Moratinos to Burgo Ranero
6.21am I am awake and taking photos of the sunrise 
Peregrinos have been walking past since 5.30 am and some used the flash to take photos of my little tent, there by waking me up!! Why they start this early beats me? They must have left the albergue at 5 am in the dark! Still I'm thinking I should be off! I packed away my tent and hoped for a café soon. I walked past James house, saw his notice 'bricklayer wanted' but resisted the impulse and walked on. As I left the village I took a photo of the church. standing in the morning light with not a soul about, I could almost see Luke and his mate come round the corner as they had done just after I took that photo 4 years ago. 
Only the trees have grown a little in that time. I was standing on the same spot as I had then. Funny how one place sticks in your memory, maybe it was the carved yellow arrow that triggered it! San Nicolas del Real camino had a café where I bought a coffee, 7.4 km to Sahagún my book said, I could soon see it in the distance. I passed an old Ermita.
On entering town I asked for the centre and left the marked route. I found a bank and changed some cash. The town was very busy and as I came down a narrow street towards a square, a chap tagged on to me and asked where I was going. He had the look of a southern gypsy and I was suspicious of him and worried about the cash I had going missing again. He said he would show me the way and we entered the square people were setting up stalls and some knew him and asked where was he going. I spotted an arrow ignoring his glib reply to them I said
"It's ok, I know where I am going now" and briskly walked in the direction of the arrow, but he still tagged on to me. I heard a voice call my name it was Yolanda and I said goodbye to my shadow and quickly joined the girls sitting in the shade under a tree. Realising I was not going to go on he left me in peace.
It was quite hot and the girls were killing time here doing a little shopping. One sat looking after the bags while the other toured the town. There was a lot of clover here and we hunted for the one with four leaves. I found one and then Yollanda found another and gave it to me. I was happy to take it, as I had given them one each before I think. It's nice to get one back this way, it doesn't happen very often. Now rested I wanted to move on and the girls were content waiting for it to get a little cooler, so I said my goodbyes and went across the square and through the arch and over the river bridge.
On the road again I had a few problems finding the way as the arrows were not very good here. It was a lonely road and quite hard in the warm sun.
Near Bercianos there was a large clump of trees and a bench stood in the shade. Here I found one woollen sock and a map sheet, in its clear plastic holder. Ahead I could see someone coming back towards me, so thinking they must have dropped them, I picked them up and carried it towards them. Sure enough that was what had happened and whilst the lady could only speak but a few words of English, she was so grateful that I had helped her and she insisted she buy me a drink in the next bar. I gave her a four-leaf clover from the last town and agreed to the drink. We arrived Bercianos and went to the first bar and she happily paid for a coffee and cognac but she was worried she might not find a bed in the nearby albergue so we soon wished each other 'buen camino' and parted. We met many days later and everyone in the bar had to know how she had been helped by this wonderful Australian!!! It wasn't as if I had needed to carry her rucksack!!! It was a hot and uninteresting walk. This part is very hard when it is hot. Planting trees has helped the path a little. When I walked here before they were spindly saplings unable to shade their own roots let alone a hot and sweaty pilgrim. Today they are a little better and are surviving well. It just needs another 4 years growth. Still every little helps and although warm and humid it wasn’t 40 degrees today like it can get out here, I had experienced the high 30's here last time! I had been thinking that I could stop and camp today, not here but about 5 km farther on than Burgo Ranero.
I had remembered that there are two shade stops on that next leg and I remembered the first one. A stone seat, and level and grassy. It would be late when I arrived but if I stocked up on food and water in the town first, I would be ok.
Whenever I make plans something changes and this time it was the weather! As I arrived in Burgo, great big black clouds were rolling in, I dare not risk camping! Ok I knew where the albergue was as I had gone there before. They had been full but I had been given a bed. This time they were full again.
"No room" was the reply from the guy that runs the place.
"Is there anywhere else?" I asked.
"As you leave town on the right" he proffered in an uninterested voice.
Ok, I was not going to get much more help from him so I left.
I came to the edge of town and saw the arrows sending me out again into the country. No point going out there now, I thought looking up at the blackening sky. Three old people were sitting on a bench outside a building and I asked where the albergue was but they said they didn't know. I said the albergue in town is full but they told me there is another as I left town on the right?
"Try over there" said one old man pointing across to a building some way off. I could just see a notice and read 'albergue' I had found it!
