We are on the Frances now. Got to Leon yesterday and are enjoying an extra day here. We’ve seen so many more pilgrims since we got to Sahagun…as well as there are so many more options on where to sleep. Will there be more lonely roads as we head west to Santiago?
To recap, in alcazaren the French couple beat us to the albergue—it had capacity constraints due to covid— so we took a taxi to Olmeda for a hotel and then back to Alcazaren the next day.
In Puente Duero ,the next stage, the albergue was awesome. The hospitalero welcomed us and cooked lunch (pasta!) as well as tended to blisters. He also provided dinner. This was because the kitchen was “closed” due to covid even though we sat IN the kitchen to eat
The next day was an extra long one because there was no albergue in Peñaflor de Hornija (covid) so it was necessary to walk to Castromonte which had a municipal albergue and a bar but not much else.
The next stage was to Medina de Rioseco—beautiful. Churches, museums, food, pharmacy,etc. We splurged on the Hotel Victoria Colonna.
Next stage to Cuencas de Campos—Hostal La Tata was the only game in town. Paper thin walls in our room above the bar with church bells outside the window. Sigh.
Then to Sandervàs—very cool but lonely place. The albergue was a real winner in all sincerity. It is the hospitaleros that make it so. Genuine, friendly individuals (always men?) who welcome the pilgrims and maintain the facilities. Albergue is in the building with the Ponce de Leon museum. The woman who opens the museum also opens the church to visitors. Both worth seeing and anyway there isnt much else to do.
From there to Sahagun, then 30km to Reliegos. Then Leon.
Tomorrow we continue on our way.