Shortly after leaving Boadilla the camino turns into a path following the canal. In the early morning it was shrouded in fog with ghost trees barely visible on the opposite side.
We crunched along until Fromista, where we had second breakfast to sustain us on the hot, dusty and straight senda path towards Carrión. There are tiny places dotted along the route but it was impossible to know which were open and not.
I deployed Polly the Parasolly yet again for some portable shade in the increasing heat. The mini heat wave they were talking about had definitely arrived. Temperatures of up to 30C were expected in the early afternoon but I was nice and cool(er) under my UFO-looking parasol contraption.
We had a quick stop in Villamentero, at the Amenecer albergue and farmyard zoo. I am glad they didn’t serve food, because first the chicks and then the geese wanted whatever edibles we had and they were quite persistent!
In Carrión I got the best seat in town in the shade overlooking the Plaza Mayor, where pilgrims came and went. I just stayed there having a drink and a meal with familiar and new faces – David joined me, then Laura with the beaming smile from the loft in Castrojeriz came to say hi, and young Nicole who looked like she was looking for something (she was – the shop) or someone, so we flagged her down as well, and a couple who had walked from France came and had a meal. Even Andiana Jones got in touch, he had decided to carry on across the long stretch of nothing with his friend and ended up walking 37 kms, so we probably wouldn’t see him again. All the more reason to enjoy each other’s company in the here and now, but although it was a Saturday and tempting to stay up, the 17 kms with no services were waiting in the morning … which I should have shopped for, but forgot. David had got me an Aquarius and a banana, and I got a plastic packed croissant and a Coke from behind the bar before bed, that would do for breakfast.
Somewhere Slowly 