TERRADILLOS – BERCIANOS DEL REAL CAMINO
10 APRIL
23.1km
We started out early again this morning. It will be another hot day and we would like to be at our overnight town before the heat of the day. We decided to walk again with Carl today. Since he has walked the Camino several times before, it was nice to just follow him and listen to all his wonderful stories.
It’s always such a privilege to see the sun rising on the Camino
It was a quiet morning and not as cold as the days before. There was a relaxed atmosphere between us while we talked about our dreams and what makes us happy. Since we were talking so much on the road, we did not realised how quick the kilometers went by and at around 8:30 we reached Sahagun – a good time for breakfast!
Before we walked into Sahagun, Carl and Monica joined me in front of the tiny Mudejar-style chapel
Berto and I at the Romanesque foundations outside Sahagun
Carl told to us that this could be the halfway mark if you started your Camino in St Jean Pied-de-Port
The café’s and shops just started to open as we walked into Sahagun and Carl took us to this tiny bakery on a street corner where they had the most delicious pastries! Don’t you just love this kind of breakfast!
Sweet pastries and café con leche … what a delicious breakfast
After our breakfast, Carl took us down the streets to the older part of Sahagun. We spent some time walking around in the Plaza Mayor and admired all the old buildings.
Old buildings in Sahagun
The historic stone bridge (according to our Brierley guide, it is originally Roman, but reconstructed in the 11th and 16th centuries). This bridge is over the Cea River
The last 9km were next to the road and by now the sun was really hot. The trees did not give much shade and we moved quickly along to get to Bercianos del Real Camino where it was our intention to spent the night.
Our walking path alongside the main road (the “senda”)
Bercianos was quiet when we walked into town. It was on the heat of the day and we only saw a couple of men that worked on top of one of the house’s roofs.
Carl took us to Albergue Parroquial with a cool entrance hall and two very friendly gentlemen that welcomed us as if we were family!
The albergue is a “donativo” (which mean you make a donation for your stay) and they also offered a wonderful communal meal.
After our daily chores of making our beds and washing our clothes, we took a stroll to the (probably only) restaurant in town and had a joyous time with our pilgrim friends while enjoying good food.
While we were sitting in the backyard of the albergue, we met a couple of Spaniards that were walking the Camino to Astorga. Gloria, Javier and Raul (and his two children) would be our pilgrim friends for the next couple of days and we had a wonderful time together.
Our communal meal consisted of bread, salad and a plate of hearty bean soup.
I just love the communal meals
The two friendly gentlemen brought some wine to the tables (that were welcomed with loud cheers from everyone) and we had a great evening.
John (Ireland), Berto and Carl (USA) at the table while enjoying our communal meal
Monica and I were very happy with our table’s bottle of “vino tinto”
After our meal, we went to another room where pilgrims, who wished to, could share their reasons for doing the Camino. It was interesting to hear once again everyone’s reasons and I considered myself very fortunate to be on this journey.
Wet and Dusty Roads 
Sights and sites are fine and lovely to see but travelling is all about people, isn’t it? It that this is especially true of the Camino but I suppose that is to be expected, given the share experience.
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Absolutely, it couldn’t be more true … I think when walking the Camino, it’s for most pilgrims not about sightseeing, but about meeting other people that share the same experience!
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You have both absolutely “got it”. From reading this wonderful series I got the impression, and correct me if I am wrong, that whilst you are both Christian it was not a specifically religious pilgrimage although that obviously played a part.
Your writing suggests to me that you were rather more trying to blow yourself out of a rut and you certainly did it in magnificent style.
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Indeed, you are hitting the nail on the head!
Can I tell you something: We’ve walked the Camino alongside Christians (Catholics and Protestants), as well as non-believers and atheists … and we’ve never judged or felt that we’ve been judged, because pilgrims (or then hikers) do this walk mostly for the journey itself. Oh well, I can go on about this … for us, it was an eye-opener that people from different backgrounds, beliefs and politics can walk together in such harmony and fellowship … in the end, those things did not really matter.
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Die sonopkoms was so mooi! Gelukkig dat Carl julle na al die mooi geboue gevat het. Die brug is ook pragtig. Lyk of julle sommer lekker geeet het ook!
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Omdat ons altyd so vroeg begin stap het, het ons soveel mooi sonopkomste gesien … volgens my, die mooiste deel van die dag. Dit was heerlik om party dae saam met Carl te stap, hy is so ‘n ‘gentleman’ en het altyd die mooiste stories te vertelle gehad.
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Dis fantasties Corna!
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