Reporting from Carrion

   Sat Sept 21
   A 25.2 km day.  A bit long for us.  We like the 20km or less walks, but we've been going through the meseta (a desert area) which has mostly flat trails, so the km's click off pretty quickly.
   We left Castrojeriz in the dark with a full moon and the sun about to rise. We had a strenuous climb and descent in the beginning, but the tough work wasn't much compared with our 2nd day crossing the Pyrenees!  We hit the flat path soon enough.  The meseta is lovely in the mornings--cool, quiet, peaceful and one with nature.  In the afternoon it gets hot with a lot of flies and gnats, enough to make one crazy!
   We stayed in an albergue in Fromista,  a converted railway building.  There were huge bunk beds.  We all got top bunks, as a group from England nabbed all the bottom bunks.  They were darned scary to get in and out of.  The group (Quakers) was doing a service project picking up litter on the camino trail (mostly toilet paper).  Bless them!
   The inkeeper was charming, and provided a buffet dinner at a long table.  We spent a lot of time talking with two young men from Germany, one of whom had a very hollow leg.
   Afterwards we went to Mass.  The pilgrim's blessing was very special even though we didn't understand what the priest was saying.  He gave us the blessing, asked us where we were all from, and prayed over each one of us.

   Sun Sept 22
   Walked to Carrion de los Condes, 20.5 km's.  Had a usual "breakfast" of  espresso with milk and a pastry.  Lunch was the usual meat, cheese and bread with an extra special tomato sliced in.  We're so tired of eating white bread and pilgrim meals with french fries!  We had pizza tonight overlooking the town square, with kids playing and families hanging out.  Somehow the Spanish have this right!  Older men in the bar playing serious games of dice and dominoes, and in the evening cheering on their soccer team.
   We went to Mass tonight at 7pm.  It was special with a bunch of singing nuns and the pilgrim blessing at the end.  The blessing had more impact on us because the priest interpreted what he said in Spanish into English.  We were also individually prayed over and blessed.  We all sang the "Salve Regina" in front of the statue of Our Lady of the Camino.  This normally is sung at all the pilgrim blessings.  The priest talked about giving all our cares and concerns to Our Lady, who will be walking with us on the way.
   We are staying tonight in Spiritu Santo Convent, run by the brothers of Vincent de Paul.  Haven't seen any brothers, but nuns seem to be running the place.  A cute older nun led us to our beds.  Kathy felt right at home. 
   We're planning on bussing to Leon tomorrow.  We've spent three days in the meseta--enjoyed the quiet.  We want to be in Santiago by Oct 7, so some stages will have to be cut out.  But not the last 100 km's.

   Gotta go.  The convent doors get locked at 10pm!