The Camino towns where I’ve spent the past few nights have been so dissimilar I feel as if I’ve been visiting different countries.

Frómista seemed a sad place, and the faces of its residents were worried and downcast. No high-fives or “Buen Caminos” here. Maybe because it was Sunday and everything was closed or maybe it was the rain but its been the only town I’ve been happy to leave. (In fairness I need to add that I didn’t get to visit their Museo del Queso (any town with a cheese museum can’t be all bad.)

 

 

Carrión de los Condes, on the other hand, is a fascinating medevial town with smiling people and muy bueno restaurants. If I had more time in my schedule I would have liked to stay another day. But again, to be fair, I need to point out that I was sitting near the smiley parish Padre in the restaurant and everyone who went by stopped in to chat and high-five with him. (He had a nice face.)

Tonight I am staying in the small village of Terradillos de Los Templarios, population 80 (I’m sure they exaggerate.) All the structures are built of brick or adobe since there is no building stone anywhere near here. Even the church — it’s beautiful in its simplicity.

When I walked around the town this afternoon the only creatures stirring about were the giant storks nesting on top of the church. I’ve seen quite a few of these the past few days and it’s been fun watching them  awkwardly take off and land into their huge nests. I think that if Yogi were a bird he’d be one of these.

 

 
  
Much of today’s path was along the old paved Roman road known as the Via Aquitana. Warnings about lack of water and cautions about the sun were a moot point -/ lovely cool and breezy, a perfect day for hiking.