Thursday 1 October

One for the boys – this contraption does everything: ploughs, harrows and seeds, all in one go.

Tried something today I said I would never do – wore socks with sandals to alleviate blisters.

Friday 2 October

Sunrise over the Canal de Castille as we walked out of Bodillo. We deviated from the main camino to walk the old route along the river so only saw 1 perigrinos all day. We watched combines harvesting sunflowers . Tomorrow we are half way.

204km of abandoned canal, which is gradually being restored.

Saturday 3 October

Socks and sandals again today, oh dear it’s a habit now but in my defence there was a frost this morning. And the socks came off shortly after sunrise. We walked 18km of our 25km today on a Roman road which was built to connect Bordeaux with the mining town of Astorga, where we should be next week. We are now officially half way.

Sunday 4 October

Shorts and sandals with NO socks today as it is raining and windy. We love micropore and compeed plasters. The scene in the albergue in the mornings is like Solzenitzin’s A day in the life of Ivan Dyinistovitch , with everyone taping up their feet ready for a day in the gulag.

Last night in a room of 10, five of whom snored but not simultaneously. Tonight we are having our first night away from the dormitories, real beds and real big towels, luxury – a small celebration for passing the half way mark.

The road less travelled to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos in the wind and rain:

Monday 5 October

Warren in camino camouflage. Another day on the maseta but this time in the wind and rain. A great day’s walking back on the old roman road, punctuated by the occasional Camino sign. Miles of flat featureless farmland, either stubble or newly worked down. All irrigated with huge irrigation rigs ready to march across the crops. In Mansel la de Las Mulls tonight, a medieval walled town.

Tuesday 6 October

Today we are in Leon with the Benedictine nuns  Autumn has arrived, leaves colouring and fungus pickers out in force this morning. Autumn rain is reviving the gritty maseta soils.

Friday 9th October

This is Puente de Orbigo on our walk in to Astorga. Our last day on the meseta, we walked through avenues of rustling maize, irrigation channels full of rushing water, through hop gardens, their strings cut and hops harvested and past drying piles of haricot beans and potatoes waiting to be lifted. Tomorrow we start the climb into the mountainss of Galicia. Warren stocked up on warmer clothes and a back scratcher so we should be alright.

Walked up from Astorga in autumn sun through fields of crocus and slate walled orchards of apples, pears, quince, plum, hazel and chestnut. Going to vespers with the Benedictine monks tonight to bless my rock to throw onto the Cruz de Ferro at the highest point on the Camino at 1505m.