A Day Off in Burgos

Today was a lazy day. We slept in and had an early lunch. After our delicious lunch we went to explore the Burgos Cathedral. Its one of my absolute favorites. 

Just amazing. 

St. Anthony's Chapel. It was kinda lame, and Abe vowed to make a better one before he dies. 

The gothic architecture in this cathedral is just incredible. 

This is St. James, the saint whom the trail is named after. Here he is trampling some people, which looks kind of violent, but Abe said they were probably the Moors. 

Look how far we've walked! We are about 1/3 of the way done! This map makes it look more like 1/2 but I think its just how I took the picture. 

We said goodbye to our South African friends. They are off to Madrid for a few days. 

Of course we had to take a picture with the pilgrim statue. He kind of looked like he had leprosy. 

After the cathedral, we came back to the hotel and napped. After our nap, we headed to the market to pick up some fruit for tomorrows breakfast. We bumped into our Canadian friends and spent some time planning with them. We have decided to call ourselves the North American Walking Group so we can reserve 4 spots in each albergue (there is an Irish group doing this). They are just about the kindest people I've met here on The Way.

(Theres our hotel on the corner! The AC Burgos, loved it and highly recommend it!)

We had supper at our hotel and it was very delicious! It certainly made up for our bad supper from the day before! 

Buen Camino from a stuffed, tired, and happy Pilgrim! 

Agés to Burgos

This day we woke early, ready to get out of the attic and back on the road. Before leaving, Anya gave us some bread and jam for breakfast. We were out of there before any of the Spanish Pilgrims (but some of them passed us later in the day, they are quick).

We walked up one giant hill for the day and in the distance we could see Burgos, our stop for the night. As we were traveling up and up we passed a field of sheep. They were all laying down and eyeing us as we walked past. We joked that these are the remaining sheep that Abe hasn't eaten (he LOVES lamb).

(Smiling sheep!) 

We saw a cross with rocks under it. It wasn't the Iron Cross, so we didn't leave our rocks, but we did take a photo.

After the hill we entered the suburbs of Burgos. The path was not maked hardly at all and the scenery was ugly. We walked by an interstate for most of the way and had to actually cross over it (no crosswalk, scary). Abe compared it to Detroit if that gives you any kind of idea of what it looked like. 

This was one of a few waymarks we found. 

We finally made it to the center of town, exhausted and discouraged. We passed by the amazing Burgos Cathedral and eventually found our hotel (after asking an extremely rude pharmacist). 

That evening I had a hot bath and then we had dinner near the cathedral (it was not good at all). I fell asleep and slept the whole night without waking up once (which never happens). 

Buen Camino! 

The Night We Stayed in Someones Attic: Belorado to Agés

We woke up this morning ready to go (a rest day in Burgos was within our grasp). Our albergue made sure to stuff us full of bread and café con leche and soon we were back on the trail. We had two options for today, walk till San Juan or continue until Agés. Abe wanted us to go to Agés to cut some KM off the next day but I was still unsure. The sun was out but it was very cold (we later found out that it was at the freezing temperature that morning).

We walked past more farms and were soon climbing the one hill for the day. As we got further up the hill, we observed a very noticible difference in the types of trees and season. It was like as we went further up, we traveled back into winter. There were no leaves on any trees except the evergreens that lined the path. Everything was brown and there were only a few flowers poking their heads out of the ground. We had passed through the few towns for the day very early on in the walk and had picked up sandwiches to go. Like I have mentioned before, our favorite part of The Way is passing through towns, so with no towns in sight, the walk went on forever. 

We went slowly today because blisters were hurting my feet. Abe has not gotten any blisters (lucky) and when I complain about mine rubbing in my shoes, he just doesn't fully understand how it hurts and how I really can't go any faster. We walked through miles and miles of evergreen forest, eventually getting extremely bored. It was like we were on a never-ending treadmill of dirt and forest. It started to get more cloudy and eventually began to rain, which turned into hail. Walking in the cold forest while hail falls on your head does not make for the best experience. 

San Juan eventually popped out of the trees and we stopped for a snack and to debate going on or staying. This tiny town (population: 20) had only one albergue and it was in a cold, stone building. I was pretty exhaused but Abe convinced me that we should keep going since the sun had come out. Agés was only another 3.5 KM away, surely I could make it. I put my headphones on and sang as we walked (we were the only pilgrims around). 

Agés came before I knew it and we headed to an albergue to get checked in. We were met by a man who said "Completo" and shut the door in our faces. We tried another albergue who told us we could sleep on the floor for 10 euros. Surely there had to be a better option than that for us! We headed to the last albergue and were again told "Completo" (full). I spotted some of our friends and thought maybe we could all convince the man to give Abe and I a bed. They said to the man "These are our friends! Give them a bed!" and he just shook his head. At that point I was exhausted (we had walked almost 30 KM)and it seemed like there was nowhere for us to stay, and I began to cry. The man pinched my cheek and said "Un momento". He then had a Czech lady take us to a Spanish woman's very old home. There we met Anya. She said that we could sleep in her attic and that she would only accept a donation. We were both so dazed that we said yes and headed up to the room. After she left us, I began to cry harder as Abe set up our mattresses on the floor. I wanted a warm bed and to be around friends, not in some lady's attic! 

