The walk from Carrion de Los Condes to Terradillos de Templarios is a long one. The first 17 km are without villages, food or water supply, following an excellent wide path through fields and gentle hills. No people except the occasional farmer or pilgrim in the distance.

The day was glorious – bright and brisk.

For the first time on the camino (and I rarely do it while walking at home either), I listened to my motley collection of music for a few hours. It was perfect – no cars, no people, just me, the music, the poles, the path, the wind, the fields and changing shadows from moving clouds.

One song that popped up in my shuffled collection was Joan Baez singing “Forever Young.” It was a song we had played at my mother’s funeral party in January. The song suited my mood because I was cutting short my 2014 Camino the next day, to attend another funeral – that of my 98-year-old father-in-law. I was carrying a little container of my parents’ ashes. I pulled it out of my pack and cast their ashes to the wind on the Spanish meseta, to “Forever Young.”

A wish for all of us!

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

The meseta seems a place to be happy and alive.

I made good speed like a well-tuned walking machine. (Remember – everything is relative!). I strode into Calzadilla de la Cueza and followed the arrows to the first bar-café in 17 km. I marched around the corner and the really fast walkers looked up from their food and drinks to see who was coming. They laughed when they saw it was me and not someone 20 or 30 or 40 years younger. They said I seem to disappear from the camino convoy but keep popping up when least expected.

It really was a perfect day and I felt forever young.