Distance: 28.4km (346.9km).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 874m / 783m / 900m.
Weather: More blue sky and frying sun.
Second day on the meseta and it continued offering a dry landscape and scorching heat, but it was chilly in the morning. And dark. I had difficulties finding the way from Hontanas in the darkness. Uncertain a long way before I saw a headlamp in the dark and shortly after, the good feeling of seeing a yellow arrow again. Before that, I could hear voices in the darkness around me, from which I could interpret that I was not alone being uncertain of where the route was going.
San Anton, the feeling of being haunted was the one surrounding me when the ruins appeared.
Beneath the absence of light, I also walked past the first of the ruins of the day, an old mill. Not far away, a ghost village lay hidden by the darkness, San Miguel. If the more famous beer brand had come from that village, it would have been far more special.
Arco de San Anton.
There were few if any who had prepared me for the meeting with Convento de San Anton, they knocked the breath out of me. And the sky itself had barely become bright when I arrived at the unprecedented ruins. A flock of black birds took to their wings screaming above me and the ruins, when I walked beneath the Arco de San Anton, the remains of the archway to the monastery. Never before on the Camino have I had this sensation of being transferred back in time, or the feeling of walking in a haunted place. I wonder how the monastery looked like at the time when it was in use.
The road to Castrojeriz, the village situated below the ruins of the Castillo de Castrojeriz.
At the ruins, there is also a pilgrim's albergue, with no electricity and with a communal dinner, but it is only open in the summer. The thought of staying the night here. The monastery was run by the Antonine order, whose symbol is the cross that looks like a T (Tau). Later, this cross has more and more became known as the Cruz del Peregrino, the pilgrims cross, and is apparent on several places on the Camino. There were whispering sounds in the wind when I left the monastery.
Colegiata de La Virgen del Manzano, the church at the entrance of Castrojeriz. The cross on the wall is in reality a pole with lights used to illuminate the church in the evening.
History repeats itself and on the flat stretch on the road to Castrojeriz, I was greeted by the sight of the ruins of the castle above the village. There and then, I know that I had to go up there, just like with the castle above Villamayor de Monjardin. Castrojeriz itself seemed like a very pleasant stopover for pilgrims. I found the way up towards the ruins and left my backpack behind a short distance up into it.
The ruins of the castle above Castrojeriz.
Unlike aforementioned Castillo de San Esteban, these ruins are fully accessible. And it is possible to climb around on them, in some areas handrails has been erected for safety reasons. From so high up I managed to get, I could enjoy the view of the meseta in several directions. I could ascertain that it was dry around me. And flat. I could see the road to Castrojeriz as a straight line towards the hollow with Hontanas and the ruins of San Anton in. The horizon is also a straight line. Pity the pilgrims that does not choose to go up to the castle.
View from the Castillo de Castrojeriz with the village below. If you follows the road, where the Camino goes, you come to the hollow where San Anton is with Hontanas further up.
After Castrojeriz, the steepest ascent of the day awaits, up towards Alto de Mostelares. The way up cuts a clear line through the dry scenery. And on the top, the view is as on the top of the ruins above Castrojeriz, only that you look at them in addition. A rest area offer well needed shade for the pilgrims, who has been gathering before continuing further, both known and unknown faces. 12% is inclination of the way down to Castrojeriz, 18% on the other side down towards Itero de la Vega.
Alto de Mostelares, you cannot fail to pick the correct way up.
More of the dusty scenery, but then a river broke the dryness, Rio Pisuerga that we crossed on the bridge Puente de Itero. I had a longer break in Itero de la Vega, where lunch and refill of water was necessary, with 8 kilometres to the next place and albergue in Boadilla del Camino. Just to look at the landscape here, makes you dry in the mouth.
View from Alto de Mostelares. The hilltop with the ruins above Castrojeriz in the middle of the picture.
In Boadilla del Camino is the albergue that is my goal of the day and an albergue I was a little bit desperate to get a place in, Albergue En El Camino. After the long and dry, but great, walk; coming to a place with a swimming pool was a blessing. This was the best albergue I have stayed on so far.
Tierra de Campos that you walk between before Boadilla del Camino.
Here you do not sleep in typical dormitories, but in pleasant rooms. Inside the walls of the albergue there is a nice garden containing several peculiar statues, and of course, mentioned pool. A fantastic place. In the afternoon, I sat with my feet in the water with a cold cerveza con limon in my hand, Arroyo San Bool forgotten after this. Torsten and Alessandra also came to the albergue; we did not see each other during the walk. The dinner in the restaurant at the place was also very good.
Albergue En El Camino in Boadilla del Camino.
The meseta may be flat, though there were some ascents on the route today, but contains more than enough highlights to weigh up for that. Yet another great day on the Camino that finished with a perfect stay in Boadilla.
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