Day 19 Itero del Castillo - Fromista

It was another very hot day walking through the Meseta. Very little shade. Yesterday´s efforts seem to have exhausted us. We both found it hard work.

Picked up the impression from other pilgrims that spaces are getting harder to find places in the albergues and everyone is planning to stop at Fromista today.

We bumped into Ruth at Boadilla del Camino and although it was only 12.30pm she planned to stop and find a bed. Last night she couldn´t find anything and had to sleep on a floor somewhere.

We walked alongside the canal where there was an ambundance of bird life. We kept cool by dipping our sarongs in water and wearing them on our head and shoulders. Not elegant but needs must. It would have been nice to stop and simply watch the bird life but the camino has its own momentum. You seem to need to keep going to the day´s destination.

We arrived in Fromista really shattered and with hindsight should have headed for the municipal refuge but we messed around trying to find a smaller one that was closed. We thought about paying for a hostel but it was 45 euros for a room. The albergues are 5 euros per person. By the time we got to the main Albergue it was full. It was galling seeing the people we had just been walking with freshly showered and sitting in the garden while we were still homeless.

Previous acquaintance, Diane, showed up at this point and together we found another albergue which was suspiciously empty on account of no hot water!. But a very large Spanish man insisted that hot water would soon be available. By this time we were too hot and tired to walk further. Here we are I am having a hot shower and Mo is having a siesta in a dark corner.

The issue of where to stay may prove to be a bigger problem as more and more people join the camino. We had promised to treat ourselves to hotels once in a while but don´t want to do it all the time. Not only is it hugely expensive but you miss out a lot on the spirit of the camino by isolating yourself to a private room.