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  • Camino de Santiago
    1
    Day 21–22

    Burgos - Hornillos

    Yesterday in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    Got on the Camino after a leisurely start with Bosco and Helen about 0900 which is later than normal but wasn’t expecting an hour for breakfast but no big deal. 40ish degree temperature, partly cloudy but lots of sun peeking through. About 22km to our next overnight at Hornillos del Camino .
    One long, climb of about 152 meters elevation gain today ( about 500 ft ) so nothing terrible.
    After 3 weeks on the Camino our bodies have gotten stronger but not without some new aches and pains. Getting up and walking 12 to 25 km with a backpack every single day ( with the exception of the two, 2 day rests ) will test limits. Toes, ankles, knees, especially knees, are being asked to work harder than they probably ever have. We always meet pilgrims daily that are struggling waaay more than we are and some that just aren’t able to continue or finish their Camino.
    As I was contemplating this fact today with a really aching left foot the most appropriate song ever by Drew Holcomb popped into my head. Listen here:
    https://youtu.be/pKMi8PZOytQ?si=KjETqRcAYDYSgsws
    All the beds in Hornillos were spoken for when we arrived but we had reserved ahead of time ( it’s a tiny town ) so Bosco and Helen went on a few more km and found a nice Albergue. As is said: “ the Camino will provide. “
    Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. Hope your day was great! ❤️
    For Lula and Campbell:
    The best part of our day was an easy Sunday morning and hearing all the church bells going off at once in Burgos as we were leaving town. It was amazing.    Read more

  • Camino de Santiago
    31121112121
    Day 19–21

    Agés to Burgos

    May 9 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

    Agés to Burgos was a 23.4 km (14.6 miles) day. Were off about 0700 and had a relatively nice, cool, rainy, mostly downhill hike after a crazy steep, wet, rocky goat trail right outta the gate. Not as steep as Belorado to Agés but the sharp stones and loose rock were a bit challenging especially in the rain.
    First town (and café con leche and breakfast ) was about 8.6km and a welcome respite from the misting rain and growling stomachs. After a great rest stop and refueling our bodies we were getting our packs and rain gear on to leave the crowded little café, in walks our friends Bosco and Helen from NZ ! I think they’re stalking us. 😉
    We chatted a bit and told them we’d hopefully see them in Burgos. ( we had exchanged email addresses but Burgos is a town of 180,000 with hundreds of hostels and hotels so the odds weren’t in our favor )
    Four hours later we strolled into Burgos and found an ATM and lunch then plugged in the address to our lodging.
    We had decided to stay 2 nights to rest some aches and pains and do laundry in an actual washing machine for the first time since we started. The place we booked was billed as a 1 room apartment with washing machine, furnished kitchen, queen size bed and sofa.
    Sounded like heaven after the previous night in the Albergue in Agés where we were in bunk beds along with 6 other pilgrims in the same room and shared bathrooms. The bed next to ours had a professional snorer. Didn’t think that was a thing but I’m now convinced. I promise you there were folks in the next town that must have been wondering why there was a bulldozer working somewhere in the middle of the night. Yowzer! 😵‍💫
    Anyway, Burgos ….
    We made our way through town to our lodging and just as we approaching the door I hear “Dale!” behind me and it was,(drumroll please…)
    Bosco and Helen!!
    Staying at the same place!
    For 2 days also! Good times!
    We all got much needed rest and had some great tapas as well as a tour of the Catedral de Santa María de Burgos
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgos_Cathedral
    I took A LOT of photos but none come close to actually seeing the grandeur of that amazing place.
    Life is good!
    For Lula and Campbell:
    Best part of our day(s) were:
    Staying dry, meeting our now great friends again, having a washing machine and no snoring!    Read more

  • TravelerCompostelle
    12
    Day 19

    Burgos

    May 2 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Nous sommes maintenant à Burgos où nous avons visité la superbe cathédrale avec ses chapelles époustouflantes . Une belle ville
    vivante. Nous sommes arrivés sous la pluie et le soleil a fait son apparition en après-midi! Belle journée !Read more

    See translation
  • TravelerThe Beauty of Moving Slowly
    1
    Day 15

    Burgos

    May 1 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Hi Everyone,

    Today was my rest day in Burgos which is a beautiful city to take it easy, walk around, do some people watching, and relax.

