Arrived in Caldadilla de la Cueza

We are slowing down. The Meseta really takes its toll. The path is wide and straight and fairly level but the rocks and wind really take it out of you. It is cold--40 degrees F in the morning and very windy. The days don´t warm up that much either. We were in Carrion last night. Stayed in Hostal Santiago. As we came into town, a woman told us the alberque we were looking (Espiritu) for was not good and recommended this place. Turns out it is HER place. We shared a room with two German women who spoke no English so we spent a lot of time with sign language. Guess it was OK because we only had to share a bathroom with a few other people. But the German women woke up very early this morning (one was a snorer) so we too ended up getting going early. Marcel may have a stress fracture so we are evaluating options at this point. One of the pilgrims we started with in St. Jean had to be rushed to the hospital yesterday--he passed out and couldn´t be revived. The Camino takes its toll.

We had dinner at a little bar and I finally got some beef! After a quite good salad with beets and carrots and other vegetables (a real treat as vegetables are not all that easy to come by), the beef turned out to be pot roast in a delicious broth. Ah, heaven! For two days I have been craving some red protein. The fish has been good but not very much of it on a little trout. There have been no kitchens so we have been unable to make boiled eggs. Carrion is a pretty little town. We sat at the window at the bar and watched all the townspeople leave the church and begin their evening rambla. The Spanish take Saturday evenings very seriously. First you go to church and then you walk. Everyone is out and the children run everywhere. There may have been a wedding yesterday afternoon because the whole town was outfitted in suits and dresses and we saw a couple--she was dressed in a very traditional dress with a flower in her hair and the man had a matching tie with his suit. Then we saw vases of beautiful flowers being carried through town.

We decided to take a short day today as everyone is tired and we do not know how Marcel´s leg is going to go. In addition, Frances has broken out with something so I gave her benedryl. We will rest here this afternoon and decide. The sun has finally come out so maybe the laundry which has been damp now for two days will finally dry. So far my feet are fine. No blisters. I am almost embarassed as it seems to be a pilgrim thing to compare them. My legs hurt but if I slow down, I can make the distance. It is tempting to try to go faster to keep up with people who are much younger--this is not wise.

Long discussion with some other pilgrims yesterday about trust. How difficult it is to trust, how often we withhold it from one another, and how easily it is destroyed. It is amazing to have these conversations with people from all over the world.