I walked through a large gate onto a stone paved area between two buildings. Beyond was a stone walled grassy garden. Scattered about the garden were tables and chairs with bright coloured sunshades. The building to my left and the other to my right, both looked like dorms as they had pilgrims smelly boots outside. Seeing a Spanish lady hanging out washing on a clothes line further down, I started towards her but on the end of the first building I could now see the office and an alfresco bar.
It all looked very nice but a cool wind was getting gusty. I ordered a beer and asked the chap for a bed and filled in the forms and paid up. He told me to use the dorm on the right as I had come in. I finished my beer and went over to see it. It was a nice enough room, fairly new, three rows of bunks and a doorway at the end. Through this was a hallway, to the left a pair of basins, to the right were 2 showers and 2 toilets and at the far end an exit door which you left from in the morning. I went back and took the top bunk beside the first door where I had come in. A hot shower refreshed me and I mopped up the water - why there were no shower curtains to stop water flooding the hallway I do not know!
I washed my shirt and socks outside in a clothes washing sink and went to the garden clothesline near the bar to hang them out. Just as I started, the wind got up! Tables, umbrellas and chairs suddenly took off as did some of the washing and everyone started dashing about trying to save things. I decided hanging out washing was a bad idea!
I collected up mine again and set off back to the dorm, saving a flying table on the way. Giving it to the hospitalario I went back towards the dorm and just as I got to the door the first heavy rain arrived. Grabbing my own boots I flung them inside the door, then following them with the rest that had been put outside to air, darting inside I slammed the door to stop the rain from beating in. There seemed to be more people than beds now, and there were. Four young chaps had been visiting a mate and were stuck here with no rain gear! After a big discussion they stripped down to their shorts put their clothes in a plastic bag, opened the door and ran like hell into the storm! They had to go all the way back into town and the other albergue!
I pinned my washing on the window curtain beside my bed and decided to cook on the side of the sink in the wash room. It was very difficult as people were still showering and water from there and from under the bottom of the outside door was now flooding the hall. Still I ate and many didn't. No one was going to town to find a restaurant tonight!
Back in my bunk I closed my eyes to sleep, listening to the wind and rain buffeting the outside. I was very glad I had not walked on to camp out tonight!
Peregrinos have been walking past since 5.30 am and some used the flash to take photos of my little tent, there by waking me up!! Why they start this early beats me? They must have left the albergue at 5 am in the dark! Still I'm thinking I should be off! I packed away my tent and hoped for a café soon. I walked past James house, saw his notice 'bricklayer wanted' but resisted the impulse and walked on. As I left the village I took a photo of the church. standing in the morning light with not a soul about, I could almost see Luke and his mate come round the corner as they had done just after I took that photo 4 years ago. 
Only the trees have grown a little in that time. I was standing on the same spot as I had then. Funny how one place sticks in your memory, maybe it was the carved yellow arrow that triggered it! San Nicolas del Real camino had a café where I bought a coffee, 7.4 km to Sahagún my book said, I could soon see it in the distance. I passed an old Ermita.
On entering town I asked for the centre and left the marked route. I found a bank and changed some cash. The town was very busy and as I came down a narrow street towards a square, a chap tagged on to me and asked where I was going. He had the look of a southern gypsy and I was suspicious of him and worried about the cash I had going missing again. He said he would show me the way and we entered the square people were setting up stalls and some knew him and asked where was he going. I spotted an arrow ignoring his glib reply to them I said
"It's ok, I know where I am going now" and briskly walked in the direction of the arrow, but he still tagged on to me. I heard a voice call my name it was Yolanda and I said goodbye to my shadow and quickly joined the girls sitting in the shade under a tree. Realising I was not going to go on he left me in peace.
It was quite hot and the girls were killing time here doing a little shopping. One sat looking after the bags while the other toured the town. There was a lot of clover here and we hunted for the one with four leaves. I found one and then Yollanda found another and gave it to me. I was happy to take it, as I had given them one each before I think. It's nice to get one back this way, it doesn't happen very often. Now rested I wanted to move on and the girls were content waiting for it to get a little cooler, so I said my goodbyes and went across the square and through the arch and over the river bridge.
On the road again I had a few problems finding the way as the arrows were not very good here. It was a lonely road and quite hard in the warm sun.
