Our Walk Along the Camino Frances

Monasterio on the Camino Francés Morning in Fromista Our wonderful sleep concluded around 5:30 AM this morning as those in the room around us began preparing for the day ahead. Last night was great! No snoring, no movies on laptops, and no tour groups. As a result, we both feel much better.  By 6 AM we were out of the Albergue, bundled against the early morning cold, with our headlamps on and heading towards the local bar to get a croissant and café con leche.  Our pre-dawn trek took place primarily along the roadside to the town of Poblacion de Campos, where we took a moment to have another warming coffee, and where we decided to follow the alternate scenic route for the day to avoid the harder hours of road walking. While much of the pathway today kept us alongside the highway, we occasionally enjoyed the chance to wander through fields, beside aqueducts, and near calming rivers. Here it is worthwhile to mention that while on many days it might see...

Spanish Meseta  Pilgrimage on the Camino Francés  Our 6 AM wake-up came far too early today, and Sean is now clearly very ill. While he took another hot shower to try to get warm, I repacked our bags. Unfortunately, our morning went about as well as yesterday evening, and the antics of our resident Basil Fawlty, the albergue owner, continued. Our boots, now soaking wet, were locked in the outside courtyard, and our laundry was locked in the dining area, so despite being up early along with everyone else, we all had to wait for the owner to unlock everything at 7:30 AM before we could start getting ready. Apparently, the fire code is different in Europe than it is in North America.     At 8 AM,  the proprietor finally began setting out the breakfast. Each pilgrim did their best to help set things out, while others started filling their plates and cups and sitting down at the communal table. However, the...