Day 10: Castildelgado to Villafranca Montes de Oca

I absolutely love all the flowers in the windows here! More often than not, the flowers are geraniums, which are lovely, but today I saw these while passing through Belorado.

Isabela and her husband have renovated their home in Castildelgado to create Bideluze, the best albergue I have stayed in so far. Former Camino pilgrims themselves, they have gone above and beyond to make pilgrims feel at home. The decor, the gardens, the food were all fabulous.

Started the day with a great breakfast at the albergue before starting the 13.6 mile walk to Villafranco Montes de Oco.

Second breakfast in Belorado. After a couple of days of less picturesque towns, we passed through several charming villages today.

Zoom in to see the huge bird’s nest at the top of the church.

The Camino passed through massive fields of sunflowers today again.

And, as always, we passed by random ancient buildings. I love these glimpses back in time!

Didn’t get a chance to detour up to see the Ermita de la Virgen de la Peña, but this monastery built into the rock looks fascinating.

Staying at the Albergue San Antón de Abad in Villafranca Montes de Oca tonight.

Not as luxurious as the hotel on the other side of the building, but still comfortable. I’m surprised at how fine I am so far with the communal living of the albergues. Not that I want to spend my life using tiny showers and washing my clothes by hand and sharing a room with dozens of strangers, but it’s ok for now. And it’s definitely an important part of the Camino experience.

Arriving in Villafranca with Anne Marie, my walking partner of the last few days.