A glimpse into the journal I kept for all 38 days on the Camino Frances, including up to 10 photos (not necessarily the best pictures but more that they represent that day in some particular way). Today is day 19 – May 9th. Fromista to Carrion de los Condes
I really need to give up on choosing albergues based on if they include breakfast or not – it is always café con leche, disgusting packaged pastries, and once in a while if lucky, one may get cereal/yogurt/juice. …
Cold and damp today. The crappy weather just made me want to get this stage over with. I took the alternative route described in the Brierley book which took me along a river rather than the senda. It was quite lovely with the birds and amphibians providing me a soundtrack for my walk. However, it was incredibly muddy. I kept trying to find grass on which to walk in order to get the heavy mud off my boots. Even though there were a few places along the way where I could have rested for a bit out of the wet, I really just wanted to reach Carrión. So much so that today I did 20.5km with absolutely no breaks or rest – 7:30 to 12:30. I probably could have shaved 30-45 minutes off of that if it weren’t for the damn mud. I even took my sandwiches out of my bag and ate them without once stopping…
The final 4km into Carrión, along the senda, was all about putting one foot in front of the other. I was tired, damp, energy-less, my feet hurt, and I was feeling the possibility of a blister as my feet were a bit clammy despite my hydro max yak leather boots. When I reached Carrión, the first place I saw was the Santa Clara Monastery advertising a 5€ albergue and 22€ single rooms. The last thing I wanted was to talk to anyone so I splurged on the private room. It was basic – bed, night stand, desk, armoire, my own bathroom. And a door that shut out the world. …
Took a long HOT shower – didn’t register that the shower was tub-less so I ended up flooding the bathroom floor! Oops. I then soaked my feet in my kitchen sink, read for a bit, and fell asleep. I was still cold. …
When the rain let up a bit, I went out to wander the town. I paid 1€ to visit the little museum inside the 12th-century Santa Maria church. I was also able to climb up to the bell tower and had a view of the town roofs. Not really a whole lot else of note in Carrión. I found a grocery store where I bought bread, cheese, ham, and juice. Tomorrow’s walk apparently doesn’t offer up food opportunities so after dinner, I made sandwiches to pack.
Wow, that sounded like a long, hard walk in the mud! You definitely deserved the single-room splurge after that! In your pictures today everything has that grey and miserable feel to it.
Yep, it wasn’t a pleasant day!
Feels like you are on the pacific crest trail. 😉
ha! Now there’s a trail I would like to do one day!! Have you done it?
No. I would love to do parts of it at least. I’m not sure about take the several months it would require to do the entire thing. I am lucky to live close to a good chunk of it though. 🙂
Yes, you are lucky! One day I’d like to walk it!