HikeAcrossSpain

Day 14  Burgos to Castrojeriz Miles Today:  25.6 (Biking) Total biking miles:   25.6 Elevation gain:  1050’ Descent:   1216’ Miles walking so far: 187.7 Total miles:  213.3 Get a bicycle. You will not regret it...if you live.                  Mark Twain  We shifted gears today and started our first of 4 days of biking. Our adventure started on some rocky footing as the rental bikes were to be delivered to our hotel at 8 am. After a couple of phone calls, they finally arrived about 8:45. Once we got the bikes adjusted and our gear for the day organized we finally hit the Camino about 9:30.  We had concerns about biking in the city of Burgos (pop 180,000) starting in the heart of the downtown during rush hour. Our concerns were unwarranted as the traffic on the streets we travelled was very light and after 2-3 miles we were in the countryside. The lack of traffic here continue...

Day 13  San Juan de Ortega to Burgos Miles;  17.4 Total Miles:  187.7 Elevation gain:  488’ Descent:  938’ Moving speed;  3.0 mph “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles”          Tim Cahill Friends. A major part of the Camino experience is the people you meet. People from all over the world. Most pilgrims stay in albergues, which are basically hostels which are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. You sleep in large rooms with dozens of others and you are forced to meet a lot of people by necessity, Our experience is a bit different. We are staying in small hotels or BnB type accommodations. We have more privacy and comfort but we must get from point A to point B every day as we are pre-booked. We were concerned that we would not meet as many people this way and would not create as many friendships. However, I feel we have done quite well. We have met other pilgrims from 15 diffe...

Day 12  Belorado to San Juan de Ortega Miles:  16.2 Total miles:  170.3 Elevation gain:  1407’ Descent:  654’ Moving Speed:  2.8 mph “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” Saint Augustine The weather was even better today! Warmer and cloudy at the start, but the sun came out quickly along with some light breeze. The afternoon was much warmer and I have now gone from 5 upper layers at the start of the trip 10 days ago in St Jean, to 3 layers yesterday, to only two layers today. It was in the uppers 60’s this afternoon and another day with no rain! A good bit of climbing today along with some downhills and it proved a little tedious at times. Fortunately almost the entire day was on unpaved paths which is easier on the feet than pavement. We passed thru several small towns along the way and had a long uphill grind from Villafranca to almost San Juan de Ortega. This section was mostly wooded thru extens...

Day 11  Santo Domingo to Belorado Miles:  14.0 Total miles:  154.1 Elevation gain:  854’ Descent:  402’ So much of who we are, is where we have been – William Langwiesche One of the biggest challenges we have experienced on the Camino thus far is evening food. We usually arrive each day at our accommodation somewhere between 1:30 and 4:00. We usually take an hour or two to unwind, take a shower, reorganize, and do sink laundry or shower laundry. Then by 5 or so the ravenous hunger sets in. To prevent being “Hangry” (a state of anger caused by extreme hunger) we go in search of drinks and food. The problem is that in Spain, almost no place to eat dinner is open until 7:30 or 8:00 at the earliest.  That is why the pilgrims all turn into dogs. No just any dog but they become like stay mongrels, feral like in nature. They begin prowling the streets and alleys of the local village or town in search of food. They travel either alone or in s...

Day 10   Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada Miles today:  14.0 Total miles:  140.1 Elevation gain:  1011’ Descent:  500’ Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time. Steven Wright This evening we are in the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada (pop 6600). This town is named after Saint Dominic who dedicated his life to improving the Camino route for pilgrims in the 11th century. He built roads (calzadas) and a pilgrim hospital. His tomb is in the local cathedral. He was a true walking man and a giant among men, born as Domingo Garcia in 1019 in. The nearby town of Vitoria. As a young man he was refused admission to the monastery at San Millan as he was an illiterate son. Their rejection was a loss to the intelligentsia, but has been a blessing to pilgrims for the past millennium. This was an easy walk for us today, only 14 miles with a few short sections of sticky red mud. The morning was cloudy and cool, but no b...

Day 9   Logrono to Najera Miles today:  18.4 Total miles:  126.1 Elevation gain:  1169’ Descent:  841’ “Never underestimate the importance of being properly caffeinated.” “Decaffeinated coffee is like a hairless cat, it exists, but that doesn’t make it right.” As you walk along the Camino each day,  you say “Buen Camino” to everyone you see. “Buen Camino” literally means good road in Spanish, but it can also mean ‘good path’ our ‘good way’,  path or way being both physical and spiritual. It is the greeting shared by pilgrims, hikers, and bicyclers on the Camino and also with local people who wish you well. You hear and say this dozens of times every day. But another appropriate greeting should perhaps be “Buen Caffeino” as coffee seems to be the universal drink of the Camino. We have a couple of cups at breakfast and then stop at least twice more during the day for yet another cup at each locale. The drink of choice ...