Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Tosantos

I'd heard lots about the Catalan independence struggle, but nothing of Castilla y Leon, the "largest autonomous region in Spain with an area of 95,000 km² (11 times the region of Madrid) but a population of only 2.5 million (less than half that of Madrid)." Today took us into this region, where it sounds like we'll be for some time.

Most of the day was spent adjacent to a highway undergoing significant roadworks, so not the prettiest stretch but still enjoyable, and the warmest so far - I think it got up to 27 degrees, with a beautiful breeze coming into Beldorado.

The trouble with walking east to west is the sun starts behind you and sticks on your left the whole walking day. I'm going to look like I've been grasped firmly by my right hip and dip-dyed in fake tan by the end of this. I forgot how easy it is to tan here, and that UV can even be 0.

I met and walked for about 5km with Matt, some sort of investment person from Sydney, to the extent that I comprehend the notion of 'raising capital' and $100m deals. Apparently we started from SJPP on the same day, but haven't seen each other as he spent one night in an albergue and was so disrupted by a snorer he's been in hotels since.

We found ourselves in agreement on three things in particular.

1. The Americans are incredibly annoying and lack any self awareness whatsoever.

2. The landscapes of the last few days in the Rioja have been incredible, and appreciated slightly more than Navarro because of their difference to home.

3. We dunno what to do about the Metesa - the sparsely populated, flat, arid, (sotto voce) boring, eight day/150km stretch between Burgos and Leon. We might have worked out an approach, more on it later, and he gave me his number and told me to let him know.

Today's stage technically ends 22.4km from Santo Domingo, in Beldorado. I decided to push on a further 4.8km to Tosanto (pop. 60) so I could do the same overshoot the following day, leaving less to walk on the day I get to Burgos and therefore more time to explore it.

It's my first time staying off stage, and my first time in a 'donativo' an experience which will get its own post.Read more