Hola dear friends. Today finds us in Castrojeriz another little 

town along the Meseta.  Last night we had a long and rowdy rain 

storm and Gay  and I were grateful for our bed in the sports center 

also known as a gym. A large group of young Korean students huddled 

like a bunch of puppies in the center on mattresses as there were no 

more cots available. They were a riot.  Although we were chilly and 

slept in our clothes and fleece, we were dry and out of the elements. 

The Meseta is known for it's open vast wheat fields and big sky, but 

it is also known as a place  of extremes.  A number of pilgrims we 

met on the way decided to skip the Meseta all together.  Gay and I 

never considered that in our plans.  It is a beautiful place and has 

a unique character of it's own.  There are some trees and undulating 

hills and the big big sky.  Back to the challenge.  I knew that the 

sun and heat could be our biggest challenge and of course the worry 

that we would not  have enough water as the towns are not close together. 

surprisingly however it turns out that the wind and mud from the 

previous night's storm was our Meseta challenge of the day.  It 

could change tomorrow and the sun could pay a visit, but today was 

wind, mud, and cold. 

I am sitting in a lovely little bar cafe where the owner gave me a cup 

of hot water for the tea bag I had with me and when I went to pay he 

wasn't sure what to  charge me for hot water. As I grabbed a handful 

of change I had an American quarter mixed in. He picked it up and 

asked what  it was and so I  gave it to him. He seemed pleased and 

he also let  me plug in my phone  to charge as I write this.  Every 

Refugio or Albergue is very different. You really never know what 

the municipal alburgues will offer although our guide book tries to 

offer some information.  So today we decided to try the one the book 

said was a traditional (original) pilgrim hostel. An atmospheric 

local hostel run by Hospitalero Resti one of the Camino's enduring 

characters,  well Resti isn't there and although the place is old, 

it is rather Spartan. They do have a great space for us to do laundry 

with wooden all wooden wash boards and a great place to hang out our 

clothes.  I really have come to appreciate the simple things. 

And they had laundry soap for us to use. Whooooo!!!!!!  It took 

me awhile to settle into this place especially when I realized I 

would  be in a top bunk, no rails, and a very low ceiling. I tweaked 

my situation a bit and told the hospitelero  I was not able to climb 

up to the top and had to have a bottom bunk.  It was the no rails 

that forced that card.  A couple of days ago a man we met fell 

out of a top bunk and broke his hip.  Sooo I am in a bottom bunk 

which means not too far to fall.   So tomorrow  we leave here and 

walk to Boadilla del Camino about 20 k or 12 miles  away.  I called 

ahead to reserve a room in a private alburgue which I think will be 

a notch up from the one we are staying in tonite.  We like to mix it 

up.  Its all part of the Camino.  Well time to go. Love to you all. 

Carpe Diem. Camille in the Camino. 
 

.