Saturday 1 July 2017

Camino Day 20: Ledigos – Sahagún Part I (29/03/17)

We left the albergue at 7.50. Only a short walk of 16.5km was planned for the day as I was keen to stay overnight in Sahagún and explore the historic remnants of the town which was once the most important centre of ecclesiastical power and culture in 11th century Spain.
It was extremely chilly as we made our way out of Ledigos and alongside the N-120, but the sun was rising and we soon came to Terradillos de los Templarios; once a stronghold of the Knights Templar, where we had an excellent breakfast in the Jacques de Molay albergue (named after the last Grand Master of the Templars). The bar in the albergue was surprisingly busy with pilgrims of different nationalities and was decorated with rustic farm implements from times gone by. I bought myself a small handmade wooden Templar cross to hang on my rucksack, alongside my shells and Tau cross.
Matthew approaching Terradillos
After Terradillos, the path left the main road for a while and we enjoyed a welcome period walking through fields on gravel tracks. We said Morning Prayer together and Heather pointed out some wild Muscari (Grape Hyacinths) growing beside the path. These were the first wildflowers I had seen on the trip, which surprised me as my previous experience of walking the Camino had been of encountering a variety of wildflowers; the landscape on this second half of the Meseta seemed strangely barren.
Wild Muscari
The weather by now was warming up and it was turning into a pleasant day, but I felt a bit miserable and unhappy with my own company and so spent a lot of the time walking by myself. Why exactly I was feeling miserable was hard to say – probably all sorts of complex issues which, although normally buried deep inside were rising to the surface. I find walking the Camino does that – you are challenged not only physically, but also emotionally, and spiritually, as the prolonged walking and silence causes things to rise to the surface to be confronted and examined. I was starting to feel I should like to have a period of walking away from myself and have a rest from my own company, but of course you can’t do that and instead, you are forced with God’s help to work through the baggage you accumulate as you go through life.
David refreshed after second breakfast!
By the time I approached San Nicholás del Real Camino I was feeling a little better from the time spent in solitude. The outskirts of the village were punctuated with the mounds and little doorways of Bodegas; traditional underground wine cellars from the days before refrigeration. Many of them are still used by locals to store their vintage and I noted as we walked, that some had even been turned into houses. I imagine they would make a cosy home with the underground rooms being warm in winter and cool in summer. Looking at them always makes me feel I am in the Shire looking at the dwellings of Hobbits – perhaps Tolkien got his idea from seeing Bodegas in Spain?
The others caught up with me and we had second breakfast (potato tortilla with a medicinal glass of Rioja to revive the spirits!). Then from San Nicholás onwards it was a warm and slightly uninteresting slow climb up a gradual incline shadowing the busy N-120 on our right. Near the summit we came upon the traditional marker stone delineating the border between the Provinces of Palencia and León. It seemed a long time ago and many kilometres back when we had entered Palencia back at Itero de Vega on 09/10/15 and here we were finally leaving it!
Provincial boundary stone
At the summit of the hill, we had to walk around an interchange slip road, which seemed to have only recently been built; we paused to watch a Red Kite hunting along the side of the dual carriageway and then we set off downhill towards Sahagún, which we could now see in the distance.
Roman bridge and Ermita Virgen del Puente
After about another kilometre we crossed the N-120 down a track to the right and followed the rio Valderaduey to the Ermita Virgen del Puente. The hermitage sits in a small grove of Poplar trees and is reached across a picturesque little Roman bridge (although the river has moved and no longer flows under the bridge). The area around the hermitage has been made into a picnic site and there were sculpted metal benches to sit or recline on. The place was cool and refreshing after our hot, dusty walk beside the N-120 and we enjoyed shedding our bags, having a drink, and relaxing on the benches which were surprisingly comfortable; the metal being pleasantly cool. It was now so warm and sunny that Matthew even decided to peel his top off and blind everyone with his very Irish blizzard-like untanned whiteness!
Get your sunglasses on to combat the
blinding whiteness!
The hermitage itself, although it has Romanesque foundations, was built in the 12th century and it’s most interesting feature is that it has a Mudéjar style brickwork apse. I mentioned the Mudéjars back in Burgos when we were discussing the monastery of Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas. The term means “tamed or domesticated” and refers to the Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Spain after the Christian Reconquista. In architectural terms, the Mudéjar style resulted from a fusion of Muslim and Christian medieval architectural techniques, as the two cultures lived side by side during this period. Elements of Islamic art and architecture were applied to Christian architecture, especially in the building of Bell Towers. It is characterised by elaborate geometric designs in brick, tile, wood, carving and plasterwork and it is generally agreed that it first developed in 12th century Sahagún and then spread to the rest of León and beyond – notably to the 16th century Alcázar Palace in Seville and even to Latin America. 
Heather relaxing 
As the source of this important architectural style, it was essential for me that we should stay overnight in Sahagún so that I could see the surviving examples of the early Mudéjar style. Matthew and Heather were of course rolling their eyes at the mere mention of the word and had planned an overnight escape to a local hotel to relax whilst I was doing my geeky sightseeing!
Mudejar apse
The other important feature of the Ermita Virgen del Puente site is that it marks the half way point between St. Jean Pied de Port and Santiago de Compostela! A modern brickwork monument has been erected featuring sculptures of king Alfonso VI and the Cluniac priest Bernard de Sédirac facing each other. It was amazing to think that I had reached the half way point of the Camino Francés! I was excited and yet also extremely humbled and grateful to have already got so far and enjoyed so many experiences along the way. We posed for photographs between the sculptures which strangely, had Spanish Police tape tied in front of them, though I have no idea why!
Mudejar apse viewed from inside
We walked on into town through a small industrial area and past a large, modern hotel. Then Matthew and Heather took their leave for the moment and turned right to go up the road to stay at the Viatoris Albergue, while David and I wandered on into town, over the sizeable railway sidings and down the narrow streets into the town centre. We had hoped to stay at the Benedictine Convent on Calle Nicholás, but the door seemed firmly closed and we didn’t like to ring the bell, so walked on to the El Labriego albergue across the road from the Convent and signed in there instead.
Half way to Santiago!
The hospitalero in the albergue was very welcoming and pleasant and stamped our credencials in a pleasant and inviting bar, whilst serving us a welcome glass of lager accompanied by some tapas. He then led us through to a courtyard where there was an adjoining modern dormitory which, whilst modern and clean was, like the previous two albergues, extremely cold! There were electric heaters on the walls but these were apparently of symbolic value and e never got them to work!

We showered in the good bathroom facilities and gave the hospitalero our laundry. It cost extra to have our clothes tumble dried. While David took the opportunity to sit in the courtyard in the sunshine and catch up on his journal, I had a look around. There was an aviary with beautiful multicoloured finches, a cat and a partly grown kitten, which the Hospitalero eventually put into a second large cage which was very spacious but which the cats complained about vociferously. 
Albergue chapel
Off the courtyard there was also an old stable which had been converted into a chapel for the use of pilgrims and I would have liked to have sat there for a while to pray, except that there was an extremely strong smell of cat urine which drove me out! Clearly the cats weren’t always in their cage! Also in the courtyard was a medieval sarcophagus! Every courtyard should have one!

David relaxing in the sunshine

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