Itero de la Vega: turn off the lights and look at the stars.
It is very difficult to enjoy the stars when the shelters close the doors at 10:00pm. Because of that missed the Tears of St. Lawrence from August 9-12. It is a display of falling stars close to the Feast day of the Saint. This years astronomers expected 100 stars per hour. Wow!
This morning leaving the shelter was like snow was falling. Temperatures were closed to 40’s. I was not sure if it was dust on the air or the air was frozen. I just walked fast to keep myself warm.
When I reached the ruins of St. Michael, I turned my lights off. It was in the middle of nowhere. Wow! It was a spectacular show on the sky. Every star was so bright like someone polished them. I wanted to stay there, but the temperature kept me moving.
At the distance, I started to listen music in the dark. A prominent building was in the rising. It was the Abbey of San Antón (see Instagram account: wherespadre). It was a magical place.
I went to breakfast across of the church dedicated to the Virgin of the Manzanos. It was a lovely time talking to the locals early in the morning. There was there a woman in her 60’s that loved Ricky Martin and Cheyenne. She made me laugh so loud when she told me yo say hi to them in my next visit to Puerto Rico.
Passing the town was a big cliff to hike. It was easy for me. Going down, I just run it. Several km later, I turned my cell on music of Ruben Blades. The first song that came up was “Pedro Navajas.” It finished with the phrase: “life give you surprises, there are always surprises in life.” Then I passed by the old St. Nicholas” hospital. It has been renovated by an Italian group. They do not have power, but offer shelter and food to the pelegrinos. They want to offer an original experience. What original? I am not sure. I read that they have a ceremony before meal of the washing of the feet. I walked in to see the place. It was beautiful, but I passed the river next to it, and entered the Palencia region. I found a place at the municipal albergue of Itero de la Vega. It was only 5 Euros, but it had everything I needed. I took a nap. By 1pm I was woke up by all the little children of the village that were playing all kind of games at the church patio across the street. There were 20 of them. The town came to life. They played there for 3 hours. I stopped at the grocery store for some toiletries and cookies of course. Later I returned to a local bar to eat dinner. It was not till 7:00 pm, when women from all the village started to showed up at the bar. I though, well maybe it is bingo night. No, no, it was card games night. They take it seriously here. And please do not look at them when they are playing, it is a business. I decided to have a short walk and went to the bar located at the entrance of town. To my surprise, all the men were playing cards there too. I stopped and chatted with the observers. I made a comment that the women where faster moving the cards at the other bar and they laugh. Players commented that thinking always take time, and women don’t think! Well, it was their opinion of small town. I went to the bar and ordered a beer. I went outside to listen to my music, when a group of women passed by me walking by the streets. One of the went to a tree and picked up something to eat. After the walked away, I went to the tree to see what she was eating. OMG!!! It was the same fruits I loved to eat in France. I ate like 20 of them. Here they produced more. All the branches were full of them. I have saved some seeds. I hope they can make it home. I still don’ know what it is. Returning to the shelters the teens were walking and talking by the streets. There were like 20 of them too. It looks like a healthy town and every one is connected.
There were only two more pelegrinos from Korea with me. I chatted with them returning to the shelter, and we went to bed.