Day 20, Stage 18: Caldadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun

After many days of perfect weather, today had threatened to be rainy all morning. But the front moved in late last night, and while cloudy and suggestive of rain, it was a perfect day for walking. We did have about 15 minutes of rain about halfway through the 22 km walk, it gave me the opportunity to try out my new huge red rain cover/poncho thing that I bought in Castrojeriz.. Quite a beautiful look for a princess pilgrim!

The stop for a mid morning tea was in Terradillos de los Templarios, a humble village which had been a stronghold of the Knights Templar. This order had responsibility for watching over pilgrims and after the last Grand Master, Jaques de Molay was executed on trumped up charges the group sort of disbanded. The red brick parish church is dedicated to San Pedro.

I walked today with Montana Bob (to differentiate from UK Bob and Reno Bob), and we ran into Johnny (!) and his crew just after the stop noted above and walked a bit with them as we crossed into the Provincia de Leon. This province is the largest, wealthiest and most populous province that the Camino passes through and has lots of varied terrain still to come. Today was mostly dirt track with some trees, but most alongside a quiet a road on one side and farm fields on the other.

We saw Sahagun from a distance but had taken an option route which led us to the hermitage of Our Lady of the Bridge. The stone arches here also proclaim the halfway point on the Camino to Santiago. (There have been other notations about this halfway point — but at there on there was a plaque, so I’m taking this one as THE one!) Sahagun had been the seat of great ecclesiastical power largely from the influence of Alfonso VI. Charlemagne was also linked with the town, and it had always served as a way post for pilgrims. Sahagun gains it name from a derivation of Sanctum Facundum, whose remains are buried here.

Not much going on in Sahagun, especially on a Sunday, but I found Kim and we met a young Dutch guy named Dennis so, with Bob the 4 of us had a pilgrim meal before the rain began again!

For tomorrow I plan to find Kim and maybe Karen, who made it into town but we didn’t connect; it’s just an 18 km walk so should be a nice day. But then again, any day on the Camino is a nice day. It continues to amaze and delight.