Fromista to Carrion De Los Condes (Camino de Santiago)

May 22. The unsettled weather seems to have passed. With clear skies, the days hike was spent on a rough rocky path next to a highway. At the first village the group split with me taking the shorter route beside the busy asphalt road. Though my path had deafening traffic noise it was rather nice to be alone. I met Tim, Mike and Greg at a village a couple of hours hiking and arrived about twenty minutes before them. Enough time to sit and snack and enjoy the moment. The last six kilometer to Carrion De Los Condes ended at the Parish Alberque which is run by nuns. They were wonderful. They gave each of us a small religious medallion and showed us to our clean rooms with single beds arranged throughout the large sleeping area. Being the first night since the beginning of the walk without having to sleep in bunk beds was a simple thing to be excited about. The lovely open air courtyard was a pleasant spot to do hand laundry, read, and write in my journal under a warm sun with large storks and their chaotic nests sitting overhead. Journal: “The nuns have some strict rules here. A fellow sitting in the courtyard removed his shirt to enjoy the sun. It wasn’t long before one of the sisters rushed over and gave him quite the lecture as he quickly pulled his shirt back over his head.”