We all have warts...

  Today I'm finally past the Meseta, that ugly, boring and sometimes hot part of the Camino. 

   I keep saying I'll do an easy day today and stay in a place that is interesting that I didn't stay in last time, but it's deja vu all over again. I was going to stay in Astorga today, but again I got there about noon. While I was tired, I just took a break over lunch and decided to press on to do half of the climb up to Ferro Cruz pass and stay in Rabinal like I did before. The 1,100 ft climb wasn't too bad but being a bit sore from the morning ride and the heat of the afternoon, it was hard enough. I was surprised to see a couple of new places to stay here in this small town half way up to the pass. I tríed to stay at a hostal run by English volunteers that I knew about from last time, but they don't take bike riders until late in the day to allow hikers priority. I decided to try the small new Posada around the corner and got a room with a bed and private bath. It's clean and family run, but also decided to check out the "hipster" Casa Indie run by a young couple who are remodeling a 350 yr old building into private rooms around a courtyard. I'm having a beer here and they seem really friendly and are building a comfortable place for pilgrims. 

  Tomorrow is the climb up to Ferro Cruz, the iron cross, another 1,100 feet. It's a pretty special a place for pilgrims as its a pass that's about 2/3rds the way along.   It has a history of people leaving their stones  they brought from home. They  write notes, leave pictures of loved ones and often get pretty emotional realizing they are on the final part of the Camino and what they have been through so far. 

Buen Camino;

Dave

Meseta Camino passes right through a truck stop

Meseta

Camino art

Private run rest stop along the way

Lunch. Tomates cheese olives ground and red onions

Cowboy bar along the way today

Chart showing Camino elevation vs distance in Km. I am half was up the tallest one about 1/3 way in from left. Far left is Santiago. One pass left after tomorrow. 

Casa Indie

Rabinal

Yikes. Major thunder storm just started. Rain going sideways and huge lightening and thunder. Hope it clears overnight 

The Roman Way and the rack.,,.

   I made a decision this morning that I regretted until I didn't; then I appreciated where I was. I rode for about a half an hour this morning along the highway to León as the Camino is right along side. There was a sign as you were leaving town showing options for the Camino, I didn't really pay attention. About a mile on, I came to a place where yellow arrows went in two different directions; one continued West straight along the highway, the other to the right across the freeway and heading to the North. I looked like it might be more interesting than just riding the highway, so I took it. I got concerned about a mile on to the dirt road. It was heading due North while the Camino goes almost due West and yet there were Camino markers and yellow arrows. I assumed I had taken one of the options and regretted not paying more attention to the sign. Several miles along I was really getting concerned as I had seen another single pilgrim and we were well out in the middle of nowhere with nothing in sight. Finally about 15 minutes in I came across a single and then 10 minutes later, another. I still didn't know where I was, but feeling better about being there. The trail started to bend West and about one hour into riding, I came to a small town with about 10 buildings. One of them advertised rooms and meals so I stopped and had breakfast. The pilgrims I passed starting drifting to do the same and one of them was Irish and spoke English. He told me that indeed we were on a variation, but the one that traveled the original Roman road to León which he said was a derivation of Legion because the Ronans had one there. I started to appreciate my inadvertent choice. I noticed signs that said "Calazada Romana" that meant Roman road. I also spotted long sections that were fenced off thinking these were probably the original road. Way cool....

  The story of the bike rack continues. I am in León, a larger city with a historic walled inner core. I had my bike serviced here last time I did this and I went back to the shop to look into replacing my rack. He had one that would work in stock so we swapped to out. I noticed that the opposite side had snapped off sometime this morning, so good timing! The Camino is hard on me and the bike. Brakes in France, new pannier bags in Pampalona, and a new rack in León. We won't talk about what's broken on me...

  I'm off to visit the historic core in a bit and will attach pictures. Gratitude for being here. 

