Days 17&18: Atapuerca to Burgos

The walk out of Atapuerca was quite a climb, most of it on craggy rocks that definitely made me think of the early humans who lived in nearby caves one million years ago. Atapuerca is a UNESCO World Heritage site, although there’s not much in this little town and you have to go to the museum in Burgos to see the fossils. It was actually a really nice walk, mostly through farmland, some forest, and cute little villages until I got close to Burgos, then it was walking along loud roads and the outskirts of the city. But the approach into Burgos along the river was really nice and I’m so glad I have a rest day in this historic town.
I’m in a nice, real hotel, which is a bit luxurious after staying in little guest houses with shared bathrooms. After showering and getting changed, I went straight to the cathedral. I didn’t really know what to expect, and I was blown away by the Burgos Cathedral. It rivals Santiago’s cathedral (might even be more beautiful), and it’s definitely the most grand thing I’ve seen on the Camino Francés so far. Even though it is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve ever seen, a testament to human ingenuity and art, it does bring up mixed feelings about all that wealth in the church through the ages. 🤔
I had a Camino reunion of sorts with different people I’ve met over the last couple of weeks. I sent messages out to a few people, and we all met in the plaza beside the cathedral for drinks, then we went down the cute little lanes and found a place to have dinner. I was with Philip from Boston, Marge and Marie from Connecticut, Catherine from Edinburgh, Veronica from the Netherlands, and Ernesto from Germany. We even ran in to the Navy guys in one of the little lanes. We shared a wonderful meal and some nice Vino Tinto, and really enjoyed learning more about one another. Most people are leaving Burgos before me so I’m not sure if or when I will see them again, but it was a joyful evening. 😊
This rest day has been a needed break from daily walking. I did laundry and had time to soak my clothes because they were getting pretty stinky even with daily washing. 😷 I also bought some new deodorant in hopes of mitigating the stink in the future. 😂 I went to a couple of shops looking for gaiters for my shoes to keep the pebbles out, but I’m not having any luck. Maybe I’ll find something in Leon. I also visited the museum of human evolution, a world class museum housing the Atapuerca fossils and much more, and then I got a massage this afternoon. It was heavenly! I also spent time planning the next week and booked my accommodations through Léon. It looks like I’m going to get there 3-4 days before Amy, so I am still working on a plan for how I will use that time. I could either keep walking and then bus back to Léon, or visit some other areas in Spain. Let me know if you have any great ideas.!Read more