Atapuerca

Atapuerca, Spain
2 weeks on the Camino...269.6 km down, 510.3 to go and we're still walking, talking to each other, and smiling after completing 30 km, our longest day. Last night for dinner Mike had alubianas (red beans) with morcillo, a local blood sausage, hoping to be jet propelled. Alas he had to make it all under his own power. We got an early start, leaving under the light of a full moon as we exited Belorado. We were treated to an exquisite sunrise before Tosantos. We kept trucking until we reached Espinosa del Camino for our morning coffee/ orange juice stop. We are communing with Mother Nature in all her glory, interrupted only by periodic little villages. The wide-open fields were recently harvested and we're seeing birds for a change and lots of bugs from freshly mowed fields. Field mice are also thriving, and a good mouser is worth her weight in gold. One brought her catch to an area beside one of our coffee stops. She entertained the pilgrims with her game of cat and mouse, tossing her treasure into the air and leaping sideways in between pounces. Poor little mouse didn't stand a chance. The rich brown earth of freshly tilled fields was so inviting, I was tempted to run my fingers through it. Knowing I was facing 30 kms kept me on track. Most of the day was a steady ascent on a hill that just wouldn't end. When we thought the trail had leveled off, we'd come around a bend and continue to climb. Evidence of last night’s rain in the form of mini ponds to transverse and lots of red clay mud kept us zigzagging, adding to the distance to our destination. We passed through pine scented forests carpeted with ferns. In the clearing pretty little flowers sprung from the ground similar to the way crocus emerge through snow. It was also the first time we've seen cattle and horses grazing in a field since the Pyrenees. We finally reached Atapuerca, an archeological site where human remains over 800,000 years old have been discovered, around 2:30. Our lodging is ancient, with stone walls over 2 feet thick and massive rustic wooden beams crisscrossing the low ceiling of our room under the eaves. In the description of the facility, they listed having toilet paper (wahoo!) with sheets and towels available for a fee. Bedbugs free of charge... only kidding, I hope. Should be an interesting night.Read more