Day 20 - Terradillos de los Templarios to Bercianos del Real Camino

Day 20 - Terradillos de los Templarios to Bercianos del Real Camino

Clear, overcast

Technology. Yes. It may be a different Camino without the smart phones and the tablets. But it is clear that it is in demand when all the albergues and all the bars and restaurants along the way prominently display the availability of WiFi. I got a local data plan so I can check my location and the Camino route without WiFi and I use my phone to work on my blog. I took my pictures using a small point-and-shoot  camera (much, much better than the pictures using my phone) and send them to the phone through a local network between the two machines. It all works. Today, I used my phone to purchase train tickets to Madrid after the Camino.  Technology is a wonderful thing. The phone in particular is the centre piece. (I wrote that yesterday and sure enough, we seem to have gotten into a dead zone with no WiFi and spoty data coverage. Technology is great but sometimes you have to be patient. And super patient when I lost 1182 levels of Candy Crush Saga when my phone died.)

Today was another chilly morning walk but with the sun early on. That didn't last. Soon we walked into the mist where we could see maybe 50 m ahead of us. We had  our jackets on the whole day!

After stopping at Sahagun to deal with the train tickets, we walked straight to Bercianos del Real Camino without stopping. But it is a case of hurry up and wait as we arrived 45 min before the albergue opens. Still better than not having a bed. Saw a sign with 315 km to go, we know that is optimistic. The albergue provides bed, dinner and breakfast and is donativo. Yes. Unlike the other donativo parroquial albergue, it actually has beds, not mats.

The community dinner was a hit. The food is simple with paella only, no first course and no dessert. The entertainment was talent show performed by groups from different countries. The hospitalero gave the first performance. There are a couple of good acts but everyone gave it their all. It was a fun evening.

The only thing we don't like is the rule (repeated throughout the evening) that there is no waking up before six. That is not good when we wanted to have a long day next day.

                 Upstairs window, no escape