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Published: October 18th 2015
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14 September 2015, Monday. stage 20. From Sahagun to El Burgos Ranero.
GPS 11.60 miles covered in 4 hours walking and 5 hours 30 minutes total time on the road.
Fitbit: 11.17 miles, 25,576 steps, 40 floor/stairs
Leave at 0751 after breakfast at Hostal La Codorniz of bread and coffee and orange juice. Room, pilgrim dinner last night and breakfast came to 86.5 euros total.
Today is typical of last several days walking beside roads and stubble or disc farm fields of grains. We note the Singing Bridge from Roman days over the River Cea. This is the first bridge with rapidly flowing water that looks like a candidate for where the backpack went over in the movie, THE WAY. It is about 2.5 miles to the point of choosing which route to take: the Camino Frances (which we are really following) or the Roman Way. In Sahagun the Camino de Madrid had joined the Camino Frances. Since our reservations are in El Burgos Ranero for the evening there is no choice as only the French Route goes to it. All over Europe there are routes that will eventually get you to Santiago. They cross, merge and
separate many times.
As we walk and talk with Nick and Margie from Dubuque Iowa, with whom we have been traveling since the day after Burgos, we see many other folks we know from the Camino. Roberto, born in Argentina but living in Denmark since he was 22 (now 71); Louise, from Denmark, who studies in Memphis TN; the three Ottawa sisters; an older French couple who were in the room next to ours and are using similar luggage transfer service to ours; a new person we meet who was born in Iraq, lived in Egypt, then Netherlands and was working in London before deciding to do The Camino but who will travel in India next, and last but significantly, Roman, a pilgrim going from Oporto, Portugal to Santiago to Cape Finisterre and is now walking east to his home in Czech Republic, over the route from which we have just come, but on through France to home - 3000 km. And we thought 500 miles or 800 km was a trek!
As we are coming into town a man stops and suggests he take a photo of all of us with Roman and our friend from Iraq.
He has a cafe in the next town and wants us to come for paella tonight. As we get to town several young pilgrims are commenting on the great vegetable curry soup. It is at his cafe. We go back and have our fill of chicken soup and vegetable curry soup. The man, Manuel, is from Barcelona. He met Svetlana, from Bulgaria, on The Way and now they are a couple serving paella to the pilgrims. So we will go back tonight for what is touted as the best paella on the camino.
We get to our hostel and they do not find our names on the reservation list. I produce the printed copy of the email confirmation from Sergio who now finds us a room and carries our two heavy bags up the steps. Later, I hear him tell the owner, "hay una problema!" regarding the bookings. I hope everyone gets a room who thinks they have one here.
At the end of even a short and cool day's walk, like today, the soak in the tub is wonderful.
So it is back to the little cafe for paella. The number served is limited by one
Cross near the bridge across the Rio Cea
This Puente Romano is just as we leave the area of Sahagun. In medieval days folks would cling to these at night to keep from being swept away by night spirits. long table in the small entry area to the cafe And by the size of the gigantic paella pan. The camaraderie at dinner is wonderful and we all have a memorable meal, Dessert is a recipe, the basis of which is a family recipe from Svetlana's family. However, she varies it according to what she has on hand.
At the end of the meal, Manuel and Svetlana tell their story and how the Camino played such a big role in their meeting. They explain how they are dedicated to serving pilgrims as they pass by. Well, they are among a number of pilgrims and ex-pilgrims that are so dedicated and make such a difference in your journal!
As we return from dinner we see 'the donkey' standing in back of the albergue. Evidently the mother and boys have arrived. We walk down the street to take some sunset pictures and look west toward the horizon and tomorrow's journey. Good night.
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