STAGE EIGHTEEN: Carrion to Sahagun

I was the last in my room this morning when I finally left, I enjoyed it, I packed up slowly and had my sights set on a distance that is not common...about forty two kilometers. I had several reasons for this, I was determined to not really walk alone as much as to set my pace...I pulled over to get coffee before hand and the place I went into gave you a pastry, cafe con leche and orange juice for 2.50 euros a perfect way to start the day. In my pack I had a pack of cured ham, mozzarella , baguette and yoghurt. I felt stocked and way better off than yesterday. I walked alone with my sights pretty high. I stopped at one point to get something from my pack a guy in shorts passed me, hands in pockets as casual as can be. I was freezing cold so his shorts caught my attention but he seemed so at peace with his steps and just looked kind of like a poster boy for an REI ad and a casual outdoor life. We walked the exact pace for about two hours and I was totally fine walking on
My own not certain I wanted to change it... I was curious how many steps apart we were from walking together and figured it out to be forty eight steps difference at the exact pace. I guess two hours into it my pace must have increased and we ended up side by side and would walk together and take a nice lunch break. J from Canada is in his early fifties and he and his wife sound really outdoorsy, no children and I enjoyed our conversation. He started kilometers ahead of me and I would say bye to him as he picked a small auberge in a very small town...I kept going for what would be my longest walk today's, a length almost unheard of of forty two or so kilometers. I was so happy to walk into Sahagun, to a Benedictine convent where I would get a single room for twenty Euros. I found the local grocery store and boy
Bought enough to tie me over, a nice slice of green melon and shaved carpaccio for dinner, and I took the longest hot bath that was the greatest feeling in the World. I tried to talk to Steve tonight on the phone but I was so tired I couldn't even speak. I slept so well, I would try to sleep in but the rule is to be out by eight thirty (late by pilgrims standards) and I would push it to close to nine. My plan is to take advantage of all great weather after my two cold days and walk a nice length in a comfortable pace.