After we got showered and I pulled myself together we headed to the local pub for some food and to meet back up with our friends. We split a whole bottle of wine and had a small pizza. It was warm there and we had people to talk with so we were happy. We even stayed to have a proper Pilgrim's Meal at this pub. By 9:30 we decided it was time to head back to our attic. 

We walked in and suddenly the house was FULL of Spanish pilgrims. We had again stumbled upon a strange albergue that caters to a specific nationality. We crept upstairs and inturrupted some sort of Pilgrim yoga class. There was a woman leading a group of Spanish Pilgrims in stretches right where our beds were! We silenly sat on our beds, waiting for the class to end. 

Eventually they did finish and as they were leaving, a Spanish man came up to Abe and I with food. He didn't speak English, but he kept pushing the food on us and so we weren't rude, we took his offering. We decided to join the rest of the Pilgrims downstairs in the kitchen. When we walked in they immediately offered us vino tinto from a wine bag thing (I swear it was like a game of Spanish Slap the Bag). They tipped the bag into my mouth, spilling wine all down my shirt but I could only laugh because they were being so nice and welcoming. We spent an hour downstairs listening to their rapid Spanish conversations before heading up to our mattresses to sleep.

That night, we had the coldest sleep of our lives. There was no heat at all in the old house and we had trouble sleeping while shivering. I went to sleep with pants, a shirt, socks, and my coat on and I was still freezing. It was the strangest experience, but after the warm welcome from the Spanish Pilgrims, we couldn't deny that we did end up having fun here!

Buen Camino! 

Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado

Greetings from Castilla y León! We have officially walked through part of La Rioja and are now in another region of Spain. 

Today was cloudy, rainy, and windy (like usual). Eventually the sun did peek out, but by then it had rained so much that there was a lot of water on the trail. We passed plenty of fields of wheat today, making the view not so exciting. The sprawling farms remind me of home (but we don't have quite such large hills). Our favorite days are those where we pass through the many tiny towns that have been around for ages. Some are so small that they dont even appear on maps, but the people who live there are always so nice. 

We originally had planned to walk further than Belorado today, but we came upon a giant puddle (lake) and had to get our feet wet. 

We made it to Belorado with squishing shoes and found our albergue for the night (wet socks and shoes=more blisters). When we arrived it was still closed and so we had to wait in a line of pilgrims outside the albergue. Because we hadn't eaten lunch yet, standing in line waiting made me very grouchy. I also started to feel sick, because of low blood sugar, and so when we finally got checked into our dormotory, I found a sandwich and scarfed it down. 

This albergue was run by 4 friends who had opened it together. They all worked as both the receptionist/waiter/laundry service/provider of anything we needed. It was quite funny seeing them change hats so often. Abe and I were quite restless and walked around the tiny town. We sat in the main square, watching the locals go about their day. They have very odd trees in Castilla y León.

That night, we shared a meal with our Canadian friends and a new friend from Florida. Dessert was a delicious homemade custard (I could have eaten MANY more bowls of it). 

We fell asleep early (before all of the other young people) and slept very soundly all night. 

Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

This day we finally got a break from the long, grueling 30 KM days (only 21 KM today). We woke up and got on the trail after not eating much for breakfast. It had rained that night and was raining more as we began our walk. After leaving Nájera, we found a KM marker that counted down to Santiago. We thought it was interesting and exciting, but as we finished our next KM, we found another marker to Santiago. These markers were at EACH KM we passed during the day. This countdown made the day go by so slowly. 

Because it had rained, the red clay dirt had become red clay mud. This type of dirt is soft when its dry, but when it gets wet, it sticks to everything. Soon our boots were covered in the stuff and it felt like we had 20 pound bricks on each foot. 

Having the added weight made me very tired very quickly. We walked the remaining kilometers eager to get to our next stop, ready for a nap. 

Eventually we made it to Santo Domingo, a quaint little town with a strange obsession with chickens. The story behind the obsession is quite odd. 

A German family was walking along The Way when they stopped in the town. The innkeepers daughter fancied the son, but he refused her advances. To get back at him, she hid a silver goblet in his pack. He was arrested and hanged. The parents went on to Santiago to complete their walk. (Really? They left him without a second thought?!) On the way back home they found their son still hanging in the gallows.  Miraculously, he was alive and told his parents to go to the mayor and get him pardoned since he had done nothing wrong. They went to the mayor's house and inturupped his dinner. They begged that their son be let go and the mayor said no, because he was as dead as the rooster and hen upon his plate. At that moment, the birds grew feathers, hopped up, and crowed. With that "miracle" the boy was cut down and released. 

