After my bad dose of food poisoning, I was feeling too weak to walk anywhere. Fortunately I had already booked a ticket on the bus leaving at 11.50 a.m., thus avoiding 17 ams of boring meseta, with no villages en route for refreshments. As I was leaving the convent, I spoke to an Englishman who had just arrived in town. He said that exactly a year ago he had suffered from gastro following a visit to that same restaurant, and what's more he had heard his neighbours throwing up as well! I resolved to post a warning on the Santiago forum when I got home.
The day was somewhat cold and grey. I sat in the bar where the bus tickets were booked for a couple of hours, drinking 2 "tee con limon", which was all I dared load into my stomach. As the morning progressed, crowds of pilgrims arrived to wait for the bus. Most had booked all the way to Leon. The efficient ALSA system gives you a numbered seat, so there is no panic.
The bus stop for Sahagun was on this side of town, right outside the enormous hotel, Puerta del Camino. Still feeling low, I was determined to stay there whatever the cost. Imagine my surprise when I was quoted €25 for a single room. I had a bath and went to bed for a 3-hour siesta, to allow my body to recover from the shock of the previous night. I then made myself a cup of Miso soup (thanks to my new adaptor).
I watched TV for an hour and then went back to sleep. The only problem was that this was a noisy hotel, with every surface constructed of marble, with not a single carpet anywhere. There was a notice in Spanish warning that it had only just opened after a period of closure, so services might be somewhat restricted. There was no mini bar, but a full range of toiletries that were very welcome and added to my dwindling supplies.
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