Yesterday, after checking in to our albergue in Itero de la Vega and, of course, enjoying our usual cold drink on the terrace, we took a stroll around the sleepy little town. In the town square, a middle-aged Spanish man pleasantly approached us and asked us, in perfect English, if we'd like to know about an ancient column standing near us. Naturally, we said "si," so he proceeded to explain to us that it is a "justice pillar" which was used in Roman and Medieval times to chain criminals, as a form of punishment (some links of chain are still soberingly visible). Then, Jose Miguel, who is a retired school teacher of the Spanish language in La Rioja, graciously invited us to meet his 99-year old mother and 92-year old aunt who still live in adjoining family homes next to the town square...both ladies were spry and very sweet and they were bowled over by our photos of winter in Nunavut. What a nice experience for us to meet the three of them in their typical village home, complete with cherry tree in the inner courtyard!
Today we arose at 5:00 am and started our trek at 5:25, in the dark, as we had a long road ahead of us (30 kms to Villacazar de Sirga). Just outside of Itero de la Vega, we walked below the stars and admired red lights on the windmills on the hills, twinkling as the blades turned. The trail was mostly flat and straight, and the weather, for most of the day, was a reasonable temperature, so we made good headway. Part of our trail pleasantly followed the Castille Canal and another part followed a river. We stopped for a while in Fromista to stock up on cash, fresh cups of coffee, groceries for a picnic lunch, and band-aids, blister patches, and a knee brace (the latter all for Laurel). At 1:30 pm (8 hours after embarking), we arrived at our destination with very tired feet and legs, and very happily checked into our accommodation in a beautiful restored villa. As usual, we showered, then downed our habitual ice water, then took our exploratory stroll about the village. We decided to check out a restaurant beside the Romanesque church, in a building which had been a headquarters for the Knights Templar from the 12th century (the Knights had protected pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, as well as on the pilgrimage route from Spain to Rome and Jerusalem). We opened the door to see a large room warmly decorated with Templar and Camino artifacts and alive with the sounds and aromas of Spanish families noisily enjoying Saturday dinners! We realized immediately that this was THE place for our supper, and what a delicious supper it was, served to us very hospitably by Luiz -- seafood soup, roast shank of lamb, beef steak, salad, lemon sherbet, vino, and coffee. The best meal, by far, on our Camino to date!
