Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Camino

Short post today because I'm on the slowest internet connection ever created and I'm not even sure this will save.

I'm in Boadilla...one stop before Fromista. Did I mention I smashed the 30k barrier yesterday? Full on 32k...finally hit my 20 mile mark. Longest day I've done. But I paid for it today. My right knee came back with a vengeance by the end of the day and we decided to stop here, even though we only did 20k today.

We. Yeah, still with Skip. I decided, and later told him and he concurred, that I did my part in striking out alone and trying to leave the group behind and face the Camino alone, and the Camino's response was, nearly immediately, to toss us back together. So together we are, and together we'll stay.

We're formulating a game plan. Tomorrow, I'll break my streak of 16 (?) days without transport. We're hoping to get as far as Carrion de los Condes, and then hop a bus for either 18 or 28k, depending on what we can do. Time to quit messing around...we have somewhere to be around the 8th or 9th of August and we need to make some serious time. We've rationalized it...we'll walk a full day tomorrow, 25k, then skip ahead about a day's worth, as that stretch contains 18k without civilization. Then we'll walk another day, perhaps a day and a half, and blow the next 50k into Leon. We talked it over, and neither of us like the idea of skipping huge chunks of the meseta, but to skip across it like a stone, never missing that much...and missing either chunks with no civilization or bits that follow right beside the road anyway...as Skip puts it, "it's gotta be done."

Anyway. Back to business. Big winding steep hill out of Castrojeriz today, which we SMASHED...then killer, straight-arrow downslope on the other side. Then lots more meseta, but it was nice. It wasn't just wheat this time...we finally found some corn, and then closer on to Itero, even some spinach and a few other crops. We didn't stop much...an old man was selling coffee for donations on the side of the road about an hour and a half in, but other than that and a quick stop for a baguette to go with his tomato and ham he had for lunch...off we went. We did the whole 20k in 5 hours. HELL YEAH!!

Noteworthy things along the way...we are now in Palencia, out of Castilla y Leon (I think). Or in a new part of it. We passed, right before the border, a beautiful little chapel/hostel called San Nicolas which was staffed by the most wonderfully kind people. The lady inside said she'd seen more Americans this year than ever before...thank God they're staying away from me. (The CCM group jumped from Burgos the other day to the end of the line to make Santiago by today.) (Not that I don't love my countrymen, but I'm not here to see them, thank you very much....) Anyway...since today is St. James' Day, they had coffee and tea waiting outside for us there as well (or maybe they do that every day, but still, today is special). St. James Day is a national holiday, and when it falls on a Sunday it's called a Holy Year and the Camino explodes with pilgrims. Definitely want to try staying in San Nicolas if I do this again...it's tiny and basic and quaint but beautiful and peaceful and definitely a place where the Esprit du Chemin (Spirit of the Camino) resides.

Boadilla. The best albergue so far. From the outside, it looks like a condemned building. Inside, it's an oasis. Fairway lawns with giant stone planters overflowing with petunias and geraniums and snapdragons (!!!)...small swimming pool...LAUNDRY!!! Oh, God, EVERYTHING I own is now clean and sun-dried. It's like heaven. Good dinner...patio sitting area with thick grapevines strung overhead and creeping up the walls...beautiful wrought iron statue of two pilgrims, one standing over his friend who is checking something on his foot...one iron shoe off...someone put a bandaid on the foot. I have pictures, it's gorgeous. The people are SOOOOO nice. And we got here at noon, so we've had the whole afternoon to lounge around in the sunshine and be lazy and it's been WONderful.

The weather has been perfect. Bright sun, cool mornings, cool breeze, and even though it's a solid and strong headwind, it's refreshing, and it could be 20 degrees hotter and miserable. Thank you, St. James!!!

The Spice Girls are here too. So are Mimi and Jocelyn. Hank is ahead, I assume, and the German boys were with Malek yesterday and are supposedly about 20k ahead by now. If we catch that bus tomorrow afternoon, we might catch up to them. But the bus schedule is still a mystery and apparently there's an issue with Saturday or Sunday service...like with everything else in Spain. Apparently, there's a bar in Carrion that will have information for us. It's a 25k day tomorrow, and the light day today and lots of rest this afternoon will hopefully have my knee feeling all right again.

Cannot TELL you how exciting it is to have clean clothes. Skip and I want to throw them on the lawn and roll around in them. It's joy.

Lost Kate. Thought she'd be here...was determined to make it to the pool but no sign of her. Every time we hit a pool, it's a bit too cold (or, in Belorado, WAY too cold) to swim. Dammit.

By the way, for those of you who are wondering, Skip's ankle is fine...today was his first day walking after four days off...he's still slugging antibiotics and slathering his ankle in betadine, but the swelling is coming down and he was pretty much in full form today, to watch him. He certainly didn't seem to be babying it. So I think he'll be okay. It's still hideous, by the way. Ha ha.

For some reason, can't get to my Hotmail from this computer. Have a message from Dad and one from Byron and can't get either, which of course is no reason not to send more. MIKE...help a girl out. Send some love.

Tomorrow, hopefully we'll get 25k walked and 45 or so actually travelled. Will update, of course, as soon as I can. I've missed several days lately...trust me, it's not because I'm blowing it off. Service seems spotty on the meseta.

Love you all!!!