    As I mentioned yesterday, it’s May Day here and a public holiday. In the morning I took care of a few housekeeping items that I needed to tick off and then I hit the streets. On my way to the river, I passed the beginnings of a loud and proud crowd of workers, unionists, and an accompanying band of drummers. Everyone was getting in the mood and I got caught up in the celebrations. I asked someone if they could speak English so that I could find out about the marchers. He couldn’t help me but he called his friend Arnie over. Expecting to have a conversation in Spanglish, I was surprised when he spoke to me with a perfect British accent. Turns out Arnie is Spanish and he lives here, but his Mum is British.

    Before long, they were away and I watched them disappear up the main street before I headed back to the river and around to the cathedral through the magnificent 14th century Arco de Santa Maria. The 13th century Catedral de Santa Maria is a world heritage site and it is obvious to see why. It is one of the most impressive and beautiful structures that I have ever seen and I marvelled at the intricated carvings and works around and inside the church. The plaza in front of the cathedral was starting to get busy and the side streets of the square were populated by the locals who were out to enjoy the day.

    As I passed through one of the busy ‘tapas’ streets, I met the band and the marchers coming from the opposite direction. They headed to the main plaza where they held a rally and then everyone headed off to do whatever they had planned.

    As I said, Burgos is a beautiful city to walk around but I’m looking forward to getting out of town and back into the country. Tomorrow will be my first day on the meseta, or plains, section of the Camino. Many people skip this section and catch a train to León but I find it a very contemplative space to spend a week. The first section of the Camino to this point is often described as the physical stage where you get used to walking 25kms each day. This next stage is known by some as the mental stage where you spend a lot of time in your head. I’m looking forward to it.

    Now, I have an Efron announcement for y’all. I have discovered that, like any great entrepreneur, Efron has now cut off public access to his videos of the Camino. You can subscribe to his channel if you like but I do have a replacement for your entertainment over your morning coffee and I’ll provide a link to the first one from Hornillos tomorrow. In the meantime, here is one last blast from Efren. It includes a retrospective of what you are familiar with to this point, as well as a hint of what is to come.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_kJIneRJAI&amp…

    Thanks for joining me so far and Buen Camino everyone.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago/ Camino Fra
    1
    Day 10

    Day 10 May 1 Ayegui - Sansol

    May 1 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Day 10 Thursday May 1 from Ayegui to Sansol -
    This is the 7th day of walking. I can’t believe that I have walked
    156.2 kilometres and 622.5 to go! We are walking to Sansol today. Weather is great and our first stop is to the wine fountain. Everyone talks about this. A fountain that pours wine for pilgrims to drink! How great is that! The wine in Spain is so good and $2 Euros a glass.
    I have very sore toes with a small blisters today so I had to wear my sandals to walk. I was surprised that my Teva Sandles were so good to walk in. Even on stones and gravel. In the afternoon we stopped for a snack and met up with some other pilgrims. That’s the interesting thing about the Camino you can meet someone today and then meet them again in a few days.
    We stayed at a real nice Albergue and the owner made us paella with chicken for dinner. It was delicious and I had an opportunity to meet more pilgrims.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino De Santiago (Francés)
    4
    Day 25–26

    Burgos to Hornillos del Camino

    May 1 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    It’s hard to believe I was back on the Camino today!!! Not without some challenges though.
    I decided to start early and left the hostel at 6:30. But given the fact that I am sense-of-direction challenged, I spent the first half hour lost in Burgos trying to find the way. So much for an early start. Then, after almost a week of blue skies and sunshine, it was raining this morning! Hard at times! It definitely tested my gear, which almost failed me after 6 hours on the trail.
    But not all were challenges. Just outside Rabe the la Calzada, on the way to Hornillos del Camino, there is a tiny hermitage, Hermita de la Virgen del Monasterio.
    The doors were open so I decided to go in. I was greeted by two nuns at the door. It only took one second for me to step inside to break down crying uncontrollably. They asked for my name and gave me a hug.
    I noticed that other pilgrims were crying too. There was something about them and the place that I cannot explain.
    I stayed for a while. Before every pilgrim leaves, they give them a special blessing and a little image of the virgin to protect them on the Camino.
    The open the hermitage every day so that pilgrims can find strength and respite.
    They asked me if I wanted to say something for their Facebook page, and I agreed. I am not so sure they will post it because I was crying so hard, it was difficult to decipher which language I was using.
    I finally arrived at Hornillos de la Calzada with a whole afternoon to relax and recover.
    I have another 20 km planned for tomorrow.

