Walking Day 4 – Fromista to Carrion de los Condes – 20 km – 12.5 miles

The day started with me walking off with my room key still in my pocket, so I had to go back to the hotel with it.  My companions were then far ahead, and when I came to a fork in the path, I took the way along the river rather than the path parallel to the road.

For 6 miles I walked blissfully, quietly, under big blue sky with nothing but birds, my breath, and the crunch of my feet on the path. 

Eventually, my path merged back with the main path, and near the road, I stopped under some trees for a little break.  My companions came along and were surprised to see me, saying I had missed the checkpoint break stop and Jorge was still looking for me.  I phoned, apologized profusely, and walked on.  Mind you, not a bit sorry I took another path, just that I gave him worries.

The wind kicked up from the south, and while walking west, my left ear got a steady blast this afternoon, so I write tonight with a bit of an earache. 

After a short siesta, we went to see the ruins of a 5^th century Roman villa, excavated in a farm field not far from here.  Amazing mosaic tile work reminded me once again that people have trod this land for many centuries.

We are staying in a monastery tonight – quite old, quite lovely.  The water is hot, the bed comfortable, the Wi-Fi is free, and so the monks have done quite a good job of it all.