Day 12 - 06.07.2020

 From the discussions with the other pilgrims we are left with the impression that today's stage is just a descent, surprise! Right at the beginning, at the exit from the locality, until the iron cross there is an accentuated ascent and it reaches 1505 m, after which the descent to Ponferrada follows.

A feeling of success and joy envelops your heart when you reach the base of the cross. How many people have brought their suffering, joy, but also their whole life through the stones left at its foundation.

Although we were happy, a shadow passes over our souls. What do we leave there? The stones we had brought especially from Romania, the white quartz stones from the Țibleș Mountains, we had lost together with Vasi's credential in the storm on Alto del Perdon. A smile appeared on my lips, I had tied a tricolor to my little pink backpack. It wasn't big enough to wrap it around the wood of the cross, but it was big enough to tie it to the tape that was wrapped around the cross, probably not a big deal for many, but it was for us and for all Romanians, who couldn't reach Camino.

After a few moments of peace and tranquility, we set off again for Ponferrada.

Having problems finding accommodation again, none answered the phone, we have no choice but to go further to Camponaraya. Hostels are not open, so we take a room, we are the only pilgrims again.

Day 8 - 02.07.2020

An endless day through huge fields of wheat, you can barely see someone, a tractor gathering huge bales of straw or a combine harvesting wheat.

We advance all day on dirt and asphalt tracks, being very early when we left the hotel, and we got lost, instead of turning left towards Itero de la Vega, we go forward towards Boadilla del Camino on the road.

Without energy and moody, we didn't even take photos slowly, the only interesting thing from this stage is the Roman bridge, which is still used today, being transited even by cars.

We do not find accommodation in Fromista or in the following villages, so we have to go to Carrion de los Condes, where we spend the night in the hostel of the monastery of Santa Clara. We are expected by a gentleman, the nuns do not interact with anyone. Not being renovated for many years, the doors are so narrow that every time I have to go to the toilet Vasi has to take me in his arms.

After the 43 km, the fatigue makes its presence felt, but also Vasi's hip pain, in the evening other pilgrims, two cyclists and a man and three boys (about the age of my son, Raul, 17 years old) start to arrive.

We spend the rest of the evening studying the map and trying to find out what awaits us next, but also to decide what to do, because the muscle pain, according to the pharmacist, makes its presence known even while resting.

We decide to go by bus to Leon the next day because there are still two difficult stages ahead of us, including the climb on O Cereibo. All day long we have our nerves stretched to the limit.

Day 7 - 01.07.2020

    I forgot to tell you, after our short visit to the cathedral in Burgos, on the way to the hotel we stop at the pharmacy, the pharmacist tells us to try a medicament before going to the doctor, remedy used by athletes and pilgrims. I'm surprised when I notice the active substance: ibuprofen-arginine, which has enhanced anti-inflammatory effects. That night Vasi takes a pill and to our surprise after it his leg no longer hurts, so we decided to postpone the visit to the doctor. In the morning he takes another pill and we set off. The exit from Burgos is beautiful, we are happy that it is not raining anymore and we will be able to reach our destination before it is too hot.

We booked beds at a municipal albergue in Hontana, which opened its doors the same day. In Hornillos del Camino we stop to eat sandwiches and have a coffee, it's 11 am, we find that  albergue here aren't open, but we anyways have reservations so we don't worry about it.

Long dirt tracks and huge cereal fields reveal little by little the famous Spanish meseta. We find less shade, but at least Vasi's leg doesn't hurt anymore. Until Hontana we cross two long and lonely portions of the meseta, the last part contains a more accentuated and stony part, which gives us headaches.

    However, we are happy because we are talking to the lady from the albergue, to confirm the reservation, we find out that on the same day the famous mochilla de la luz will arrive.

    Before leaving Romania we spoke with one of the organizers of the project to commemorate the victims of Covid-19, if we could join: to take a piece of the road, a backpack as a tribute to all victims around the world, we forgot about project because it had started before we left Romania and we didn't think we would catch up with it. But we did, so in our joy, we thought we had another chance to join the project.

    The descent to Hontana strained Vasi's foot, as the part is rather dangerous for me and my bike, the stones, gravel and ditches on the agricultural road made my bike a real sleigh, which I could not control even with the brakes from my wheelchair. Vasi is forced to whitstand the brunt force of the descent. I was nervous and I was very scared, but at least we could see the town and we knew we almost finished for today, but we will not finish as we thought.

    We arrived at the albergue very tired, we had done 31.5 km on a stifling heat, it's 2 o'clock. In front of the albergue at a table were two men who entered and got out of the albergue patio without masks on, there were two ladies talking between them without masks or other safety methods against the virus, I was in the street and Vasi wants to enter the patio (right out of the street) to put down the backpack so he could put on the mask, when suddenly one of the ladies started screaming and pushing Vasi out the door on the street. I didn't understand what was happening, among the screams she told us that we didn't have masks and that maybe we were infected, to leave quickly because we didn't have a reservation and she certainly won't welcome us. Dismayed, we didn't understand what was happening and what we were supposed to do. I called the number I had made the reservation earlier that morning, a gentleman answered, I introduced myself and I asked why we were not allowed to enter, even though we had masks and a reservation, he told me that we had no masks and we were not welcome there, they had no masks on! He starts threatening again, which I couldn't stand and I turn off the phone. Tired as we were, we had no water and we had nowhere to buy, we rest for a few moments on a bench below the hostel and set off again.

    At the exit of Hontana we find an open swimming pool, from where we take a water and a cola, we keep the road to Castrojeriz, we walk about 5 km, when behind us stops a police car  (civil guard). He identifies us and in the meantime they tell us that the lady from the albergue in Hontana called the police because we tried to enter the hostel without masks and they ask us what happened. We tell them that even though we had a reservation and masks, she didn't want to receive us, I didn't understand why so we left. After our documents were checked, both Romania and Spain (we had the NIE for more than 15 years) politely ask us if we want to denounciate the albergue or the lady from the hostel to consumer protection, because they personally have seen that we had reservations. I tell him I don't want to, and the documents are returned to us and we receive a warm buen Camino. 

    We go to Catrojeriz, even though we don't have accommodation, at the municipal albergue they tell us that although they are open, they don't receive pilgrims, so we continue searching. We find a place in a hotel, we were alone in the whole hotel, so we rest for the rest of the day. With all the good and bad, one more day ends.

Day 6 - 30.06.2020

Vasi's leg hurts more and more, we leave around 6 o'clock in the morning, we barely arrive in Belorado at noon. 

We decided to go to Burgos by bus to see a doctor and rest, but also because we could not find accommodation in Belorado. We sit at a table and without thinking too much of it, we buy sandwiches and cafe con leche to wait for the bus.

At 3 pm, the bus, although it appeared to be adapted for people with disabilities, the access ramp was not functional. We arrive in Burgos, a feeling of being at home embraces us and warms our souls long before we enter the city.

Due to the fact that it was already late Vasi decides to postpone the visit to the doctor so we make a short visit to the cathedral and stock up on food and rest at the hotel (no albergues are open). 

We sleep very badly, I don't know if due to tiredness or heat, at some point in the night a storm breaks out loudly over the city, I am horrified at the thought that we will have to go through the rain, but it was not like that, a beautiful day you starts tomorrow!