We learn something new every day....

Thanks to all of you who are following our journey. It is encouraging, especially on cold, wet, yucky days like yesterday, to look at our number of page views and realize that 20+ of our friends and family have been with us on the road that day.

So, what did we learn? Brian's research led him to the "20th day blues", apparently a common phenomenon for Camino walkers as you get to your third or fourth day across the meseta, particularly if it is either a) cold, wet, and windy or b) dusty and blisteringly hot. Well, obviously from the last couple of posts we've been there and I believe we see a new, more pleasant way forward.
We have picked up a translator app and a Camino Frances guide app that will help facilitate reservations. While I'm not going to book the rest of our nights on the Way, I am going to try to have tomorrow night's beds reserved each day. Yes, this puts us out of the municipal albergues, which a purist might say is not the way to go, but this is our Camino, and we are adapting so we can enjoy the road, the meditative time,the photo ops, the places to sit and absorb the view, the places to sit and chat with Camino acquaintances.
So today was a lovely day back on the road. We reserved an alburgue that advertised 10 beds. Well, actually there are 20 but the place is spacious and there are 6 persons here so far (4pm) which is on the late side for peregrinos rolling in. Part of this may be that we did not finish the day's "stage" in the guidebook, we stopped short so we would not be with the crowd. We will endeavor to do this as the days go on.
Anyhow, our host is Pedro from Bilbao, he prepares a vegetarian communal dinner if we wish to participate and small breakfast is offered in the AM. Showers and laundry are taken care of, just keeping a close eye on the clouds to grab laundry if necessary.

Last night there was a unique offering for dessert, a tarte de Camino de Santiago, which turned out to be a very sweet nut tart (not almond or hazelnut, but I really couldn't place it) and a small bit of liqueur to go with it. We took small bites and dipped them in the liqueur. The tarte was amazingly delicious, the liqueur was a little above my pay grade :-).


So, I posted a week or so ago about the sycamores, or in Spanish "plane trees" that create shady arbors everywhere. (Thanks, Ann!). Well, the newer Camino that is being maintained by the government is planted, at least across the meseta, with these trees





whose bark looks pretty identical to the trimmed and trained sycamores, but they appear to be left in a natural state. They are a fixture, mile after mile beside the path.








Here's a familiar sight, this one didn't have an identifier, but we saw one made by "Valley" yesterday, certainly a familiar name in the US, 'course, we also see a fair number of John Deere tractors :-).


Many markers today, of different types and vintages.








The church in El Burgo Ranero had a great tower for the storks!


B could not resist this photo with the advertisement for "Bar Elvis", we'll be looking to see if it's hopping tonight (Friday)!
So, that's it for this afternoon from Reliegos, just short of Leon, where we'll be tomorrow.


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