After all the stuff we read about the meseta, we have been wondering when we would encounter the endless flat terrain after nearly a month of hills and valleys. We finally hit it on the straight stretch from Fromista to Carrion. The path ran parrallel to the motor road, the land flat and treeless on both sides, merciless in the piecing sun, the clouds having deserted us once again.
Along the 18 km route there were only a couple of small villages, the first of which had a bar with an open door but they refused to serve us any coffee even though it was already nearly 9am. At the second stop, an albergue had a good informal cafe that served food. When we mentioned about the previous village, the lady kindly told us that she was working for 9 months a year and would take 3 months off each year. So, we need to understand! With our cultural bias, we could not help but wonder what Angela Merkel thought of that comfortable lifestyle.
Carrion (where did they get that name? Rob asked) was a sizeable town with a busy town square, lots of tourists and pilgrims, but we had trouble finding somewhere to recharge my prepaid mobile phone, the one with the Spanish SIM card. Everywhere I inquired I was directed to the one shop that had trouble getting their computer to connect to the provider.
We located a supermercado (supermarket) where we stocked up with some food for the long walk the next day, only to find that we could not be assured of any accommodaton at the next destination, a very small place with limited places some 18km away. If we were to take the risk and proceed regardlessly, we could be faced with another 5km to the next town/village, an undertaking we are still unprepared to take, given the ongoing hot spell. A bus ride to the town beyond was the only solution.
Along the 18 km route there were only a couple of small villages, the first of which had a bar with an open door but they refused to serve us any coffee even though it was already nearly 9am. At the second stop, an albergue had a good informal cafe that served food. When we mentioned about the previous village, the lady kindly told us that she was working for 9 months a year and would take 3 months off each year. So, we need to understand! With our cultural bias, we could not help but wonder what Angela Merkel thought of that comfortable lifestyle.
Carrion (where did they get that name? Rob asked) was a sizeable town with a busy town square, lots of tourists and pilgrims, but we had trouble finding somewhere to recharge my prepaid mobile phone, the one with the Spanish SIM card. Everywhere I inquired I was directed to the one shop that had trouble getting their computer to connect to the provider.
We located a supermercado (supermarket) where we stocked up with some food for the long walk the next day, only to find that we could not be assured of any accommodaton at the next destination, a very small place with limited places some 18km away. If we were to take the risk and proceed regardlessly, we could be faced with another 5km to the next town/village, an undertaking we are still unprepared to take, given the ongoing hot spell. A bus ride to the town beyond was the only solution.
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