I think I’ve switched from km ‘down’ to km remaining, there you go, keep you on your toes.
Phillipe and Isabelle are at breakfast in Domero (we didn’t realise they were staying in the same place). They’re doing an extra night and a lay over here and finishing in Leon so we bid them adieu. James, from the ‘Crack House’ in Granon, can’t find accommodation in the next two towns and so has pulled up here, given the weather forecast (storms), it’s about 10:30am, so early day for James.
It’s an easy, flat walk with sporadic, brief rain squalls The cool temperature encourages a good steady gate as the unvarying landscape slowly rolls by. After Berciandos del Camino, there’s no one on the road, they’ve all called it quits, and the Meseta enjoys its solitude.
El Burgo Ranero, today’s lodgings, is an interesting little town, a mix of modern brick and old and new mud brick and render. The homes are freehold but butted up wall to wall such that the main street runs maybe four city block lengths with no through streets or lanes. There’s a couple of little shops in the main drag, some albergues and a small (mud brick) church with a huge stork nest atop its bell tower.
We book a pilgrims meal at a bar (restaurante el peregrino), and enjoy a wonderful meal of lentil and chorizo soup, salmon (Di) and tenderloin pork (jeff) and two cornetto ice creams (and of course a bottle of red wine). The place is full and many people are turned away, there are other places to eat of course, but the pilgrims meals are very popular.
The older lady running table is squat, solid and full of smiles and warm welcome. She’s done this for a thousand years but will never tire of serving proudly.
On the wall is a black and white school photo dated 1963, with maybe 60 kids. The old fella at the bar enjoying his whiskey and espresso intimates he’s in the photo. Di asks ‘ [this] school good?’ ‘No!’, he exclaims, ‘Mal!’ (Bad) and laughs. The barmaid explains that although the photo is coed, girls and boys were separated and it was very strict.
It’s an icy walk home and the storms come in again as we’re comfy in our beds, pounding on the roof and showering the windows. We hope they clear by morning.
