Camino Day 24 August 15 Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz 12.7 milesTotal to date 219.7

Well today I got another big lesson in not worrying about things that may never happen. After worrying about the desert like heat and possible sunstroke of the Meseta I started out this morning early, about 6:30 am. It was still kind of dark. I haven't been able to leave real early because someone stole my head lamp way back at the beginning of the Camino. It really hasn't been a big problem, but I thought today I'd get a little bit of walking in the cool of the morning, before the heat. So I almost did a face plant because I forgot there were broad stairs outside the Albergue, but I righted myself and used my poles to search out the rest of the stairs.

Well there was no need to leave early to walk in the cool of the morning and no possibility of sunstroke. In fact frostbite would have been more likely. When I left it was cloudy and windy. After about a half hour it started to rain. The temperature was in the 50s with 20 to 25 mile winds. At times they were so strong coming from the side I had to fight to keep upright At other times they were head winds and I had to push against them to move foreard Not a good combination, wind and water and cold. However at one point I looked up an there was a rainbow. It was so close I felt like I could reach out and touch it. The rain and wind was on and off most of the day. The rain stopped for the last couple miles of the walk. By the time I stopped for café con leche and tostado con mantaquilla and mermelada my little fingers were frozen. The bars I went into had their heaters on! In the middle of August! I didn't need my hat for the sun. Fortunately, I brought a good rain jacket that also protected my core from the wind.

I can tell you the Meseta was not boring today. Actually I can't figure out how it would be boring even in the heat. There was all kinds of neat stuff to see, including some trees and rock formations. Maybe tomorrow will be boring. It's the last day of the Meseta.

I arrived in Castrojeriz and searched for a long time for the Albergue I wanted to stay at. During my half hour search I passed the municipal Albergue, but I wanted to stay somewhere else. It turned out that the Albergue I wanted to stay in was closed for fumigation until August 17. I then went looking for my second choice and it was closed for the day!? I found out later that today is some sort of religious holiday, a feast day, which in Spain is like Sunday and means everything closes. The municipal Albergue is open though and I got a bed. It is actually quite comfy here with my 34 roommates..

Girls laughing, quiet conversations, whispering and it is afternoon in the Albergue. I awake from my siesta.