Hontanas to Itero de la Vega (20.2km)

Today was a shorter walking day, which was nice. Walking shorter days gives much more time to relax in the afternoon and evening. 20 kilometers is almost too short, and you usually arrive by 3:00. 28 kilometers is probably the limit if you want to be comfortable, and you'd usually arrive around 4:30. Anything over 30 and you almost always arrive past 5:30, which barely gives you time to shower, wash clothes, eat dinner, journal, and then get to bed.

Last night was pretty funny; there was a whole symphony of different noises. Multiple snores, a frequent smoker's cough that was so bad it sounded like the guy would spew everywhere, and the occasional fart. There was a French guy who had mentioned that he was a very light sleeper and couldn't sleep if anyone was snoring. Well, last night was the most musical night yet, and I saw him moving his mattress before I fell asleep. I found out where he had gone a while later, when I got up to go to the bathroom. He was at the end of the bathroom corridor, sleeping on the floor! I hope he got the sleep he needed.

I slept in for half an hour today, waking up at 7:30. It felt good to get the extra sleep, and I woke up feeling strong despite the long day yesterday. I got dressed and packed my bag, and after a breakfast of half a sandwich and some chocolate, Sam, Margaret, Dan and I headed out at 8:30.

Our walk in the morning was beautiful. The sun was behind us, casting morning light on the hills that we walked along. Another hill range sat parallel to the one we were on, and a little valley ran between them. The hillsides were green and sectioned out for farming.

As we walked, the four of us asked each other some deep questions and some stupid ones. We reflected on the fact that we had been out on the pilgrimage for 2 weeks now. Does that feel long or short? For me, it feels like it's been a long time. Thinking back to the first night, that seems like a world away. And yet I know I have three weeks to go. I'm sure glad I like walking!

After a little while, we all spread out and spent time alone. I prayed, and took time to enjoy the beautiful scenery around me with God. I prayed about the future, and reflected on everything that's coming up. I feel prepared, but I also know that you can never truly be 100% prepared for the unknown. The true preparation, I think, is trusting in God and accepting whatever comes your way!

I soon came upon some very fascinating ruins. The ruins are of a convent built in the 12th century to house pilgrims who were sick with a certain disease that was going around at the time. A huge arch was still intact, and many window openings were too. There was a little counter with a stamp for your pilgrim's credential and fresh, hot coffee! I stamped my credential and had a little coffee, and wandered around the ruins, fascinated by the history and the sections still standing. I found a little bench and sat, sipping my coffee and taking in the beautiful scene.

After a few minutes of rest, I put my pack back on and continued on. And as soon as I rounded the mountain, I saw the very beautiful and picturesque town of Castrojeriz! It was supposed to be 9 kilometers away from our starting point for the day, which meant we were making great time, as it was barely 11:00. I took in the scene as I approached the city, and enjoyed more prayer time.

Castrojeriz is a beautiful little town that wraps around half of a lonely hill that is crowned with an old castle ruins. The gigantic cathedral welcomes you into the city, and the Camino path leads you through the city lengthwise, so you get to take in all the beauty of the tidy Spanish streets and stone block buildings.

Once I got to the town, Sam caught up to me and we found Margaret, Dan, and Vitalia, who had headed out a little bit before us. They were sitting at a picnic table by the main cathedral. We sat for a few minutes, then continued into town until we found a little cafe inside an albergue.

Luis, a man from Portugal who had traveled with Dan and Sam in a big group for their first few days, also happened to be in the cafe. We sat with him and we all talked as we sipped our coffee. There was a dog named Pepe in the cafe, and he liked to play fetch with us pilgrims with a tennis ball he kept bringing over to us.

After our refreshment, we continued walking through the city and got some snacks for the road in a little supermarket. Then we headed out of the city all together.

I talked with Luis and got to know him a little bit. He told me that this is his fourth Camino, but his first time doing the French way. Before this, he's only done the Portuguese way. He grew up Catholic but is now more into shaman-inspired practices and connecting to nature. He's a very nice guy and I'm glad to be able to walk with him today! He also speaks Spanish, which is very useful.

