Camino Confidential: Hontanas to Castrojeriz 9 km

My room last night at Santa Brigida was in an unfortunate position in the centre of too much coming and going. Avoid Room Number One! It’s near the main staircase and is the recipient of noise from the bar (where the staff shout at one another) as well as the Albergue’s entrance where pilgrims drag their bags and suitcases about. It is also a disabled room. Do I look that dicrepid?

Dinner at 7.00 pm was another version of the previous day’s menu: paella, mixed salad and the Spanish favourite (and mine): flan.

I was soon joined by two Canadian couples, and blotted my copy book by referring to them as Americans. They had just done a 30 kilometre day from Burgos, which was inconceivable to me, since Clint was carrying a fair amount of excess weight (to put it mildly!)

Setting off at 8.15 am this morning.

Another lone pilgrim.

It was a day of wildflowers.

I arrived at a significant spot: the ruins of San Anton, with its spectacular arch spanning the road. There is a small Albergue with 10 beds, no electricity and very little water. This has to be delivered from Burgos by tanker. They are running low at the moment. Today the place was buzzing with people. On my last visit, there was just the Italian Hospitalera. I sat and talked to her for half an hour.