Thursday 11th May 2023
Distance 26.3km / 16.3 miles
Ledigos – Bercianos del Real Camino
I took advantage that the bar was open early at the hostel and had my regular coffee and neapolitana before setting off. It was a cool start to the day but I soon warmed up with the rolling hills.
One of my fascinations on this journey has been the storks, with their nests on buildings that I passed. I grew up not really knowing what a real stork looked like but knew they brought babies. I also saw some feeding in the fields and managed a highly zoomed photo, with no babies in sight.
On the way into the little village of Moratinos I noticed this sign which made me smile. I cannot comment on whether it was true as I didn’t stop at either since it was a bit too soon for me.
The walking was good and quite cool. I noticed a distance marker which indicated I was almost half way.
Going down a hill I was entranced by this path with beautiful wild flowers on both sides. It felt like a processional way.
Soon after we were getting close to the town of Sahagun when I came across the monument which is supposed to mark the half way point. This is disputed!
Sahagun looked to be a really interesting place but I didn’t stop beyond taking a short refreshment break.
I pressed on and arrived at the Bercianos 1900 Albergue. It was quite well appointed and had a nice bar/restaurant. I had a shower and took advantage of their washing machines to get some laundry done. I got by most of the time doing things by hand but a proper wash every now and again did make a lot of difference. I had a beer to celebrate the end of my walking day and after a rest had a rather nice pizza followed by ice cream. The bunk beds were normal though they had fitted curtains which gave some feeling of privacy. It was a good feeling to think I was now over half way.