Overnight - Albergue Hospederia Jacobea El Nogal
After yesterday's near marathon effort, it was always going to be a short day today, and so it was. I left the albergue in Sahagun just on chucking-out time and then headed back to the bakery cafe for a farewell pastry or two and some tea for breakfast.
Then it was a steady flat walk alongside a roadway, much like over the past few days, until the village of Bercianos del real Camino, where I stopped again for an ice cream and some tea.
After that, another 7.5 kilometres of similar terrain saw my arrival at El Burgo Ranero. The municipal albergue had not yet opened so I went to a private one across the road, in a 9-bunk dorm, where I was the first to arrive. It was quite basic, but then again, these days, my needs are also very basic.
The afternoon was spent in a nearby bar having a very satisfying pilgrims lunch and watching Le Tour (where Chris Froome wrapped it up in the mountains and Richie Porte finished a creditable fifth ahead of the Paris procession tomorrow). The Raiders won too, by the way, although I got my time zone calculations wrong on that, so when I turned on the iPad, I immediately discovered the happy news.
I'm going to miss the routine of following Le Tour for the rest of this trip. Being able to watch entire stages without falling asleep, and in daytime, has been a real novelty for an antipodean. A consolation, I suppose, is that the Rio Olympics will start soon enough, so no doubt I'll be tuning into that now and again to see how the Spanish athletes are dominating the world sporting stage. Oddly, they never seem to do much when I'm watching the Olympics in Australia, where, of course, Australian sportspeople are the kings and queens of the world.
The evening was a quiet one at the albergue where still only 1 of the 9 bunk beds is occupied! I also paid a visit to the (slightly busier) municipal albergue over the road and chatted with some pilgrim colleagues there who offered me some of the remnants of their yummy communal meal. I silently castigated myself for not waiting the extra few minutes this afternoon for that place to open.
Tomorrow could be another shortish day, probably a 19.3 kilometre effort to Mansilla de las Mullas. I may go slightly further depending how I feel, to leave an even shorter run in to Leon the next day.
Weather - A mostly mild and sunny morning warming up a little as the day progressed. In fact, the forecast for at least the next week seems identical - highs in the low 30s, lows in the mid-teens, and still no sign of rain.
Health - The feet were still a bit tender after yesterday's punishment, but otherwise all good.
Food - Cream pastries x2 + Pots of tea x2 at Sahagun cake shop; White chocolate mini magnum ice-cream + Pot of tea at Bercianos del Real Camino bar; Can Coke at El Burgo Ranero albergue; Almond mini magnum ice cream at El Burgo Ranero; Pilgrims lunch (pots of tea x2, mixed salad, chicken/chips, cheesecake with cream); Mini cornetto ice-cream and miscellaneous food from municipal albergue visit
Expenses - Accommodation - 8.00; Food/Drink - 20.10 Total - 28.10
Walking time - 4 hours, 35 minutes (start 8:05am, arrive at accommodation 12:40pm)
Brierley distance - 17.9km (total 426.2km)
Daily Steps - 27,786
Total Camino steps - 681,516
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