Although we had to move on, we were sorry to leave Burgos. What a great city! We loved it. We were out at 7:00am, still in the dark. The walk out was a bit of a scavenger hunt, trying to find the scallop shells and yellow arrows that guide and keep us on the right path. A cool morning with the promise of sunshine and low 70s: another gorgeous day for hiking.
From Burgos to Leon is the middle third of the Camino. So our bodies have adjusted, and now we focus on the mind as we prepare to cross the “Meseta.” Others often complain about the Meseta: it’s flat, through a monotonous terrain, and we will often be unprotected under a bright sun. But we enjoy getting out early in the morning, when it’s still cool and we can watch the landscape reflect the warm, golden light of the sun as it rises. We like finishing up around 1:00 or 2:00, so we miss the harshest times of day. This morning it’s an easy walk through fields, with an occasional highway overpass, and then more flat or very gently rolling fields.
We find that it’s getting harder to remember what day it is. After a few hours on the road, we’re asking each other where we stayed last night an what we had for lunch. Is it the effects of age catching up with us? Or are we just overwhelmed with far too much to remember?? We’ve decided to believe that it’s the second choice.
Along the Camino, we find wonderful surprises. We had just walked through a small town of Rabe de la Calzada (population 200), where not much was going on. Then, along the wall of a large farm building, was a beautiful mural depicting Gandhi, Einstein and Martin Luther King, and – of course, Camino Pilgrims. Then, just down the road, was a small but lovely chapel with beautiful music playing. These are unexpected gifts that we enjoy all along the way.
We stayed in Albergue El Afar in Hornillos. We especially enjoy the shared community dinner – this time another excellent paella – and a chance to visit with our fellow pilgrims. But Evan would have to climb for another bunk bed, as we shared a room for four (and bath and shower with at least ten.)
