Day 16 – Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz

My walk today began in fog which burned off about an hour into the hike revealing my first real look at the sweeping meseta. I tried to show the expanse of this high plain with a pano shot, but it is simply to immense to capture in a photo.

Walked part of the day with people I have met over the past week, and met some new pilgrims as well making the walk go very quickly.

I am now in Castrojeriz, a town of 500 souls not including the continuous wave of pilgrims passing through. Castrojeriz was originally a hill town fortified by the Romans, and then played an important role in taking the Iberian peninsula back from the Moors. As a result it has been an important waypoint on the Camino de Santiago since Medieval times. I’ve included a picture showing the town’s main church with the ruins of an ancient castle on the hill above.

Even though this town is small, my accommodations are the best I have had since starting the Camino over 2 weeks ago! I ended up in a newly renovated hotel with all the modern conveniences including a double bed and a terrace overlooking the valley. Included a pano shot from from the terrace of my hotel…awesome view!