Day 17- Carrion de los Condos to Sahagun

Before I enthrall you with todays tales I want to go through a few things first. Bear with me please.

Thanks – Monday was pay day for Stocktrade and Brewins employees and I would like to thank all those who as promised donated once paid, and of course all the other people who have also donated. It may seem at times like we are constantly bombarding you with requests to donate, but CHAS really is something worthwhile. Every penny helps.

Piles (Haemorrhoids) – Always learn how to ask for stuff for these BEFORE entering the chemist in Spain. I didn´t. As a result when I tried to explain to the pharmacist he immediately called to his 10 year old daughter for a translation. Thankfully the child was obviously well versed in dealing with english speaking people, with red faces and such delicate issues. Not only did I get what was required but the pharmacist took great delight in explaining that he produced his own creams for such problems and used a secret incredient culled  from some mountain plant nearby. Suffice to say everything is now healing nicely.

Singing – Al´s writing and reciting poetry now and whats worse anyone he does recite it to actually thinks its good. Am i really losing it?………..

Fields – Loads of them four the last 4 days with nowt in them, except for some old lookin sunflowers.

People we meet – I know we get requests for photos of fellow travellers but unfortunately you tend to see different ones every day and a lot of the people we originally started out with are either behind us ( yes its true) or have jacked it in for various reasons. Today we said goodbye to Aussie Nick as he jumped the bus for Leon.

Haircuts – Well done Baz!!! on the downside however you can now see what is going on around you.

Anyway back to today.

We passed a landmark today ( painful or what! ha! ha!) by completing 41km. This is by far the furthest we have walked in one day. As there was bugger all to see during the walk (i kid u not) I will chop this down into sections.

8.00 – Left Hostel in Carrion.

9.40 – Reached halfway point between Carrion and Calzadillade la Cueza. Some bright entrepreneur has set up a glorified burger bar there for hot hungry walkers. We stopped for breakfast.

11.30 -Calzadilla. Had hot chocolate and toilet break!!

12.40 – Ledigos – More drink and more toilet breaks.

1.45 -Terradillos de Los Templarios – Had sit down lunch with Francoise ( 60 yr old french lady, who is the only remaining person we still meet who began at the same time as us). She was staying here for the night. Food good as usual. But no wine for us walkers. Such dedication eh!

4.15 – San Nicolas del Real Camino. Drink and Loos.

6.15 – Sahagun!! Finally made it!! Got room in hostel ( these are basically cheap hotels).

Its now 8pm and time to eat!!

Another 35k tomorrow……….well maybe.

Oh and finally Al was sporting another new piece of headwear today. His pants!! No pics yet but if he´s wearing them tomorrow!…………

AND for the record we are now officially passed halfway boys and girls. I t was at Cruella de Ville town.

Adois amigos.

Caledonian Challenge – no chance!

Buenos Tardes mi Amigos,

You find us at the end of our longest shift yet – we left the lovely little Carrion de los Condes at 7.40am – well 8am by the time we coul see the map – and walked for about 9 of the next 11 hours, getting here at 6.30 local time.

Kapitan Kettles wanted to check if we could walk in the searing heat of the 1000m closer to the sun Meseta plain with only a pair of pants to cover my fragile head. I noticed another of life’s fascinating facts today.

When you’re a kid, adolescent young adult or whatever – you can stick your pants on your head using the waist. When you’re a fat obese 44 year old even a leg is bigger than your head. Which in my case is saying something. I rigged something up that worked and I lived to tell the tale. My sense of smell is permanently damaged though as I used Si’s shreddies as they were a better fit.

Just kidding Jackie there isn’t enough material in Si’s these days! The kids were funny though as I was saying my “hola” and “buenos tardes” the boxers kept slipping down to cover my face. Oh how we laughed in the blistering heat. I used my green ones Stu, but here in Spain I fly the flag for Scottish Soccer – and yes the chasing does help me keep up with Si – my nipple was still a bit sore in that picture from the piercing.

The first 16km today was good. We got road then decent path and a hot dog after 9km for breakfast fronm a well parked van. There are no villages for 16km on this section and the guys set up a van with 20 tables in a field. He told us he pays his taxes and the food hygeine people inspect his van regularly as he picked our sausage off the ground and put it in our bun. Muchos Gracias I said and handed Si his hot dog.