    Hornillos de la Calzada: Stayed at Albergue Casa del Abuelo.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Beauty of Moving Slowly
    1
    12
    Day 14–16

    San Juan to Burgos

    April 30 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    This morning involved an early start for a couple of reasons. First, the place where I stayed did not offer breakfast until 9:00am which is too late to hit the Camino. Second, and because they didn’t serve breakfast, they did provide a small pack of fruit, juice and sandwich for the road. In addition, I didn’t sleep well so I was awake anyway. I waited until early light as the sun struggled to shine through the fog that surrounded the village.

    It was a foggy, crisp start to the day and the walk through the early morning mist was invigorating. The villages of Agés and Atapuerca came along quickly and I was making good time. As I came out of Agés, I crossed a small bridge built by San Juan de Ortega. There are a few bridges on the Camino that were built by San Juan and, apparently, they were built for pilgrims and are still in use today.

    Near Atapuerca there is a UNESCO archaeological site where the earliest remains of humans in Europe, dating back almost one million years, have been found. Unfortunately, the site is some way from the Camino and I am on a schedule. The climb out of Atapuerca is not a long one, certainly compared with the one out of Villafranca, but it is very rocky and it made walking really difficult.

    After that, it was all downhill to Burgos and I was particularly looking forward to the river walk that avoids the long passage of Burgos’ industrial parks and factories. As it turned out, I met Lucky Sakamoto and was in conversation with him about how he needed to book ahead with his accommodation. As a result, I missed the river walk turnoff and was consigned to ten kilometres of pavement, traffic and factories. Not the most attractive entry to Burgos but it was a reminder to me to pay attention.
    I finally made it to my accommodation which is big-city comfortable and, after showering, I headed for the local laundromat to catch up on some washing. Tonight, I ventured out to a nearby bar for an early dinner. When I came out of the café there were people everywhere and the night was just getting started. Tomorrow is Labor Day here in Spain so I’m expecting crowds of kids and families out enjoying the public holiday while others join in protests and marches. Apparently the Anarchists might make an appearance as well so who knows how it might turn out.

    It's a rest day for me tomorrow here in Burgos so I’m not sure if I’ll be posting or not.

    In the meantime, “Buen Camino” everyone.

    Click below to get your daily fix of Efren Gonzalez. Efren walked from Agés which is slightly closer to Burgos than San Juan.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBx0F7iGLEw&amp…

    Distance today: 26 kms
    Total distance travelled so far: 285 kms    Read more

  • TravelerCamino De Santiago (Francés)
    Day 24–25

    Burgos

    April 30 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    After the black out and the chaos that followed, after the train cancellation, the rush to secure a bus ticket and a 9-hour-overnight ride, I arrived in Burgos this morning.
    I visited the Cathedral, took a little train ride, had lunch soaking some sun on a bench at El Espolón , and checked into my hostel.
    Burgos is a mix of old and new, but it is packed with history and amazing architecture. It is also the place where El Cid Campeador is celebrated. The weather has been perfect for wondering around and discovering hidden gems.
    Tomorrow will be a tryout to see how my foot does. I was planning on having the backpack transported, but so far, I have not been able to secure a room at my next stop. I guess that will be the next challenge: sleep under the stars on the front steps of a church.
    Good luck to me!!!

    Burgos: Stayed at Hostel Catedral Burgos    Read more

  • TravelerChris’s Camino
    21
    Day 18

    Burgos - ghost town on a Sunday morning

    April 27 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    The city sure changed. For several minutes, before 8, the only human I saw was a maintenance person. Took a while, and found a bakery with the most beautiful items. I got an extra one for later in the day.

    Later, I did see a few pilgrims starting their journey for the day. One French pilgrim, I had recognized from other days, took my picture and I took hers in the deserted front of the cathedral.    Read more

  • TravelerChris’s Camino
    11
    Day 17

    Over Atapuerca Hill

    April 26 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Over the hill and down into the plain toward Burgos. The rocks were a bit tricky in places but I made it ok.

    There is a sign that says “for your safety take the mining road” but #insteuctionsunclear as it doesn’t show which direction is the mining road.

    I took the route to the left, even though my mapi.cz app showed the main trail going to the right there was one big yellow to the right. Two wooden arrows to the left and one yellow to the left and it all worked out great.    Read more

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