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LIVE from the Camino Walking the Meseta now. Advice welcome

Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances 2022 and 2023
We are soon staying in Boadilla. Is Carrion de Condes worth a full day or night stop? (We will be very close the night before) I am reading about sharing song and food with the nuns. Has anyone done this? What are the other must spend time places heading into Leon? Would love your input.
 
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People often stay in Carrion due to the distances after if you don't. I like the place , have stayed 3 times but don't know much about the nuns other than those where I stayed.

I like the Meseta, always look forward to it. Can't understand when people dodge it
 
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Yes, it is worth it to stop at Santa Maria in my opinion. They open at noon and there is usually a line. If you enjoy music and attending vespers/mass you will enjoy it.

Besides after Carrion as @alexwalker mentions there is a lot of nothing for 17 km and only a couple of places to stay at Caldazilla de la Cueza on the other end. Some people do walk further to Terradillos past CdlC.
 
Staying with the nuns was a highlight of our meseta journey. I highly recommend it. The meseta has a beauty all its own. My husband and I found that being in those small towns, with not much to do, encouraged deeper connection and interaction with other pilgrims. We made great friendships and many of them started with the shared song and meal with the nuns.
 
Yes, it is worth it to stop at Santa Maria in my opinion. They open at noon and there is usually a line. If you enjoy music and attending vespers/mass you will enjoy it.

Besides after Carrion as @alexwalker mentions there is a lot of nothing for 17 km and only a couple of places to stay at Caldazilla de la Cueza on the other end. Some people do walk further to Terradillos past CdlC.
Be aware there two orders in Carrion. The Santa Maria albergue is the one where the sisters do the singing. The other, Santa Clara, is a nice place on the edge of town, but no singing.
 
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Be aware there two orders in Carrion. The Santa Maria albergue is the one where the sisters do the singing. The other, Santa Clara, is a nice place on the edge of town, but no singing.
The Santa Maria is on your left hand when you enter the town. Easy to find. I normally sleep with the nuns in Espiritu Santo, a few 100 m. further, bc. they only have solid wooden beds, no bunk beds. A pleasure. :D
 
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The nuns at Santa Maria are lovely. We did not stay there as they segregate males & females and my husband wasn't keen on that at all. But the nun asked me to go upstairs to the female dorms to look anyway. The facilities were excellent, and the 4 rooms were assigned culturally.... the Europe room, the Asia, the Africa and the American. Being Australian, I would be assigned a bed in the America room. If you are a single female I can't see how you wouldn't be happy here.

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The nuns at Santa Maria are lovely. We did not stay there as they segregate males & females and my husband wasn't keen on that at all. But the nun asked me to go upstairs to the female dorms to look anyway. The facilities were excellent, and the 4 rooms were assigned culturally.... the Europe room, the Asia, the Africa and the American. Being Australian, I would be assigned a bed in the America room. If you are a single female I can't see how you wouldn't be happy here.
Hmmm...we were not separated and Phil and I were placed in a smaller room with 3 sets of bunk beds so he could be close to an outlet for his CPAP. It was mixed gender room and there was at least one other CPAP user in there. I remember only rooms with bunk beds.
 
Santa Maria is in the heart of town? The nun definitely wasn't letting us stay together though. And we're both pushing 60. She directed us to Santa Clara so we retraced our steps to there to check it out but ended up booking a room at Hostal Albe and we reckon it's the best pension we have stayed at in all the times we have been in Spain.
 
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We are soon staying in Boadilla. Is Carrion de Condes worth a full day or night stop? (We will be very close the night before) I am reading about sharing song and food with the nuns. Has anyone done this? What are the other must spend time places heading into Leon? Would love your input.
We enjoyed our stay in Carrion de los Condes and the singalong with the nuns. We were there on July 25, so it was an especially celebratory occasion. Note that there are two albergues run by nuns in Carrion de los Condes. If you want the one with the singalong you need the one next to the church, not the one in the convent. While it was nice, I'm not sure it would be worth taking pretty much a whole extra day for. I guess, pay attention to your physical condition and how much you could use a rest day.
 
