Up 264 m and Down 272 m
After a better nights sleep, we were awakened at 6:30 by the "get in at 3 p.m. have a 2 hour siesta and go to bed at 8:30 p.m. brigade". We got up and went down to the bar for breakfast. By 8:15 we were on our way, the dawn was breaking and it was cold, but not as cold as yesterday.
Our route took us along the bottom of a valley and straight through a magnificent gateway in the ruins of the monastery of San Anton. I tried to take a picture but it was so cold the batteries in the camera had gone on strike, (likewise the batteries in my GPS which kept on turning itself off).
We eventually came to the town of Castrojeriz
where we found all the churches locked. We faithfully followed the yellow arrow waymarkings through the town, looking in vain for an open cafe for coffee and a shop for bread. 
After getting to the edge of town we back tracked into the town centre and, away from the camino, found a chemist, a supermarket selling fresh bread and a cafe. We visited all three, before ascending to Alto de Monstelares, 
a local high point with fine views. 
Our route then took us down steeply onto the Meseta again. We debated with ourselves if the steep hill we came down was 'Donkey killer hill' mentioned in "travels with my Donkey" or not? We will have to re-read it again for the third time, when we get home.After an hour or so we crossed the Rio Pisuerga on a beautiful medieval bridge, crossing into the province of Palencia. Just past the bridge was a picnic area where we stopped for lunch.
We then continued on for another couple of hours to our final destination of Boadilla del Camino to the delightful Albergue & Casa Rural. 
We looked at the Albergue (hostal) which was very cramped with few bunks left. For another €16, in the Casa Rural, we could have our own room with sheets and towels, so decided to go for that instead. The room is lovely and simple as is the rest of the Casa. The whole Albergue & Casa Rural appears to have been made out of an old farm. There are many old farming bits about including a couple of threshing sledges. There is a small swimming pool with icy water in it and also various sculptures and other bits of Art work dotted about.
In the casa itself, the walls are adorned with paintings by the owner, who is a very accomplished artist called Begona. I like their work, especially their pictures of the local canal and landscapes.We had a fine Castillian meal with a great lamb and vegetable soup, followed by a beef stew and flan (creme caramel - which appears to be the Spanish national pudding).
On the Camino in Spain
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