September 29th - It has been so long since I wrote, I hhardly know where to begin.  I am now in Sahagun, an interesting red brick city of 70,000or so that was the center of Kights Templar influence for several centuries.  We're out of the stone buildings temporarily and into brick and adobe.  Also, we are on the Meseta 100 plus miles of mostly flat or gently rolling hills of grain and hay fields; flocks of sheep again, and I just had a yummy lunch of roast lamb.  Other people complain about, even dread, the Meseta but I am loving the big sky,  it is a bit like walking in western Kansas or Oklahoma, except no houses except in villages.

My favorite town recently has been Castrojeriz, a city on the base of a mound atop which is a big castle in ruins.  It's here that my friend Nia and her partner, Mau, have opened a hospital del alma."  It is a house right on the Camino, open door, up a few steps, soft, soothing music, beautiful framed photographs of people and places along the Camino with wise captions in three languages, herbal tea, cookies, comfortable chairs, a garden with more of them out back.  I was hoping Mau would be there or come back while I rested and enjoyed looking at everything but he didn't.  

I walked on and went into an outfitting shop in the Plaza Mayor to buy a belt as I had sent my pack ahead and needed something from which to hang my deerskin water bottle pouch.  The older proprietor, no English and very kind provided me oneand also told me how to find an ATM machine - "Abajo,Abajo, Abajo" smiling, and it was.  Down four flights of stairs.  On the way back I stopped at the local farmer's market and bought some green beans to munch on. Green vegetables are not the long suit of Spain I've discovered.  I spied some purple plums and picked up two.  The farmer shuffled over and said, when I asked how much? And said, something like, " no, no, no-for you nothing."  He then put about ten pls in my bag, and beaming, put out his hand to say,  "Buen Camino."  I was so moved I kissed him on the cheek!  Got to stop, eyes tired, more later.  Love, MBR