At 615am, they usually turn on the lights to wake you up. If for some reason that doesn’t do it, we have the Rick alarm. It is a gentle shake of the shoulder and a soft voice saying “wakey, wakey”. I gathered my stuff and headed down the back stairs across the courtyard to the bathroom and came across a group of pilgrims singing. In front of them was a man that we had been walking with for a few days in a white vestment saying mass! I stayed to participate with toothbrush in hand. Come to find out he has been saying mass every morning wherever he is staying.

After our typical breakfast of bread, fruit and coffee we discussed as a group that today maybe the day we take a rest and only go as far as Sahagun. We were all pretty sore and after all it was the Sabbath. In Sahagun, we stopped for more cafe and a pastry.

followed by a rest in the main square:

We decided to take it slow and headed for Calzadlla de Los Hermanillos along a road built by the Romans 2000 years ago.

And at times sharing the Camino with the locals

We found out that the markings on the back are caused by a bag of chalk the males wear on their chest. You figure it out :-).

There are constant reminders of the care given to the pilgrims long ago and to us still today. Our trail went past an old pilgram hospice

and to the fuente del peligrino in the middle of a five mile long trail through the countryside. Here is where you are to drink water from your scallop shell and taste the sacredness of what you are doing.

Some time the day gets long and we end up getting a bit silly. Most days we start to sing but today Monica taught us a marching step to keep us moving.

We were thrilled when we got to our Albergue, Via Trajana for a few reasons: it was right off the trail, hot showers, beds with sheets, and only 3 of us in a room.

buenas noches, my loving family and friends.