San Zoilo

Blogger is driving me mad when I try to post photos, so I’ll just write text for a while and add my photos later.

After leaving Villalcázar. It was back on the senda for another 5 kms. Carrion finally came into view as many more pilgrims started passing me. It was a bright morning, though still fairly chilly and the wheat fields blowing in the wind in great waves of green. Someone told me yesterday that the Canal de Castilla which goes through Frómista was built to transport grain north to Santander for export. Growing wheat has been going on here since Roman times.

I arrived in Carrion just as the ALSA bus was pulling in. I tried to buy a ticket for tomorrow in the bar, but was told that it was not possible to purchase in advance. The driver was having a coffee and was in no hurry to depart even though he was half an hour late!

I set off to walk right through the town to my destination just across the river: the Real Monasterio de San Zoilo. This hotel is in a converted historic building rather like a Parador, but not as efficiently run. For a start, the room layout, in a square round the cloisters on two levels, is impossible to fathom. People literally go round in circles looking for their room and the dining room.

What’s more, I found the room to be boiling hot - which is silly, given that electricity in Spain is so expensive. It was a beautiful room , though, once I’d opened the windows!

I had lunch in the dining room: Castillian soup with an egg in the middle, followed by a pork dish with goats cheese accompanied by a nice glass of Tempranillo. I might add that this part of the Camino is notorious for laying pilgrims low with gastro ailments (including me in the past). I thought I ought to be safe in this hotel as everyone would scream about it on TripAdvisor.

After a siesta and only slightly groggy from sleep, I walked back over the bridge into town. I wanted to find a supermarket to stock up with fruit. The park by the river was really nice in the Spring sunshine. I also explored some of the monastery grounds, all surrounded by a very high wall to keep the hoi poloi from annoying the monks in years gone by!

Lovely room in San Zoilo

Cloister

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