Camino 2013 - Day 18: Agés To Burgos

When I originally put together the tentative walking itinerary, I'd tried to skip cities like Burgos.  Based on how we felt, the itinerary changed and we ended up stopping in Burgos.  I'm glad we did.  I like Burgos.  It is a nice transition stop between the hilly first third of the Camino and the flatter meseta.

The walk to Burgos was nicer this time around.  I left later this time and there were no clouds and fog to obscure the view once you reached the top of the hill outside of Atapuerca.  It wasn't all good though.  For the past week or so we'd been fighting biting flies and mosquitoes.  This hadn't been a problem last Camino but this time we were constantly swatting at our face and ears.

Top of the last big hill before Burgos and the start of the meseta.

This being our second Camino, we were often asked about the route ahead and, when not asked, we often volunteered our advice anyway.  For the past few days we'd been telling people how to enter Burgos.  There are two ways: The industrial way and the more scenic, but less well marked, park way.  I'd walked the industrial way last time and G_v had walked the scenic route.  We told everyone we met how to take the scenic route.  The industrial ways was miles of factories and commercial supply stores - not very inspiring - and I was looking forward to avoiding it this time.  We reached the place where the two paths split.  G_v looked at the sign and the distances and said "I would never had willingly added distance so this isn't the turn off."  We walked on and before you knew it we were on the industrial way.  While I was mildly disappointed it was also funny that G_v had missed the turn after telling everyone about it.

The Cathedral in Burgos.

Once you pass through the industrial area you enter the old center of town.  I didn't remember a lot of this.  I suspect they rerouted it slightly since the last time making it a more direct route to the albergue and cathedral.  Or maybe my memory just played another trick on me.

We checked into the albergue.  We gave them our credentials but they did not stamp them.  Unfortunately we didn't notice this until many days later.  We would end up missing a few stamps for some odd reason.

I felt like this some days but my knees looked better than this guy's.

After doing out chores we headed out to find a pharmacy.  I had to keep the promise I'd made in Tosantos to have my blister checked out.  I talked to the pharmacist a bit and then pulled off the bandage.  To my and G_v's surprise it didn't look nearly as bad as the day before.  I described how it was being treated and the pharmacist agreed we were doing the right thing.   I bought some more blister treatment materials (gauze pads, iodine, and hypafix [the best medical tape EVER]).  I left the pharmacy feeling much better.

Burgos has some cool statues like this bull in a reflecting pool.

In a better mood, we wandered around the city and played tourist.  I really enjoy Burgos.  I'd spent two days there last time letting my tendinitis heal and I remember it fondly.  We ran into L_a and her sister (we met them in Torres del Rio) and we joined them for a drink.  They were going to meet some people and eat at a rather famous vegetarian restaurant that everyone raves about.  They asked us to join them.

The nice square in Burgos with restaurants, bars, and cafes.

The others arrived, including I_n who we'd met in Torres del Rio as well. They'd checked out the restaurant and found it was closed for vacation.  We were a bit bummed so we headed to the central square and looked around for another place to eat.  Someone suggested pizza and we found a recommended place on a side street off of the square.  We enjoyed a good meal with fun people.

Like last time, Burgos was a place of goodbyes.  L_a and her sister were going home having reached the end of their time.  I_n and a few others were taking the next day off.  G_v and I were going to continue on as were a few other we'd met.  We would meet other pilgrims, of course, but our second little family was breaking up (the first being the people we met on the Aragones).  This was the norm this time: smaller, more ephemeral, families.

I really like Burgos but I really don't like the goodbyes.

Pictures can be found in my 2013 Camino de Santiago Google Photos album.

Total Distance on Day 18: 22 km ( 13.67 Miles) Total Distance Walked: 406 km (252.28 Miles)

Approximate Track of the day's hike.

[Click on map for a larger version]