Near Bercianos there was a large clump of trees and a bench stood in the shade. Here I found one woollen sock and a map sheet, in its clear plastic holder. Ahead I could see someone coming back towards me, so thinking they must have dropped them, I picked them up and carried it towards them. Sure enough that was what had happened and whilst the lady could only speak but a few words of English, she was so grateful that I had helped her and she insisted she buy me a drink in the next bar. I gave her a four-leaf clover from the last town and agreed to the drink. We arrived Bercianos and went to the first bar and she happily paid for a coffee and cognac but she was worried she might not find a bed in the nearby albergue so we soon wished each other 'buen camino' and parted. We met many days later and everyone in the bar had to know how she had been helped by this wonderful Australian!!! It wasn't as if I had needed to carry her rucksack!!! It was a hot and uninteresting walk. This part is very hard when it is hot. Planting trees has helped the path a little. When I walked here before they were spindly saplings unable to shade their own roots let alone a hot and sweaty pilgrim. Today they are a little better and are surviving well. It just needs another 4 years growth. Still every little helps and although warm and humid it wasn’t 40 degrees today like it can get out here, I had experienced the high 30's here last time! I had been thinking that I could stop and camp today, not here but about 5 km farther on than Burgo Ranero.
I had remembered that there are two shade stops on that next leg and I remembered the first one. A stone seat, and level and grassy. It would be late when I arrived but if I stocked up on food and water in the town first, I would be ok.
Whenever I make plans something changes and this time it was the weather! As I arrived in Burgo, great big black clouds were rolling in, I dare not risk camping! Ok I knew where the albergue was as I had gone there before. They had been full but I had been given a bed. This time they were full again.
"No room" was the reply from the guy that runs the place.
"Is there anywhere else?" I asked.
"As you leave town on the right" he proffered in an uninterested voice.
Ok, I was not going to get much more help from him so I left.
I came to the edge of town and saw the arrows sending me out again into the country. No point going out there now, I thought looking up at the blackening sky. Three old people were sitting on a bench outside a building and I asked where the albergue was but they said they didn't know. I said the albergue in town is full but they told me there is another as I left town on the right?
"Try over there" said one old man pointing across to a building some way off. I could just see a notice and read 'albergue' I had found it!
I walked through a large gate onto a stone paved area between two buildings. Beyond was a stone walled grassy garden. Scattered about the garden were tables and chairs with bright coloured sunshades. The building to my left and the other to my right, both looked like dorms as they had pilgrims smelly boots outside. Seeing a Spanish lady hanging out washing on a clothes line further down, I started towards her but on the end of the first building I could now see the office and an alfresco bar.
It all looked very nice but a cool wind was getting gusty. I ordered a beer and asked the chap for a bed and filled in the forms and paid up. He told me to use the dorm on the right as I had come in. I finished my beer and went over to see it. It was a nice enough room, fairly new, three rows of bunks and a doorway at the end. Through this was a hallway, to the left a pair of basins, to the right were 2 showers and 2 toilets and at the far end an exit door which you left from in the morning. I went back and took the top bunk beside the first door where I had come in. A hot shower refreshed me and I mopped up the water - why there were no shower curtains to stop water flooding the hallway I do not know!
I washed my shirt and socks outside in a clothes washing sink and went to the garden clothesline near the bar to hang them out. Just as I started, the wind got up! Tables, umbrellas and chairs suddenly took off as did some of the washing and everyone started dashing about trying to save things. I decided hanging out washing was a bad idea!
I collected up mine again and set off back to the dorm, saving a flying table on the way. Giving it to the hospitalario I went back towards the dorm and just as I got to the door the first heavy rain arrived. Grabbing my own boots I flung them inside the door, then following them with the rest that had been put outside to air, darting inside I slammed the door to stop the rain from beating in. There seemed to be more people than beds now, and there were. Four young chaps had been visiting a mate and were stuck here with no rain gear! After a big discussion they stripped down to their shorts put their clothes in a plastic bag, opened the door and ran like hell into the storm! They had to go all the way back into town and the other albergue!
I pinned my washing on the window curtain beside my bed and decided to cook on the side of the sink in the wash room. It was very difficult as people were still showering and water from there and from under the bottom of the outside door was now flooding the hall. Still I ate and many didn't. No one was going to town to find a restaurant tonight!
Back in my bunk I closed my eyes to sleep, listening to the wind and rain buffeting the outside. I was very glad I had not walked on to camp out tonight!
END DAY 24 = approx. 28 km Sub Total = 266.3 km Total = 604.2 km
