We thought today may have been a bit of a lacklustre day as it was 24km basically parallel to a 4 lane road. However it turned out to be quite interesting.

Each morning at breakfast we are really keen to get moving. Once on the road we still wonder what on earth are we doing. All these people, spread out for miles along the path, seeking what? It is very bizarre. We are earning and living the experience not just observing it.

Early in the day we walked with Graham and Ann, Australians, although Graham was originally from Auckland. This is their second camino and this time they started walking several weeks ago in France. They are both writers and are writing a novel based on the Camino. They are writing alternate chapters from a male and female perspective.  It has a title: Left and Right, and is due for publication next year. They have a publisher, a contract and an advance, and they are claiming the cost of the Camino as a business expense. Graham is also writing a screen play and hopes to sell the film rites if the novel is successful.

At one stage two cyclists stopped and asked us to take a photo of them. Turns out they were from Patagonia. I spent some time trying to explain to them I had kayaked to the glaciers, it was very beautiful but cold. Not sure whether they understood or not.

This weekend is a holiday weekend in this region (and maybe all of Spain) and there seem to be more Spanish walkers. We, who started in St Jean Pied de Port,  walk slowly and have developed a sort of camino shuffle. A group of about twenty in matching tee shirts, speaking Spanish, motored past us, all enthusiastic and excited and singing as they went. We guessed they might just be walking part of the camino over the long weekend. A number of them had umbrellas strapped to their packs. At any point of interest there were lots of group photos to be taken.

Today we moved from La Rioja, one of the smaller autonomous regions, into the largest, Castilla Y Leon. The latter had the largest possible signboard to announce the fact. We will be in this region for a couple of weeks. The vineyards and olive groves have been left far behind and after some potato fields and peas this morning, it is all wheat, wheat, wheat. There are no animals out grazing but we pass huge barns that stink to high heaven and we hear cows or sheep as we pass. Factory farming!

A long flat, straight path today with an excellent walking and cycling surface. Being Sunday the road we paralled was quiet with no trucks. There were four evenly spaced villages which are always interesting in themselves but also mean coffee, food and water – and a loo stop . It is generally no problem getting water as there are plenty of fuente, public drinking fountains. Every village has several and they are out in the countryside as well. Some have a sign “Aqua no potable, prohibido beber” so you have to be careful. The fountain water tastes fresh and pure and is cold. So we often empty the luke warm water from our bottles and refill.

We arrived in Belorado a little early to check into the hotel so went to fill in some time in the main square. It was a bit strange, lots of people and groups of soldiers in WW2 uniforms and period army jeeps and trucks.  While looking at these a procession arrived with a band and about two dozen senoritas in traditional costumes. They formed up and gave a dazzling performance of dancing complete with castanets.

Everyone was then moved to the perimeter of the square and I think Spanish, French, America and English forces attacked the central band rotunda which was defended by the Germans. They started with the whistling of Colonel Bogey’s march (from Bridge over the River Kwai fame),  Scotland the Brave on bagpipes and then battle. The vehicles raced into the square from a side street, there were sort of stun grenades, all the guns fired blanks, lots of smoke and noise. Frightened screaming small children were taken away by their parents. It was amazing and very realistic, just no blood. After about ten minutes all the Germans were dead and a flag raised on the rotunda. Then everyone retired to the bars. I guess to discuss the tactics and admire the senoritas.

Ipod theme tune for today from OMC

Brother Pele’s in the back , sweet Seena’s in the front
Cruising down the highway in the hot, hot sun.. . . . .
How bizarre
How bizarre, how bizarre