Day 14 – Atapuerca to Burgos (June 9)

Map: Day 14

We once again took full advantage of our private room and didn’t get up until 7:30. We figured it was a “short” day so we could sleep in a little. By the time we left around 8:30, our boots were the only ones left. It was quite amusing. But it’s not a race so it’s all good.

The morning hike began with a bit of an uphill but at this point, we’re pros. At the top of the climb was a giant cross. And you could see Burgos, our final stop for the day, in the distance, along with our planned stop of Villavai for breakfast. Unfortunatley, the only thing in town was a delapidated church. Fortunately, the next town (Cardenuela Rio Pico) wasn’t too far and we enjoyed a nice breakfast there.

Then it was on to Villafria. Between Villafria and Burgos, was a very long and industrial strip. There were lots of pilgrims that opted to take the bus the 10 km but that felt like “cheating” to both me and Heather so we walked it. It was an interesting walk. Not very exciting and a bit stinky but because we walked, we were able to stop at some of the stores once we got into Burgos and knock out a few things off our “to buy” list: a charger for Heather’s camera battery, sunglasses for me since I lost mine a few days ago and new insoles for our shoes that will hopefully make the days a little easier.

On our way into Burgos, we saw a Dominos Pizza restaurant. A restaurant? I thought they only delivered. We got a couple of waves from some of the inside diners and Heather swears it was Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner.

We found our resting spot for the night at the municipal albergue. We ended up with a couple of beds in the hallway which means we were probably among the last to arrive. If we had taken the bus, we would’ve gotten here sooner. The albergue had a washer and dryer so after showering, we took full advantage of that. So much better than hand-washing!

Then we ventured out to see the catherdral and find some food. Our Spanish friend Marta from the previous night gave us a list of 10 things to do in Burgos. Since we got here late, we were only able to do three of them: cathedral, have patatas bravas and go to Casa Poncho for cojonudo and cojonuda tapas. Then it was off to Plaza Mayor for more wine, internet and people watching.

We experienced our first albergue drama tonight. It was quite interesting. There were two men a man arguing very loudly. From what I heard from someone else, the guy was trying to sleep and the other guy was talking on a phone and interupting his sleep. As I sit on my bed in the hallway, I just saw the two Policia escorting the two men out. Good times!

The next couple of days send us across the Meseta. The guide book refers to it as the “relative wilderness” of the sublime. I think that means stretches of not much to look at. It will be a time for deep thinking. Or listening to music.

Buen Camino!