20 May to Calzadilla de la Cueza

The challenge today was going to be the distance. It is a stretch of 17km, and while I have done some twenties and even that one infamous (for this trip) 33km, there were always places I could have bailed out if I had needed to. Not so today. But I would end up doing 21km just fine.

At least it was flat and straight. The whole way. And I had a bed booked.

So when I saw a flock of birds doing marvellous acrobatics as I was leaving town this morning I had to stop and watch. Last time I tentatively identified birds on this blog I got it wrong (griffin vultures, not kites it turned out), but this time I am pretty certain they were swifts, and in case you didn’t know, a flock of them is called a scream. And they do. If I hadn’t taken the time to watch them I probably wouldn’t have noticed that they had a whole community of nests in the eaves of this magnificent building:

The way they swooped around the sky was a wonder to behold.

But the long straight road called…

In the first half I walked alone, except for one Kiwi guy who slowed to chat for a wee while. But then he, like everyone else, strode past me. My plan was to walk slowly, which definitely reduces stress on the Achilles. Seeing so many people walk without their packs made me wonder if it would have been sensible to send it on with the baggage transport just for today, but I hadn’t. I did, however, plan to sit down whenever I could – on the side of a bridge, on a bench, on a roadside barrier….and at this pop-up cafe.

I didn’t need food, but I am always looking for more calcium, so a cola cao hits the spot, especially when it is cold. This one came with a shot of freshly squeezed orange juice and biscuit with THANK YOU embossed on it.

The cafe does not look busy in that picture, but ten seconds later all the seats were filled and there was standing room only. It seems that people have settled into their walking groups and this kind of stop provides space for exuberant catch-ups.

Back to the path, the long straight path…and the friendly greetings as people passed me: do you think we missed an arrow? Kia ora, I went to New Zealand, I loved it. (Someone who must have noticed the flag on my pack) Don’t miss the turn up here! Is it flat enough for you?

I had plenty of time to think today. A plan for the rest of the year popped into my head. That was nice! I hadn’t dared hope for such clear direction, but it seemed so obvious in the end.

And after a number of people got up at 4:20am, yes you read that right; barely after FOUR in the morning, I decided the time had come to compose The Pilgrim’s Guide to Etiquette. That whiled away a few kilometres and is still a work in progress.

4.5km from my stopping place was a final resting spot. A lively group of Irish women, who walk together at home and have been walking the camino, a week at a time for three years (two more to go after this year) provided some entertainment.

The last 4km of any day is always the hardest, so I gave myself a wee talking-to (just get up and get going, the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll get there, no need to draw it out now) and made one final lunge. And only one photo

…because yet another Kiwi came up behind me and slowed a bit. He and his wife are veterans of a number of routes and had not expected to walk the Francés again, but their 18-year-old grandson, who lives in Australia, asked if they would walk with him. How could they say no? I increased my pace a bit, and at the same time offered that Grandpa go ahead and catch up with his family, but he stayed with me, and it made that last stretch fly by. We both knew that the village would suddenly appear over the edge of the road, so when we saw pilgrims ahead of us dropping out of view we knew we were close!

How pleased I was to see the albergue from the top of the little hillock.

Make bed, shower, hand washing…and lunch

I had carried some salad fixings from Carrion and that did me well for dinner.

In between the two meals was a lot of relaxation with my feet up. Writing, drawing and watching people. There is quite a contingent of early twenties guys and gals, and watching their bids to impress made me grateful I have found my tribe and live as part of a rich encouraging community.