Sahagun to El Burgo Ranero, 7 May (17 kms)

Sahagun

Arco San Benito, Sahagun

Stork and vines beside the senda

Bird sanctuary in El Burgo Ranero

Amazing what a good night's rest will do for a body!  I had even been contemplating going by bus to Leon, but now I felt up to walking again:  17 kms or so to El Burgo Ranero.  I was bewildered by the choice of places to visit in Sahagun, according to the guidebook.  I knew I really ought to stop, but it was early in the morning and I was anxious to get on the road.  My quick glance and quick photos did not do the town justice.

En route, I saw these graffiti: MEAT IS MURDER, to which someone had responded: TASTY, TASTY MURDER!  I stopped at a nice bar at Bercianos for a beer and an ague con gas.  The friendly Croatian man and Spanish wife let me use their personal computer to send an email.  Unfortunately it was a Croatian keyboard with the z and the y crossed, so it was difficult to respond to a message from Ellie, which said that she was sad that group fitness had been cancelled in favour of making a Mothers Day card!

It was a hot final walk into El Burgo Ranero, and the 2 hostales with private rooms in the town centre were already full when I arrived.  However, they sent me on to a lovely newish albergue on the edge of town.  This was called La Laguna, near a bird sanctuary, which had private rooms and a beautiful garden, with lounge beds out on the grass.  After a couple of hours lounging, I stilled back into town for a pilgrims' meal at Piedras Blancas: vegetable soup, delicious sole w. salad, orange.  The white wine was undrinkable, though.  Luckily I had indulged in a G and T as a pre dinner drink!

Carrion de los Condes to Sahagun, 6 May (by bus)

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.