From there, it only took about 3 hours to reach our destination for the day, Itero de la Vega. We followed a snaking path out of the city, which led up to another mesa. Looking back on the city of Castrojeriz was beautiful, especially from our vantage point on the mesa, where you could see the whole path we had just walked. We spent a few minutes at the top, each of us taking in the view individually.

From there, it got windy again, partly because we were on top of the mesa but also partly because it was a particularly windy day again. We spread out and each walked alone at our own pace, and I had beautiful prayer time. I reflected on my time with my new friends, but also the importance of the time that I give to God in prayer. I prayed for my pilgrim friends, and for their faith. I reflected on my own conversion years ago, how that came about, and my journey since then. I'm so thankful that God allowed me to have my conversion in my transformative teenage years, and for the ways He has prepared me since then to ultimately become a missonary. I can't wait to be a missionary, and I'm so excited for everything it entails! I know the weight behind the mission, and the importance of it. And I'm honored that God chose me for the job.

Thankfully, I soon came to the end of the mesa. The path stretched out for miles before us, disappearing into the horizon. It's really a special moment when you can see the path like this. It humbles me to see how far I have to walk, and to know that my destination often lies even beyond the horizon. And yet all I need to do is walk to get there. How simple, yet difficult at the same time!

After descending the hill and hitting level ground, I soon came upon Dan and Margaret sitting behind a hill for some wind cover and a break. Sam soon joined us, and we shared chocolate and sponge cake while talking about silly old British ads warning against things such as speeding or smoking. Apparently, they had been quite jarring, but also very common. After watching a few (which were hilariously dramatic) we continued on and alternated between discussing whatever came to mind and walking in silence. It was a pleasant walk through more rolling green hills.

After walking for a while, we crested a hill and saw some towns in the distance. I took the time to walk alone and pray a little more. We passed a bridge over a river, and some very uniform forests, which were obviously grown to harvest the wood. And finally, we reached our albergue for the day upon arriving to the tiny town of Itero de la Vega.

Upon arriving, the five of us split into two double rooms and one single. I got a room with the lovely Daniel Harrison (aka Dan). Then we all went to the adjacent supermarket, which is also owned by the albergue owners. We figured out what we needed to get for dinner, and also for every meal tomorrow since everywhere is typically closed on Sundays in Spain - a practice I approve of, but that is also somewhat difficult to plan around as a pilgrim. After buying our supplies, I got my bed set up and then hung out in the common area for a while, just resting and chatting with the others.

After a few minutes, we realized we should probably check albergue availability for the reachable towns tomorrow. Walking only 14 kilometers to the sizable town of Frómista seemed nice, but upon further research, we learned that they only have one albergue open with 7 beds, and only 1 bed not booked. Thus begun about a 2 hour period of looking into every albergue or hostel in every town before and after Frómista, attempting to find any accommodation to avoid having to walk 32 kilometers to the next big town. Unfortunately, or potentially fortunately as Sean's Chinese proverb might prove, we found nothing. I called probably about 20 places. This task was compounded by the fact that our albergue wifi was pretty terrible and that the service for some reason couldn't reach inside the albergue, and was fickle outside the albergue. So it was a comical few hours of walking in and out of the albergue, and often around the town, attempting to find service to make the next futile call. Turns out there's really no good option until Carrión de los Condes, which is 32.5 kilometers from here. Another long day it is!

I then called Mikayla for about half an hour, enjoying our conversation and just talking about whatever with her. Then I went inside for a quick shower before our dinner. Sam had cooked us pasta using his backpacking burner and pot, since there's no stove in the kitchen and the oven is broken. We all gathered around the table and ate a great dinner while sharing old stories. It was a nice and simple dinner time. After, everyone went to bed one by one, until it wa just Luis and I journaling. Then, I prayed a rosary and went to bed at 11:00.

Tomorrow is yet another long day, and we're planning on getting an early start. Saint James, pray for us! We'll definitely need it.