Day 17 - 53km - Carrion to Bercianos

Long days of exercise are best done on a clean and healthy body, well fueled and well rested. So last night we went out for a birthday meal for Holgar and a catch up with Maria and Florian (a Camino romance couple)!

This catch up involved Nik and I sharing a monstrous steak and a few bottles of wine (after some beers). It was absolutely delicious and one of the best ways to end a great day (though we almost missed the 10pm curfew that is very strictly adhered too!).

So we woke up this morning feeling 100% refreshed. Large glass of water and a paracetamol for breakfast.

The Meseta as mostly long and flat and has pilgrim paths called Senda's. These are basically dirt tracks that run alongside the road. Today was 17km from where we stayed to the next small town. Sometimes there is a food truck (and he was there today for a much needed coffee after 10km) so for those on foot it is a long old slog. This then continues to our mid point and the usual pilgrim stop of Terradillos de Los Templaros a town famed for housing the Knights Templar, however it was ghost town and everything was closed. After 32km We stopped for breakfast at a town called San Nicolas, where our very own Saint (?!) Nicholas had an omelette whilst I feasted on Sausage, egg and chips. Lunch for breakfast at 10.30 is becoming normal it seems!

Onwards pilgrims to Sahagun, a bigger town and another usual stop over for pilgrims to break up the Meseta. We visited the church of San Lorenzo which had a museum attached with a batch of floats depicting Jesus death and resurrection that are paraded through town during the holy week leading up to the resurrection, and friendly staff member gave us a personal guided tour of the museum and the church which has a number of relics dating back as far as the 11th century (an ornate column and font). Sahagun also houses an archway supposedly representing the halfway point of our journey - a great milestone though amazed we have only made it halfway so far!

Our final stint on long flat roads brings us to Bercianos del Real Camino. A tiny nowhere town with two pilgrim accomodations and one restaurant where we are currently sat awaiting dinner. It will be food and rest tonight. And maybe only one bottle of wine....

Rest well follow travellers. Tomorrow we head to Leon... And a Spa....