Day 16 Steady as she goes! Sept 23

I began my walk across the meseta on Monday after a day of rest in Burgos. This is really a long stretch of nothing with a few small villages interspersed. Glad to be out of the big city, there was time to appreciate the sunrise

And the flowers (who knows what these are?) 

We were bound for Rabe de las Calzadados but along the way we encountered a tiny town named Tarjados where it appears that if you own a home you need to identify it by displaying your coat of arms. 

We stopped after about 21km at a village called Rabe de las Caldazas where we settled in for the night in a small 24 person albergue where we ended up rooming with 2 darling, and giggling German girls. Well loo and behold, who showed up just after dinner but 2 handsome young German boys. Didn’t see hide nor hair of them until we left them sleeping at 6:30 the next morning. Oh what an awesome time in that little town they must have had!!  

The albergue provided a decent pilgrim dinner. There is one pilgrim here named Adi who is from Israel. She is not just vegetarian but all out vegan. I don’t know how she feeds herself here. 

After dinner we were encouraged to attend the Pilgrim’s blessing done by a local order of nuns. They were so sweet and although all of the prayers were in Spanish, I got the gist of the thing. Afterwards they presented us with a little medal to remember Mary and pray to her for our safety along the journey.

I forgot to mention, as I was walking along today I heard a couple reciting what sounded very familiar to me. He would recite something and she would respond with other words. As they drew nearer I looked over and noted that they were in their early to mid thirties and sure enough, there it was dangling from his hand, a rosary. Yes, they were praying the rosary together.

It was a tough but good day.