We only took a short walk (15K) to Santillana del Mar. We said goodbye to our Belgian and German friends who do 30K a day. They passed us with a wave and a "Buen Camino". They motor on in a cloud of dust.
The walking is pleasant and cool. We walk at breakneck speed for us --3K, the Nordic and Alpine folk walk at 4K per hour. Shortly, almost to shortly, we start descending into Santillana. There are well dressed folk about and it seems we've walked in on a wedding in the main city church. We see some other pilgrims on the square and we join them for a bit of rest. As we're looking around it quickly becomes apparent to us that this town is tourist central. The town has been 'preserved' to look like 'old Spain'. The shops look like Mackinac Island in Michigan, full of shlock and trinkets. Instead of fudge every other shop sells chocolates and 'authentico' Cantabrian fruit preserves. There are very fancy restaurants, a paradour (an old building turned into a 300 per night hotel), and shops with 'artisan' leather goods and knick-knacks. The albergue was public and not so swanky. We waited around until 4 for the city official to come and check us in. We went shopping for sausage, bread, fruit, and wine for dinner.
Sleep came easily in the Mackinac Isand of Spain.
I shared prayers with the Swanson family and my HS Sunday school class of Stony Creek--thanks for the encouragement gang!
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