8th stage part 2: To Hontanas via the Meseta

Now I set off for the village of Tardajos, eleven kilometers away. The path, like the last few days in general, was relatively flat, which made walking very pleasant and quick. The path ran over a motorway bridge and I couldn't find the way through construction sites at first. In general, you can say that the entire route is well signposted and, apart from a few places, is easy to find. And if necessary, you always have your cell phone and GPS with you. When I arrived in town there wasn't much and so I continued on to Rabé de las Calzadas. From there begins the Meseta, a plateau that is hardly covered by trees. Meseta comes from the Spanish word Mesa, which means “table” or “level”. On the way I thought about where I was going today. I actually planned to walk to Castrojeriz, but that would have been too much for me. That's why I decided to only walk as far as Hontanas. There are two hostels there that I couldn't reach by phone, but I was confident that one of them was open. And if all else failed, I would have had to keep walking or take a more expensive hotel there, depending on how much strength I would then have. On the way I walked through Hornillos del Camino, a place where bees play a big role. The travel guide warns that you must walk carefully past the bee boxes to avoid being stung. I was lucky. I didn't see any bees and the place was otherwise very lifeless. The two bars and the corner shop were closed, so I moved on. The path through the Meseta is very beautiful, because you only see beautiful landscapes to the left and right and you can't get lost. But the path can be a bit slow as a result. In any case, I could already feel my body and even though it was dry, it was still a bit strange and that made the path a little more difficult. Finally I reached the village and after the first hostel was closed, I went to the next one. This was the public hostel. I walked in and saw some hiking boots on the shelf. So she was up. Now I was still hoping that a bed would be free. Unfortunately there was no one at the reception, but a pilgrim said that the owner would be back shortly and that there was still enough space. This made me happy and I was able to relax and take off my shoes and slip into my slippers. Then the owner came. He offered to take part in the pilgrimage dinner in the evening for €12, but I felt so exhausted that I just wanted to take a shower and then lie down. So I politely declined. And he led me into a large room with 11 beds. Many were already occupied and everyone seemed a little distant and was on their cell phones. I would have to take a bed upstairs, but the heater was on and after the shower I snuggled up in the blanket and rested. Then I took a quick look to see where the supermarket was. This was diagonally opposite and unfortunately I was closed. There were two restaurants elsewhere in town that were also closed. Luckily I still had half a baguette and an apple, which I drank with a can of Cola Cherry. This will have to do for today. The accommodation is a bit old and relatively expensive at €15, but there are no complaints. Hygiene in the sanitary area can also be improved, but the owner can't help it if other pilgrims leave the bathroom dirty. Anyway, everyone went downstairs and ate and I had the room to myself. On the one hand, I felt a little left out, but I wanted to have some peace and quiet and in general I am a person who often needs some peace and quiet and spends more evenings at home with myself than with friends. I can draw a lot of strength from it. Of course I also want to get to know others and get in touch with others on the Way of St. James, but primarily I do the path for myself and walk it at my own pace. So far I have almost always walked the path alone because there are generally few people on the way and the pilgrims are usually taking a break when I pass by or they are walking very slowly. Maybe that will change along the way. On my first Camino de Santiago from Porto I walked with others almost every day, on my second route I also walked the first half alone, but towards the middle of the route I usually walked with one person. I think you can't plan something like that and it always has to happen. That's why I enjoyed the peace and quiet in the room and planned the stage for the next day. And then I fell asleep early.