Weird. 

And they keep a rooster and hen in their church. 

We found our albergue for the night and because we had arrived in town so early, we had to wait in a line of pilgrims outside (in the rain). When we finally got to go inside, they ushered us in in groups of 3. Abe and I were split up and I was terrified that we would end up in seperate rooms. We were brought into a series of rooms, hurried along by a tiny man. After walking so far, I was in no mood to hurry anywhere and when he wanted me to go quicker, I slowed down even more. Eventually they figured out Abe and I were together and we were assigned bunk beds that were in the same room (thank goodness).

We had a huge lunch because we hadn't eaten much all day. After lunch we fell asleep for 2 hours and then woke up and explored the city. 

We stayed in an albergue that also had a rooster and hen. They woke us up this morning (May 28) bright and early, crowing and making noise. Quite the memorable experience. 

Buen Camino! 

Logroño to Nájera: Concrete May Look Nice, But It's Killer On The Feet

This day was walked on May 26 and was our second 30 KM day in a row. 

We said goodbye to Jake and Steve early this morning since we knew it would be another long day. Most all of this day was on concrete, which is absolutely killer on the feet. It makes them ache for hours after the walk is over. I had my new camera in hand, and was ready to take some photos. Because we were in La Rioja region of Spain, there was pretty much only acres of vineyards to look at. 

We had a quick breakfast at a local cafe where we met up with a father daughter duo from Pittsburgh. The dad was leaving May 27 (today) and his daughter (Jess) was walking on alone. We explained our situation and said that us Camino Orphans would take good care of each other (she's only about 20 or 21, and I know my parents would freak if I was doing this alone at that age). 

After breakfast, we continued along the path. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping and we were enjoying our walk. 

We passed an ancient Pilgrim hospital and albergue. 

And Don Jacobo (a vineyard), which made us miss our Jacobo (Jake).

We made it to Nájera and settled in at a cramped albergue. We didn't care about the bunkbeds and cold showers because we were exhausted. Over 60 KM in two days had totally worn us out. We fell asleep early (I was in bed by 8:30 PM) and I had a very restless sleep (no good for todays walk). I kept feeling like I was going to fall off the top bunk, when in reality, I was almost in Abes's bed! 

Buen Camino! 

Making Friends in Dog Years: Los Arcos to Logroño

We hiked this day on May 25. I am a bit behind due to exhaustion and lack of WiFi (or wee fee as they call it here). We woke up in our sweet little albergue (Casa de la Abeula) and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast before heading out to walk one of the first back to back 30 KM days. Without a camera, I felt pretty helpless but luckily it was raining most of the morning, so I couldnt take photos without getting my phone wet. Eventually it cleared up and we saw the fullest, brightest rainbow I've seen in quite some time. This picture really doesn't do the rainbow justice.

I took it as a good sign, but as we came into the next town, we got bad news from Steve and Jacob. They were hurting bad. Really bad. Jake's knee was swollen and Steve's feet were aching. They were ready to be done. We called them a taxi, which took them to Logroño (the city where we were stopping for the night). Abe and I were now on our own, and we didn't want to stop until Santiago. 

We hiked by ourselves for quite some time. We passed millions of poppies along the road, quite a beautiful sight. 

We stopped to split an orange at one point and met South African brothers Tom and Ewan. They were a little older than us, but so kind and fun to walk with. We walked with them most of the day, discussing their schooling and jobs (both were into science which I loved)! 

Eventually we passed through a town and happened to arrive just as a group of school children were dancing. They were adorable! These Camino experiences are the ones that stay with you. These are the things you only see when you walk across a country. 

After a bocadillo, we continued on our way. 

Tom and I talked about the Camino experience so far and agreed that it was quite unique. He compared the friends you make here to friends you've had for years. You make friends and get to know them so well in such a short time that its like making friends in dog years. It made me laugh, but this comparison could not be more true. I've made friends here who I see daily. They ask how I am and remember when I've had an ache or pain. 

Eventually, we made it to Logroño and set off to find Jake and Steve, who were resting in the Pilgrim albergue. We got there, but the albergue was full. Steve informed us on the condition of the albergue (not so good) and we decided to move on to a hotel for the night. We had to go to three before finding an open room (keep in mind we had already walked 30 KM that day). I was determined to find a camera, and eventually did (YAY)! Finally we settled in for the night and discussed what Steve and Jake would do. They had made up their minds that they would travel to Barcelona and wait for us there. We got them set up with a hotel and train ticket and fell fast asleep by 9:00 PM. 

The next morning, we awoke bright and early, ready for another 30 KM day, but thats another post entirely. 

Buen Camino!