With energy to Carrión de los Condes

Whenever I am in need of buying some essentials I have been pretty good in all different countries in the past - now listen what happened in Fromista.

I can only find a pharmacy that’s still open and rush in to buy some toothpaste - I was amazed how many small tubes they had and grab the most shiny one. As I need to eat something, it’s 6 pm and all I really had was breakfast so far, I compromise to eat a boccadillo with eggs and bacon in the only open bar since restaurants only open at 20:00.

Back in the hotel I want to try out my new tooth paste and start brushing my teeth. That paste was awfully stiff and kind of starts sticking to my teeth - I check the tube again - and what can I say, I bought temporary glue for prosthesis. Shoot, I try to rub it off first my toothbrush and then my teeth - this purchase was bollocks.

I go to bed early even though I already pla to start tomorrow late as it’s supposed to be extremely windy until 8 am. In the morning I want to try the hostel’s breakfast which starts at 8 am. Like atypical German I sit down at 7:55 am awaiting the food to come. At 8:15 am with still no food I decide to leave and grab my backpack from the room. Coming down the stairs the ‚good mother of the house‘ spots me and insists that I try her breakfast - ok, so I give in and have some toast with jam and orange juice.

Then it’s time to start the Camino. 4 girls from Australia leave simultaneously from the Hostal across and ask me for the shortest way back to the Camino. According to my Google maps it’s diagonal across the village so they follow me. The way today runs almost only along side of the National Road with corn fields to both sides. In the second village I pass I want to get a stamp for my pilgrim pass in the church Virgin de la Blanca, but like so often the church was closed - I continue the Camino.

In Villanentero de Campos I pass by Manuel from Ecuador who is on the Camino with his dog Denis. ‚How do you find hostels with your dog?‘ I want to know. ‚It’s quite a challenge‘, he responds.  Well, at least it’s only a dog and not like 7 days ago a horse - me and my horse would like to stay in your Hostal tonight, does not sound like a successfull formula.

As one can see very far the village seem to be close, but it’s deceiving. Carrion for example which looks so close is still 3 km away. Time enough to greet Emily from Lyon again and meet Denis, the 67 year old Australian mate. We walk together into Carrión and take each others photo at the St. James statue at the entrance. Then we have a couple of cafe con laiche in a bar next to the plaza mayor and I wish Denis a ‚Bon Camino‘ as he walks on another 20 km or so.