Day 14

I was awoken during the night by Ludger flashing a head torch in my face telling me to get out of bed as there were bedbugs. After my initial alarm I decided to stay in bed and take my chances. No bites the next day, phew!

My feet seemed to be getting worse so I went at a very leisurely pace today, taking plenty of breaks. The first break was after a short walk along a canal in a town called Fromista. I spent an hour here drawing a very well preserved Romanesque church that was built in 1066. It was an enjoyable little project as the Church had a really interesting shape, a central octagon and then various cylindrical turrets. Apparently coach loads of people come to this town just to see this Church.

My next stop was for Lunch. I'm walking just before the tourist season so a lot of places I walk through have a ghost town feeling about them and even places that are open seem shut. You just have to try the door and sometimes you're lucky and sometimes not. On this particular occasion I pushed the door of what I thought might be an eating establishment and entered a medieval dining hall complete with high vaulted ceilings,  candelabras,  wooden utensils, and log fire. I was their only diner so the place immediately sprung into life, lights up, music on, kitchen staff stirred into action. I had a three course feast and could barely move when I finished. I shuffled the last 5km to Carrion in my flip flops feeling like I would not need to eat for the rest of the Camino.

On arrival at the Convent in Carrion I tucked into some wholesome soup Ludger had made. It was the opposite to the feeding of the 5000. Ludger had made enough to feed every Pilgrim that had ever stayed at the convent but there was just the four of us. After a short while the rest of the frat party who we have been with us since Burgos turned up and the whole lot was devoured.  I then headed out for a couple more beers with the lads and was ripped to shreds for Skypeing my mum and step dad. Worth every ounce of ribbing though.