Sept 16. 13 km. short walk
We decided to do a short walk today to break in our shoes. Or to let the shoes break us, depending on whether you are talking to John or me. Right now, I'm not too keen on my new Keens. Tomorrow, different inserts might help. We'll just keep walking.
We have entered the Meseta part of Spain. After Burgos, the terrain turns to rolling hills of wheat, barley, oats and other cereals. For the next 150 miles, this will be what we walk through.
The harvested wheat fields of the Meseta region stretch on for many miles...and days. Bells. So many churches, so many bells. I love the bells that have a beautiful tone and lighten my heart. We have however, encountered recorded bells here in Rabe del la Calzados. Add to this, the fact that they push out their electronic bell sounds every 15 minutes, with tunes of dinner grace and strike on the hour for every hour of the day. Thank goodness the timer on the recording is not set for military time...or we would be getting 23 electric gongs at 11 PM.
Rabe del la Calzados is a small village of 200 people. Perhaps some of the village people commute to Burgos, but it appears that the two bars are set up primarily for the pilgrims. Many of the old homes still,have solid walls, but the tile roofs have fallen in and no one bothers to fix them. 
Our albergue has three rooms and each room has seven people. This albergue is run by a señora and señor, and is name Liberanos Domine. 
Señora is fixing our dinner and helped me get a reservation in our next stop.
The Way keeps many of the villages we pass through solvent. Pilgrims must eat and sleep, and these villages are here. The village we plan to walk to tomorrow has a population of 70 and about 150 beds in albergues for pilgrims.
We encountered an angel today. She was at a crossroad, sitting on her bicycle, giving directions. It seems that a man in a local village altered one of the Camino signs to point to his new albergue. His detour would have added a few extra kilometers to our walk. The woman gave us the correct directions, through some highway construction, and asked if we are going to Santiago. When I replied yes, she asked that we pray for Sante Maria...then asked that we pray for everyone. I told her that I have been, and will continue to. What an angel to encounter out in the middle of nowhere. My prayers of thanks are offered daily for the kindnesses we are given so freely.
A sign in the albergue in Azofra, 'Tourists demand, Pilgrims give thanks'. This pretty much sums it up. At least for me.
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Yeah !! The town of Rabe del la Calzados turns off the church bells after the 10 PM ring. It was peaceful, until 6 AM.
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