Camino Confidential: Castrojeriz

Castrojeriz must be the longest town on the Camino. The wind fairly whistles down the Main Street which is over 2 kms long. Today the weather has made a sudden change and it now feels very autumnal. Rain showers were forecast but came to nothing; I may not be so lucky tomorrow.

I left Hontanas as it was just coming light, but the sun took a while to appear because the little town is in the bowl of the hills which is why the Internet connection is so weak. (Castrojeriz is no better: it comes and goes without warning!)

Halfway to Castrojeriz, the Camino track turns into a quiet country road and pilgrims are reminded to walk on the left. I stopped at the medieval arch of San Anton, where there is a primitive Albergue: no electricity and no hot water! I sat down for a while talking to Monica, the volunteer hospitalera from Italy. She made some herbal tea for me and I bought a little book on the history of the place. It is being sponsored by a local businessman who calls in from time to time and asks what she needs to keep the place going, and delivers it free of charge (eg big bottles of water, a new coffee machine). The whole enterprise of getting the Albergue going in the ruins of the San Anton monastery was started by Rebecca Scott an American journalist who lives in Moratinos, further down the track.

On arriving in Castrojeriz, it took me a while to locate my accommodation (the Posada de Castrojeriz, because confusingly there are 2 posadas and the first one I found was all closed up). I had seen the white Jacotrans van arrive in town, so I knew my backpack was somewhere.

I went to have lunch in the adjoining restaurant and came upon Troy and Cindy, the two Americans I shared a table with last night. They seem rather disorganised and have very fluid travel plans, handicapped by a complete lack of Spanish. They were planning to catch a bus from here at 5.30 pm for Fromista, so I hope everything works out for them.