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There MAY be a snack-van about half way on the long stretch out of Carrion at this time of year.
Yes, that's correct. I have stopped there two times for beer and something to eat. He has a barbeque. Other times he has not been in business. In short: Hope for it. Don't count on it.

Also, as you leave Carrion, there's a man who runs a horse and carriage business, that will whisk you those 17 kms of nothing for 15 Euros. I think it leaves at 8.30 AM. Could be nice to wave your hand in royal style as you pass the walking pilgrims...
 
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We are soon staying in Boadilla. Is Carrion de Condes worth a full day or night stop? (We will be very close the night before) I am reading about sharing song and food with the nuns. Has anyone done this? What are the other must spend time places heading into Leon? Would love your input.
There are two places I love:
I had a conversation with a nun there last year that was wonderful. We talked about the camino for a few minutes. Thank goodness my Spanish is good enough. She offered me a religious symbol that I politely refused because I am Jewish. She then started talking about how wonderful it was that people of all faiths and beliefs stay at Santa Maria. She then told me how concerned she was that more and more people are using Christianity and Jesus as a weapon to tear people apart. She took my hand and said anyone who doesn't believe that Jesus loves all of us and not just Christians doesn't know Jesus at all and doesn't know the true meaning of God and Jesus' love for all of us,
She was very moving and I held her hand for quite a while. It was beautiful.

My favorite is in Bercianos Del Real Camino. It is a parochial that to me captures the spirit and meaning of pilgrimage. I think it is a must stay and I love it.

I have never stayed at the following donativo because it has always been closed when I walked but this year may be different.
It is about 4k before Castrojeriz. I believe this could be a wonderful night spent with pilgrims sleeping in San Anton.
 
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The nuns at Santa Maria are lovely. We did not stay there as they segregate males & females and my husband wasn't keen on that at all. But the nun asked me to go upstairs to the female dorms to look anyway. The facilities were excellent, and the 4 rooms were assigned culturally.... the Europe room, the Asia, the Africa and the American. Being Australian, I would be assigned a bed in the America room. If you are a single female I can't see how you wouldn't be happy here.

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I think you may be confused as you are showing a photo of Albergue Espirito Santo. This is where they have rooms named after continents. There are rooms that are mixed and I think maybe rooms that are for only men or women. When I have been there it has been late in the year so there weren't many pilgrims and we were always in mixed dormitory rooms. The nuns here are wonderful also. I have no idea if they are of the same order as the nuns in Santa Maria.
 
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I stayed at Santa Maria it was fine. Nuns very friendly but I missed the singing as I was so tired after a long walk. Terradillos was very good stayed at templarios. And cannot recommend highly enough the donativo at bercianos. The oasis was open at 7.30, maybe earlier along the 17k stretch. Most welcome.
 
The Santa Maria is on your right hand when you enter the town. Easy to find. I normally sleep with the nuns in Espiritu Santo, a few 100 m. further, bc. they only have solid wooden beds, no bunk beds. A pleasure. :D
“The Sisters of Mercy they are not departed nor gone,they were waiting for me when I thought I could not carry on…” WITH APOLOGIES TO LEONARD COHEN. Sleep with the nuns? Ambiguous I’m sure 😇
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I stayed at Santa Maria it was fine. Nuns very friendly but I missed the singing as I was so tired after a long walk. Terradillos was very good stayed at templarios. And cannot recommend highly enough the donativo at bercianos. The oasis was open at 7.30, maybe earlier along the 17k stretch. Most welcome.
Thank you!!
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Carrion - I love this little town. It's one of my favourite places. I recommend staying 1 km past it in San Zoilo. I usually stay there for two nights in the lovely former monastery and enjoy a full day wandering around Carrion. The churches (and there are more than you think) are amazing.

I also recommend staying at Bruno's albergue in Moratinos. His Italian food is absolutely delicious.
 
