Moratinos to El Burgo Ranero, 27.7km
I got an early start out of Moratinos and early on the signs indicated it was going to be a good day! I came across this sign (the featured image) before the sun had fully risen. Any business that is bold enough to quote Socrates and make this claim deserves my business!
As I entered San Nicolás del Real Camino, I passed by the first bar, where all the other pilgrims were and looked for the second bar, the road less taken…
And true to the sign, it IS a cool place – outdoor dining in the shadows of the old church, surrounded by flower gardens, and Hindi Zahra playing in the background. In addition to being a very cool place, they made a delicious omelet and had fair-sized coffee. There was one downside to this idyllic breakfast that involved two Tomcats and a molly, it’s too vulgar to share on this blog…but maybe it would make a good lesson on the merging of spiritual and physical, heaven and earth. ; )
After breakfast in San Nicolás, the walk was uneventful, just a steady plod through the Meseta and ever-westward. The Spanish Broom lines many of the trails on this part of the Camino. The fragrance is one of the best in the world, second only to Texas Mountain Laurel.
Sahagún was the next town on the Way, it marks the halfway point on the Camino Frances! This town has a smaller version of the “Running of the Bulls,” they were preparing as I walked through. It would probably be a good place to spend the night but would take some planning 2 to 3 days in advance.
I kept walking through Bercianos del Real Camino, the regularly scheduled end of this Stage. I had my sights set on El Burgo Ranero, another 7.4km away. I made it to El Burgo in the mid-afternoon and found the first two albergues and the first two hostels “completo”, the most frightful word for a pilgrim without reservations.
0 for 4 in El Burgo.
But no worries, there was another albergue on the edge of town and if not there, the next town was only 11.4km away…
Thank goodness this interesting place had a bed! Time to settle in.
Pilgrims and Prophets 