It was 9.30am and I sat down to savour the moment and get my jar of pickled red peppers. What a treat they are. I’ll be bringing some tins home for our homecoming party. The party, you hadn’t heard, oh yes, we’re having a big party to which you’re all invited. Remember to leave something on the blog and we’ll get the invite to you. More on the party later – let’s finish the day never mind the trip!

So I stalled the big fella for 20 mins and then we left at 9.50, arriving in Calzadilla de la Cueza 7km down the road at 11.15. To be fair Si arrived about 11.10 but as ever had to wait for me. I figure I dawdle along at 5km and he whacks it out at 5.5km per hour.

This is good as every hour he get 500m ahead of me and I shout obscenities at him. The thing about it is my inside leg is to small. I’m think of wearing heels if I ever do it again. 2″ heels will get me to a 31″ inside leg. I match him stride for stride but I have to perform the splits if I want to match his length, but I don’t think we should go there just now.

The obscenities are great because you can shout as loud as you like – there’s nobody about – unlike this blog – 2000 hits – we should’ce done 1p a hit not a penny a step! – but I’ve been loads of words I’d forgotten I knew. French swear words are great and I know a few that can last about 20 seconds when strung together and interspersed with a liberal sprinkling of Simon, but I could do with Vinnie giving me a few more as he’s good with the Greek ones.

As we left Calzadilla de la Cueza I noticed a plaque. It said, Walt Disney walked the Camino in 1935 and said “one day I’ll make this baby a star in a film about dogs”. I think he must’ve been drinking on his camino as Cruella de Ville is nothing like Calzadilla de la Cueza – but hey ho I was always an Aristocrats man.

Its a short 6km to Ledigos which was just as well. I’d changed into my cycling shorts and had found the toilets not to my liking. Bad move. When the sun gets up high I’m like jumping for cover. Its a biological thing – never be far from a toilet when its hot.

We rolled into Ledigos about 1pm having left Calzadilla at 11.50. The big fella preferring the concrete and tarmac of the road to the rubble of the camino trail it ran alongside. I had done the road for a while and decided as sore as it was on the feet it may be a bit gentler on the joints if I just took the path, it also offered a bit of shade with one tree ever 25m!

Whilst the toilets in Ledigos were worse – relieve was palpable. I was posittvely radiant about everything once I returned to the bar.

The legs were moving with a new freedom as we assaulted the hill up to the next town. It was only another 4km so although lots of little stops can damage the time trial – they suit me just dandy.

As we descended into the town I was reminded of how many of these towns on the Meseta are like this. In the first stages through Navarre all the towns are perched on hill tops. Here in the Meseta their all hollowed out from the floor. You walk walk along at 1000m on a plain and then whoah! – you drop down 50m – 100m and there’s a town with no visible toilet.

So drop we did to the home of the knights Templar. It was pretty ungroovy. We walked past the Albergue found a fountain, filled our bottles then found we were out of town again. Wait – where was the bar – we found a local. We knew he was a local he didn’t speak English. Simon used the international language and shouted in English. I elected to choose the international word “Bar” to which he pointed at the Albergue – we smiled and ran for cover. It was 1.45pm and they started serving lunch at 2pm.

We met up with Francois the Frenchwoman we had seen intermittently since day 1. She said she was 60 we said she was lying she could only be 40 – oh how we laughed, again!

We had lunch with Francois. They went for aliubisc – the beans and chorizo – or pile juice – while I had hot veg. We all had the stew. We said cheerio and Francois gave me a few more swear words to shout.

This was useful as within 15 minutes of leaving Terradillos de los Templarios, I was giving it laldy! I’m at my best when I can just ignore the world – or as many messages have suggested the world is ignored by me.

Damn, he’s stopped again! Moratinos a fountain, a post box and a lot of wasps! I used the post box. More begging postcards, its terrible I should stop it!

Luckily he started walking before I’d got my bag on. I headed off in another direction for a bit of fun – well I didn’t but I though it!

More bowel movements than beethoven’s 7th, we had another stop 6km up the road at St Nicholas.

Sorry – we have to interrupt this message – Si is out of the shower!
www.500m.wordpress.com is the blog for Si and Al as they walk 500 miles across Spain to raise money for CHAS. Please read and comment.

CHAS is a children’s hospice and all donations are gratefully received. www.justgiving.com/deadbeat