Nuns were not at Santa Maria when I passed through two weeks back. None of the ‘recommended’ activities were being held. Any updates since?
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
We are soon staying in Boadilla. Is Carrion de Condes worth a full day or night stop? (We will be very close the night before) I am reading about sharing song and food with the nuns. Has anyone done this? What are the other must spend time places heading into Leon? Would love your input.
My son and I just walked the Meseta, while I understand how it could be rough in the heat of the summer when all the fields are dry, it was nice during this time of year cuz the mornings were cool and the fields were green. We walked the Meseta like Snowwhites 7 Dwarfs. We wistled while we walked.
 
Nuns were not at Santa Maria when I passed through two weeks back. None of the ‘recommended’ activities were being held. Any updates since?
@Burton Axxe - the Sisters are usually there, but sometimes will be absent for brief times due to gatherings of their religious order, meetings, etc. Also you may have been there at Easter time and they may have been at their Monastery:
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I think people divide the Meseta into two parts when discussing its virtues or lack thereof.

The section from Hornillos to Fromista is stunning and is the heart of the Camino.

From Fromista to past Leon, however, it is largely featureless flat scrub with straight Sendas lining the road. This is the section that many find boring and consider skipping.
 
there are classical guitar concerts every night during the summer at the Romanesque church on the right as you enter Carrión. Not sure what month they start up but the church and the concert very worthwhile.
 
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I stayed with the lovely nuns (Augustine order) over a week ago. There was singing outside. I cried.
There is a good kitchen area and washing room. Bunks in dorm rooms and not segregated. Blankets if needed.
It was busy, but I managed to sleep ok….departing with the early rustle
 
there are classical guitar concerts every night during the summer at the Romanesque church on the right as you enter Carrión. Not sure what month they start up but the church and the concert very worthwhile.
That happens in July, when Asociacion Camino Artes hosts its guitar master classes and workshops. There's a guitar-building workshop in that there church, and the concerts are scattered round the town's several churches. If you're lucky you can sometimes catch one of the teachers playing -- some of them are world-class symphony artists!
 
We are soon staying in Boadilla. Is Carrion de Condes worth a full day or night stop? (We will be very close the night before) I am reading about sharing song and food with the nuns. Has anyone done this? What are the other must spend time places heading into Leon? Would love your input.
I did stay in the Esperitu Santo and it was a very pleasant stay. We cooked a dinner for 10 with italian pilgrims (whole family), Pasta, fresh vergetable and salat, some homestyle garlic bread with olive oil. Very yummy, very entertaining.

I don't know, if this is possible after the pandemic.

But I wouldn't stay for more than the night. I you need rest, maybe. But I would walk to Leon and take there a stop for a day.
 
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Santa Maria is in the heart of town? The nun definitely wasn't letting us stay together though. And we're both pushing 60. She directed us to Santa Clara so we retraced our steps to there to check it out but ended up booking a room at Hostal Albe and we reckon it's the best pension we have stayed at in all the times we have been in Spain.
We were just in Carrion on April 20, 2023 and stayed at the Santa Maria. My husband and I were in the same room along with others from different countries and continents.
 
We are soon staying in Boadilla. Is Carrion de Condes worth a full day or night stop? (We will be very close the night before) I am reading about sharing song and food with the nuns. Has anyone done this? What are the other must spend time places heading into Leon? Would love your input.
Carrion de los condos is great stopover lots to see do and the nuns singing and playing guitars fantastic experience and all pilgrims joing in don't miss it I'm planning 2 nights there 24 th 25 th May.buen camino
 
It amazes me the number of people who sing with the nuns in the lobby, but skip or miss the Mass held later in the evening. There are many churches offering a pilgrim blessing, but the blessing there, with the nuns singing and special homily dedicated to pilgrims, makes it a very powerful experience. No proof of Catholicism necessary. Don’t miss it. The communal meal afterwards will be one of your favorite memories.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
It amazes me the number of people who sing with the nuns in the lobby, but skip or miss the Mass held later in the evening. There are many churches offering a pilgrim blessing, but the blessing there, with the nuns singing and special homily dedicated to pilgrims, makes it a very powerful experience. No proof of Catholicism necessary. Don’t miss it. The communal meal afterwards will be one of your favorite memories.
And don't forget to donate as your dinner contribution something more substantial than a four ounce packet of cookies. Just saying. They make the dinner from the day's donations. We contributed a batch of snickering (herring cream cheese spread) and crackers, sadly they were at the far end of the table near folks who hate fish most likely. In fact, if when we pass thru there again I might go to the grocery first and get them something with some substance for dinner. God willing and the crick don't rise, as they say.
 
