And so to Burgos ….

Before I write I just want to say it will be a fairly concise ( well as concise as I can be 🥴🥴) blog this evening . Tomorrow, you will have a more comprehensive and reflective toge

This morning we were both awake early ( and I mean early, 04.30 ish. We stayed in a Casa Rural last night and breakfast would be served in the bar across the road from 09.30 ! Too late for us early starters, so the bar gave us a picnic to either eat before we left or on the way!

However another bar opened at 0600 so we had our coffee, orange juice and toast etcthere, choosing to carry our picnic with us for later.

Breakfasted, suited and booted we were ready to leave at 0700 ! However, there was a problem…it was still pitch black outside! Some pilgrims set off looking like miners, with head torches … but even so they give minimal assistance I suspect. …and as we didn’t have a head torch about our person…we stayed put until we could at least see the road/path infront of us

Mind you, I say sun rise… there was low cloud and a chill in the air.. and for sure the sun had a lie in this morning!!!!!

I know … that person looks like me first thing in the morning…well now you understand why !!!!

Apparently the remains of our earliest ancestors were discovered in the prehistoric caves of Atapuerca and they are the earliest human remains ever discovered in Europe!

This is really for information and help in understanding what we’re doing. Whilst the Camino Frances ( and just in case you’re slightly befuddled by all this ) is probably the most well known Camino.. there are, in fact plenty more!!!!

Anyway, shortly after this sign , guess what ?

We started to climb ..,If you look at the topography map I posted yesterday, you will see we had one hill to climb today and this was it !!

If you remember,there was a ❗️on the descent from the “hill peak “…I suggest that the ❗️should come into play long before the obvious descent….

Anyway, on our way to the top we heard a series of loud bangs …”fireworks” says I “in Spain, any excuse for a celebration…wedding, birthday,village fiesta”

“At 09.30 in the morning?”says Kathleen

“Oh yes” says I!

Anyway, we didn’t think too much about it …at the time anyway 🥴and looking behind us we could see ( or not, as the case may be) … very little!

However as we continued to climb up, could understand the potential ❗️awaiting us on our descent!

By the time we reached here we felt we were under a barrage of army barrels… though clearly safe as we were protected by series of barbed wire rolls! We spotted an army jeep not far away , obviously involved in army manoeuvres..

“ Do you think I could take a photo?” says I

“ No , keep your head down and keep walking“ says Kathleen “ and let’s get out ov here!

Anyway , reluctantly I agreed … continuing to the Cross …

As we descend through ‼️territory.. the sun tries to make an appearance.. and Burgos is in sight….

As we walked along , we came across this ancient tree in Orbaneja …the owner came out and took our photo with the tree….but how old could it really be ???xx

Eventually the path took us around the airport and to Casteñares where we eventually rested in a bar ( no alcohol consumed!)

The paths adjacent to the river are magnificent …

However , eventually we arrive at the bridge that we need to cross…

Today we have covered slightly more than we had planned … but hey!!!In truth we found the last 4 miles hard … but we made it!

These are the stats …think of them as you may…

Sometimes it is really hard to persevere with what we are doing ….for example, I am determined to get this blog out to you ( I was about to say tonight, but ineffective it is coming to you the following day!!!!! So please forgive any misdemeanours and remember….

If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

Martin Luther

Keep going, Dear Reader, keep going!