16. Terradillos de los Templarios to Mansilla de las Mulas 22/7/12

I was the last to leave the albergue as usual – and that was at 8.30.  I had a coffee and cig before leaving.  Good pilgrim’s breakfast.

It took me an hour and a half to do 12 kms as I’d bike along and chat to people and then keep biking and cycle beside the next lot of walkers I knew.  

It was basically a flat 50km ride this day.  All the scenery was mainly dry paddocks but I loved this little bridge that the Camino went over.

I caught up with the Russian couple I'd had dinner with the night before. They had left at 5.30am so even though I followed the Camino path on a dirt track I'd caught them by 10am and took a photo of them at the plaque indicating the half way point on the Camino.

The three Russians at the halfway point of the Camino

I then caught up with the lovely Anna and I cycled beside her till we got to a little village and then we bought fruit and things to have for a small picnic on the pavement in the shade.  The Spanish must have thought we were mad sitting there - but it was such a hot day that sitting on the concrete in the shade was great. 

Anna the Irish lass buying stuff for our picnic

These little shops are great as they sell everything from fruit, meat and cheese to pork crackle

It was a long straight run in the hot sun and I got to a lovely village at about 2pm and found a great room above a pub – but it didn’t have wifi and I really felt like doing my blog – so I continued to the next town and the first albergue I came to was perfect: green grass, shady,  dorm above a pub and wifi.  I’d met up with some guys I met on the first day and had cycled beside them for a bit this afternoon – and they also came to stay here – so we had a beer in the garden – and that’s basically what I did all evening – had beers in the garden while chatting and writing my diary and looking at photos. The tapas they served with the beer were also great.

In the bar they also had all this meat hanging up

John (Brit) and Jerry (German) having a beer in the garden of our Albergue

I stayed here two nights as I loved the bar and garden 

The next day was a lazy one. I'd intended to cycle but by the time I got up and went to the garden for breakfast Anna arrived so had breakfast with her till 10am. Then Martin the German guy arrived and he asked if I wanted a beer to we sat and had a couple of pints - and then I decided it was too hot to cycle - so had a wonder round the town and then sat in the garden again that night.