Snickel drip not snickering. It's an Illinois "Scandinavian " spread.
 
It amazes me the number of people who sing with the nuns in the lobby, but skip or miss the Mass held later in the evening. There are many churches offering a pilgrim blessing, but the blessing there, with the nuns singing and special homily dedicated to pilgrims, makes it a very powerful experience. No proof of Catholicism necessary. Don’t miss it. The communal meal afterwards will be one of your favorite memories.
Totally agree singing with nuns is a lovely experience but the mass is more so but it's a pity some or say most miss it sad to admit it's a worrying trend even back home Scotland less people attending mass but always pray for them also in the hope of returning to the faith.i have noticed over the last 12 years of doing caminos the spiritual reason for doing this journey has decreased and has been overtaken by the outdoor social crowd whatever your reason I like to think at least we're supporting lots of neede revenue for small communities across the camino.this year I reach carrion de los condos 24 th may.
 
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We are soon staying in Boadilla. Is Carrion de Condes worth a full day or night stop? (We will be very close the night before) I am reading about sharing song and food with the nuns. Has anyone done this? What are the other must spend time places heading into Leon? Would love your input.
Beautiful experience. I stayed at the beautiful monastery in the west end of Carrion, one of my delightful stays.
 
Yes, that's correct. I have stopped there two times for beer and something to eat. He has a barbeque. Other times he has not been in business. In short: Hope for it. Don't count on it.

Also, as you leave Carrion, there's a man who runs a horse and carriage business, that will whisk you those 17 kms of nothing for 15 Euros. I think it leaves at 8.30 AM. Could be nice to wave your hand in royal style as you pass the walking pilgrims...
nothing? wow.
 
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Today I took the ALSA bus from Carrion to Terradillos, departing at 11.51 am. Then I walked the short distance to Moratinos. I believe this is the best alternative to the long 17 km walk. (I am 78).
 
It is totally a doable walk if isn't too hot and you have plenty of water. If it is hot, start very early. There are two places to rest. One is the Cafe Movile which may or may not be open midway, but probably is now during the high season and there is a kind of a rest area about 2/3's of the way to Caldazilla de Cueza (watch for toilet paper, etc. at this second location as it is the only structure to "hide behind" if a toilet stop is required. (Please clean up after yourself if you do use it for this purpose.)
 
if you are lucky .. and there are enough pilgrims about ( photo taken sept 22 )
 

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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Nuns were not at Santa Maria when I passed through two weeks back. None of the ‘recommended’ activities were being held. Any updates since?
I was in carillion a couple of nights ago and was able to see the singing nuns. They are in the garden of the albergue at 6 pm and then at the mass next door at 7 pm.
 
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It's not nothing. It's just a lot of countryside. Millions of people have walked it, and lived to tell the tale. Very dramatic tales!
But it's just a long morning's walk. Carry some water and a snack. No big deal.
ím sorry, rebekah, i was being sarcastic. walked last year and loved it- so rich and beautiful. i found every part of the camino very much “something” - beauty in eye of beholder….. anyway i shouldn’t have expressed snarkiest here so apologies
 
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ím sorry, rebekah, i was being sarcastic. walked last year and loved it- so rich and beautiful. i found every part of the camino very much “something” - beauty in eye of beholder….. anyway i shouldn’t have expressed snarkiest here so apologies
Rebekah was quoting your post in her reply, but anyone who reads carefully will know that it was really alexwalker that both she and you were responding to when he wrote "those 17 kms of nothing".

Nothing, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

Admittedly, Alex's "nothing" might have been referring more to the lack of services and infrastructure for the 17 km than to the lack of worthwhile countryside.
 
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