Camino Frances Day 35: Ledigos - Calzadilla de los Hermanillos

Quiero, puedo, y me lo merezco 

- written on the napkins at Albergue Trajana

A day of hardcore Mesetas! Walked 29 km in full sunshine, on the first truly hot day of the summer.

In the hopes of beating the heat, we set off at 6 am, fuelled only by instant coffee, a rather squashed pastry from the day before, and very few hours of sleep.

We took an alternative route through the fields to avoid walking on the road. After 16 km we came to the town of Sahagún, where we stopped for a proper breakfast.

From here there are two different possibilities: walking along the road to Bercianos and then El Burgo Ranero, or following the Calzada Romana, the route of the old Roman road, the Via Trajana, straight across the desert to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos. We chose the second option.

The hostel we had arranged to stay at was luxurious, by pilgrim hostel standards, with regular beds rather than bunks, including sheets and a big fluffy towel! What a luxury to leave the sheet sleeping bag and microfibre travel towel stowed in the backpack, for once! And it had a bar/restaurant right on the premises, so we didn't have to move... After a shower and a sandwich, for the first time on this trip we enjoyed the luxury of a real Spanish siesta!