket, the poncho ready to grab if need be.  It’s just starting to sprinkle right now. They were pretty correct in forecasting the rain, they said 12 o’clock noon and here we are.

12;01pm, the sky’s have opened up. Threw on my poncho just in time. I can hear thunder & lighting in the far distance. It’s coming down in buckets🤣🤣. Singing in the rain, just singing in the rain, what heck are you doing Randy, you must have no brain!!!!

It is 1:07pm, for the past 1hr 15 minutes or so I been walking in the rain and at one point it was a pouring so hard I could barely see where I was going. I’ll I could do is look straight down at my feet to watch for any obstacles that I may have to avoid. We are having fun now folks.!!! Luckily my pack cover, over kept me my backpack, my rain jacket and my poncho I  kept pretty dry underneath. The only thing that is really wet, are the bottom of my pant legs, because my poncho doesn’t go that low, and my shoes are wet, but they’re Gore-Tex, and I can feel my socks little damp. That’s to be  expected since it was a pretty good rain shower.

 I’m at the 17.6 mile mark 6hrs 30 minutes into my day. Right are now the skies look pretty good, starting to get much brighter, I can even see my shadow now. It was raining so hard at one point the trail was nearly flooded. I had like a two foot path in the center of the trail to walk on. Water was just streaming by on both sides of me. So do want to walk the Camino yet?!!!

 I feel like I should be getting close town, Boadilla del Camino, where I’ll be staying the night. I’ll be staying at Albergue En el Camino. From the reviews it sounds like a pretty good place. This is my first reservation I have made using What’s app. I have noticed that most Albergues use What’s app as their mode of communication. I was quoted a price of  €14 for a dorm style bed. 

2pm, all checked in. This is a big Albergue, hotel on 1st floor, pilgrim beds on 2nd floor. I am up on the 2nd floor with about 20 pilgrims. It’s an Army barracks type of floor. Took my wet stuff, hung it outside to dry. Then went down to the restaurant, to have their early pilgrim meal, €15, mixed salad, ham/egg & fries, and custard for desert, also came w/ bread, red wine and a pitcher of water.

After dinner, I went out to explore the village a little. The big church was open, but no stamp available, but still got some good pics. The Storks were chirping away, high on top of the church. I watched one Stork bring in a stick and build on his nest.

Today I reached for my earbuds. Pulled out the case and no earbuds😭😭😭😭. I went to Find my devices, my AirPods were not showing up. I look all through my fanny pack but to nothing. The last time I remember wearing them is when I came into Hontanas. I thought they were gone for sure. I even called the place where I stayed to see if they found them, they said no, but I usually go through my rooms very thoroughly and I didn’t see them. I was texting w/ Maryann, she suggested I look in my pants pockets. I totally forgot that I wore a different pair of shorts yesterday. Bam!! they were in the side pocket of those shorts. I was dancing up and down the aisle of my barracks. But my extra long charging cable for my phone is toast, that’s okay I have a back-up cord.

Okay I have babbled on long enough.

🎹🎺🎻🪉🪗🪈🪇, strike up the band… it’s STAT TIME, Hontanas to Bodilla del Camino, Stage 14

Miles- 18.3

Duration- 6hrs 43 min.. rain held me up 🤣

Elevation- 873ft.

Temp- 54- 59 degrees, Cloudy, Thunder, Lightning & Rainy

Song- I’m Only Happy When Rain’s, Garbage

I looked at tomorrows weather it says, partly cloudy🤞🏻

Tomorrow takes me to Carrion de Los Condes, about 16 miles. I think I may hit the half way point tomorrow.

As always, thanks for readying, have a great day. 

FYI- Lawrence & his Donkey are here also.