Boadilla Del Camino

Another day and another 29km. I started the day at 6:05 a.m.    It was overcast, so it was a little dark out.   This first picture is all that is left of a castle. (I think.....some one told me that.)

 

For the first few kilometers we walked along the valley.    I was sure we had to walk up out of it right away, so it was a pleasant surprise.

The sun came out for a bit while we were still in farm land.    There is 6 days of walking the plains, so this is pretty much all that there is going to be.   Fortunately, it's all beautiful.  

When I first saw this I was thinking it must be a castle

As I approached I was still thinking it must be a castle, but it was in ruins

But the sign shows I was wrong again..lol

I liked this picture of the sun shining through the arches.    If you click on the pictures you can see them much better.

Then the first town.   11km down already

I think this was a church but there were 2 other ones in town and we never walked close enough to this one to be sure

And this was a castle on the hill above town.  It's seen better days.  I guess no call for castles now

This is the big hill every one was talking about yesterday.    It was going to be so hard they all said

See it does not sound hard 1050 meters at a 12% grade

As soon as I got to the bottom who would be there but Movie Star my Italian friend. I laughed most of the way up that hill, of coarse at him with his 15kilogram pack.   He almost died trying to get up that hill.   I kept telling him to throw it over the side.    I ended up leaving him three quarters of the way up.   He was clearly going to take a couple of hours getting up it.

I wish my camera could show what a great view this was

I was amazed how great a view it was

This is what it was like once I got to the top for about 1km.

Then this is what we had 18% grade!   For only 350 meters, that was steep and hard on the knee

And this was the view

This is where I started walking with Daniel from Ireland.    He was walking the Camino with his Dad That was his Dad ahead with someone else.  It was hard to understand him with that strong accent.   We walked together for about 4km

I liked the clouds in this picture

This is some famous canal here.  It's for irrigation

This is my gps showing that I walked at 5.2km an hour its hard to read sorry

I have not seen an abandoned pair of boots in days.  Some one carried these a long way before discarding them

And this is the normal way that walking poles are used on the Camino.   Most people just carry them.   I'm glad I decided to leave mine at home.   Not only would I have had to check my baggage on the airplane, I would have had to leave them somewhere along the Way. 

I think next time I am getting one of these,or bring some grand kids, nieces or nephews, to carry my stuff.     

This is where I am everyone sits out here.   It's the only place in town.   There is no store just this Albergue with a resturant.   I asked a local where they get their food, and he said "We grow it".   Of course, so simple.

And this is what 5E gets you.   We are packed in like sardines here.

For 10E I could of got one of the ones on the top in this picture