Buen Camino;

Dave

Calazada Romana

Rack snapped on both sides

Wall separating historic core

My ahem, hotel tonight. The pilgrim went upscale for the night

León Catherdral 

Lunch

Editing in stone in the days before whiteout

Dinner

All the way baby....

  I did it. I went ALL the way. There was a big 12% grade climb out of Castrojeriz today and I rode it without stopping. Almost more scary was the 18% decline in the other side. 

  Today the ride besides the climb out it was pretty flat. Things just rolled along. I had booked this really nice room in an old convent that I had stayed in before, but it was clear by early morning that I would be there by noon, so I cancelled and decided to stretch myself a bit today and try for Sahagún which was 36 miles away. I am now at the half way portion for the Spanish Camino or what is known as The French Way starting in Saint Jean. 

  I saw Kim and Amy again this morning and we stopped in a historic Hospítal which is still in service. I'll have to look it up, but pretty sure it has been there since the Middle Ages. The Italian conformity of St James took it over in 1981 and runs it as a Hospitario.  It used to take in Pilgrims and nursed them back to health, washing their feet, feeding them and giving them a place to spend the night. Still today, they only take donations for their service. It has no electricity so pilgrims eat by candlelight. 

  Today we started the Meseta. The part on the Caminio some people dread because it is flat, straight, boring and along the highway for many miles. Gone are the amazing views and quiet solitude with small towns sprinkled along the way.      

   Tomorrow I will make it to León, an amazing historical town that has a cathedral which in my mind rivals Notre Dame in Paris. They also have incredible hot chocolate that is like warm pudding. Yum!

Buen Canino

Dave

Start of the climb

Base of the serious climb

Sign warning of 18% downhill

The pilgrim hospital now run by Italian Conformity 

The Meseta start

Along the Meseta

More than halfway on the Spain part. It's all downhill except the uphill. Two more serious passes to go through after León. The dreaded pass at Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross where pilgrims leave their stones they brought) +2400' climb and another at O Cebreiro +2100' climb in 7 miles (4,000' total elevation) where I got snowed on 3 yrs ago. 

Finding my Way forward...

  Sometimes to move forward, you have to go back to a place you knew and start again.  I lost my way after the accident a year ago. My livelihood and seridipity had gone missing, life had become more serious.  Being worse for the wear with a longer than I liked recovery which limited how I felt and what I could do. I am happy to report besides being sore in expected and few unexpected places; missing home, family and friends, this is just what I needed. I feel so much healthier, energetic and have build up some resilience to overcome adversity. 

  I am in Castrojeriz today, a town of 600 people. My journey to this place 3 years ago was a day of pain and hardship, so with good weather and trail conditions, it was nice to have a "do over". Three years ago it had rained all day and my bike was caked in mud almost to the point of unrideability.  I was wet and cold, by myself and took took refuge in a church doorway outside of town for a few minutes. I was so grateful to arrive to a room here. Today weather was clear and reasonably cool. Trail was great and I got to visit with a few Pilgrims. Just as I got to town, an ominous black cloud came out of nowhere and let loose for 5 minutes and then went away. Just a little reminder....

Place that I took refuge 3 years ago

  Meet Pam and Amy. Pam is a child therapist at a school and Amy works with children with cancer in a hospital. I talked with them for about 10 minutes or so. Both  talked about how hard it was to not get so emotionally involved with the kids they work with. I suspect this was of their reasons for being here.  

  There is a place in town that says it's a spiritual hospital. I saw this place when I did it before and met the woman who set it up. Apparently she had done the Camino and had a deeply moving experience. She wanted to give back to Pilgrims, so she set up this place of quiet refuge in town that you can just come and sit in. It has pictures and moving statements below. It's quiet and several people came in while I was there doing a short meditation. 

  Looking forward to some things to come from here...

Happy Independence Day!

Buen Camino

Dave 

Broken bike rack

A bit of engineering and splinting w a stick

The Way today...

Heading into Castrojeriz