In Belarado they have dozens of these in the sidewalks. Each one is for someone who was important in the history of the Camino. Martin Sheen was the only one we recognized.
From the web: The Paseo del Ánimo in Belorado, Spain, is a 2008 public art project on the Camino de Santiago featuring bronze tiles with handprints, footprints, and signatures of notable figures who supported the pilgrimage.
We just read there was one for Emilio Estevez as well, but we missed seeing that one. Of course Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez were there about then making the movie The Way.
We have about 30 pounds of stuff. We send about 25 of that in a pack that is transferred by a service, Jacotrans, to our next hotel. This makes the walk so much nicer. This is our second year to take advantage of this kind of service.
We put an AirTag in our bag so we can see where it is and can find our hotel by going to the AirTag.
When we went on our first camino in 2013 this was pretty unusual but it is very common now. Here are the bags that were waiting to be picked up this morning from our hotel.
This was actually an albergue where we had a private room so it is mostly packs. When we are in a proper hotel it is mostly suitcases (or “grips” as some people in Minnesota called them).
We’ve been transferring every day and so far, it’s worked flawlessly.
Pleasant easy walk today, cold at the beginning, warm at the end. Went through several charming little towns.
We had breakfast in the small village of Tosantos. I’m mainly bringing this up because I love that name: Tosantos. The bar there seemed like it was set up in someone’s house and was run by three or four very young people. Barely in their 20s, I think. Our order of fried eggs and toast really confounded them and they spent a long time trying to figure out what we wanted and then how to charge us since it wasn’t on their regular menu. They were very serious and discussed it together for a long time.
Villafranca Montes de Oca is a small town but as usual with an impressive church.
This was a feared point in the medieval pilgrimage to Santiago because it is at the beginning of the Montes de Oca (Goose Mountains) which were plagued by bandits and robbers.
We wanted to stay in the super nice and historic hotel here (where we stayed in 2014) but there was no vacancy when I was making reservations a few months ago. So we are in Pension y Bar Ivis which, despite 4.3 review on Google, is not great (soft beds, ouch). We decided to hang out in the bar/meson at the other end of town. (The only other place in town open.) A busy place full of locals out for Sunday lunch.
Just outside Belorado. Gronze called this little park one of the nicest spots on the Camino. It was very nice but we didn’t stop.In tiny village of VillambistiaWalking into Villafranca Montes de OcaIglesia de Santiago Apóstol in Villafranca. Some descriptions said it was Romanesque and some said it was built in 18th century. So … I am confused.
Our yard in Duluth Minnesota when I was growing up had lilac bushes and I have always loved lilacs. We have some in Albuquerque but they bloom when we are on our spring Camino, except for this year when they bloomed before we left.
We have seen lots of them along the way. A few times I have seen the rarer white lilacs which is always a thrill. Here we have the white and lilac colored together.
We were passing by some white lilacs this morning with a guy tending them. I pointed and said “blanco” and he said “white” and then said “15 days”. They do have a short season.
We saw these three stopping at a bar this morning and noticed the colorfully painted shells and the interesting walking pants. They were speaking French. It would be rude to take their picture in the bar but, from behind, after they pass us? Why not?
We were speculating what adjective would describe her pants. Bloomers didn’t seem quite right.
In a church in Belorado We saw this on the road today. There seems to be a lot of opposition to these new Camino signs. Someone even used tape to keep it attached to the marker.
