it has been a few days since i have been able to find internet service.  but i have covered a lot of ground, and have felt very fortunate to have met alex and catalina, a beautiful romanian couple that i met that magical night in san nicolas.  our paces are similar, and they are both fascinating to talk with and fun to be around.  we walked more or less together to carrion de los condes, then to terradillos de los templarios, and although we didn't walk together to calzadilla de los hermanillos, we met up there at the albuerge and set out together in the morning for mansillas de los mulas.  they are ineresting to talk with because their lives have been so different than mine.  catalina talks about being 10 years old when the revolution happened in her country, and therefore having a front row seat, so to speak, in seeing the social and cultural changes that have happened in romania as it has embraced capitalism.  she converses completely fluently in english, italian and french (in which she took her studies at university) and of course, in romanian.  so the morning that we left terradillos de los templarios, i said goodbye to them because i was going to be filming with lydia and that always takes an hour or two (or three!) so i knew we wouldn't walk together.  halfway through our walk we would have to make a decision whether we wanted to walk the old roman road, which is a little longer, or walk on the new, modern 'senda' which runs next to a road.  the guide book said that if we chose the old roman way, our next day's walk would be the most perfect extant old roman road of the whole camino.  that's what i wanted, and they did, too, so we had a plan.  everyone else we knew would be walking on the senda.  the filmingcoupled with not feeling well, and the water i had filled my camelpack with not tasting quite right to me, slowed my pace.  i got to a tiny, TINY, town around 3:30, and still had 8 km to go.  i stopped as i entered the town, seeing a very small (thinnk one room schoolhouse) building that was the albuerge.  2 men were kind of wandering around near it, and there was a sign for a bar across the street from them.  even though there was a sign, i couldn't find the bar.  it seemed like an abandoned building.  they came over and i learned they were italian.  they pushed open a door, and sure enough there was a bar in there!  we had a drink at the bar (water) and then they walked with me to the edge of town, which was about 2 blocks down the street.  i  headed off, with nothing in front of me, and only the two italians, gerardo and giuseppe, in the town behind me.  it was a strange feeling, leaving a town at 4 pm, knowing i had about 2 hrs walk before me.  i was soon all alone, on a beauiful stretch of road in the middle of fields with no one around.  it was so beautiful and peaceful, although it was probably the very first time i had any fear on the camino. after walking for 2 hours, sure enough another village came into view, and i had made it to calzadilla de los hermanillos!  when i checked into the albuerge, i asked if there was a romanian couple there and the woman said no.  my heart fell, but as i looked into the small cubbies, i mean rooms, who did i see just waking up from a nap but catalina and alex!  it was so nice to see them, and even nicer, after i woke up from my own nap to hear them say they had taken the liberty of shopping for dinner which they wanted to make for me.  we ate pasta together, and it was one of the most delicious meals so far!  simple food, nice conversation, and the warmth of new friends who were as happpy to see me as i was to see them. 
the next day, we were happily walking through fields on old roman roads when we saw a sign in the distance.  when we got closer, the sign actually said that the pilgrim's way to santiago was closed for repairs.  what?!!?!!  the old roman road had lasted just up until when we were about to walk on it!?!!  we were guided by arrows to detour over some train tracks and join the modern senda.  it ended up being not as bad as we had imagined: the road that it runs next to is hardly traveled, and it is white sand over decomposed granite, so it was not hard on the feet/legs.  unfortunately i lost catalina and alex as we got closer the a village.  i stopped in what i thought was the only bar to get something to eat, sure that they would walk in.  who walked in a few minutes later but gerardo and giuseppe!  we ate together, and walked the rest of the day together.  we had a lot of fun, walking and talking.  they said that they were amazed that i had chosen to go further the night before, and they were a little worried about me, but they remarked that i seemed so serene as i set off.  that is the second time someone has described me as serene on this trip.  i think i am serene on the camino, and what i am interested in is keeping that serenity when i go back to my home.  i have heard pilgrims talking about how to keep the camino going when we no longer have the yellow arrows to point our way.  it will be ineresting to see. 
meanwhile, i feel sure that i will see catalina and alex again.  i'm not sure when or where, but i know it will be a lovely surprise, just as it was when i found them in calzadillos. i think i put another picture of them onto the flickr site, so you can seee them for yourselves.  plus, i gave them this website, so they may be reading this right along with you! if you are reading this catalina and alex,  hello my friends, and if i don't see you again-buen camino.  it has been a pleasure!
peace and blessings-
a