Itero de la Vega to Carrion de las Condes

Today was kind of a long, hard, crazy walk. To start out with, when I left Itero de la Vega just before dawn it took me a while to figure out which direction to start out. Had to backtrack to find a yellow arrow, and there were no hordes for me to follow today. It was really strange not to have people in crowds ahead of me and people passing me. I think I just hit a low spot by starting early and walking pretty fast.
My pace went from more than 5km an hour this morning, when it was cool out and I was fresh, to slooooowww this afternoon when my NEW blister was killing my left foot and it was hot. I was ready to stop at 28km but the hostel there was closed for the day for repairs, the (German) volunteer told me! I could have stayed in the private hotel there, but who knows the cost, so I went another 5km. I also wanted to keep going because this town has a pharmacy and a supermarket, which the last did not. I needed sunscreen and bandaids and snacks.
I´m in the albergue Santo Espiritu, which is run by a convent, as are two of the other albergues in town. The first one, Santa Clara, just didn´t have a good feel to it, and the guy was kind of rude. The second was full, but the helpful nun directed me here. It was only after I´d paid that I found the courtyard filled with kids, maybe 40 kids ages 9 to 15, who appear to be here for day camp. Except it´s overnight camp too. They were blasting Spanish pop music and playing ball in the yard, while I wanted to nap! But I do think it´s nice that they are doing something for the kids, so I´m trying not to be selfish. All I can say, though, is that it´s 9:45 and I can still hear the kids, they´re not in bed yet, and I will be very soon! So I´m hoping I get sleep tonight since I didn´t get a nap.
I went to the church service tonight and the room was, strangely, full! Usually I find about 10 to 50 people in church on a weeknight, pilgrims and old ladies, etc., but this was full of youth and there were 5 priests up front and guitars accompanying the songs. (usually it´s a capella. I haven´´t heard a piano or organ in a service yet.) I found out afterward the youth are missionaries from Madrid. Interesting. But they did a nice pilgrim blessing at the end, actually had us stay and sing and pray a little, just us, instead of just adding a benediction to the end of the service.
I was grateful today for the breeze that kicked up in the afternoon, and for the clouds that blocked the sun by the end of my walk. I felt like God was giving me help when I needed it most!
I was low on food so my lunch was bread with melted chocolate bar smeared on it. I´´m so tired of ham and cheese. Tortilla for late breakfast after 15km was perfect, though.