Thursday, April 4, 2013

Day 14: Atapuerca - Burgos (20 kms)

It is a short walking day today.  It starts raining when we leave Atapuerca at 9 am after breakfast at a cafe, and the rain continues on until our arrival in Burgos at 4 pm.

Today, we walk with Tina and Tina, two German girls from Dusseldorf.  The skies are grey and cloudy, the terrain is mostly flat and rocky, and the rain just keeps going on and on and on.

We pass the alternate route through Villaval, Cardañuela Rio Pico and Orbaneja Rio Pico.  At this point, you can choose to go through an industrial zone and highways. What we follow is the recommended route which turns left right after crossing the highway from Orbaneja Rio Pico and before reaching a bunch of white apartment houses.  This route passes by an airport fence then goes to the town of Castañeres.

We arrive in Castañares at 12:30 noon.  Here we stop to have the menu del dia -- arroz a la cubana and bistec ternera and again polish off a bottle of wine. It is 2:30 pm when we start walking again.  It is the final 7 kms to Burgos. We pass through a park, follow a trail beside the river, while the rain continues on.

We finally spot the Burgos Cathedral spires, cross the bridge and we are there.  We stay at the Casa de los Cubos, a huge municipal albergue.  It is cold outside.  We go to 7:30 pm mass then have a pilgrim dinner at a restaurant in town with the two Tinas. Later, the  two Tinas leave with us their balms, foot gels and pain reliever ointments as their Camino ends here in Burgos.  We are so thankful as one really needs to care for their feet.  They plan to be back in the summer to continue their journey.

  
Breakfast at Atapuerca with Tina and Tina

Sheltering sheep


  

Desde que el peregrino domino en Burguete los montes de navarra y vio los campos dilatados de espana. No ha gozado de vista mas hermosa como esta. -- Since the pilgrims in Burguete climbed the mountains of Navarra and saw the fields of Spain, they had not seen a more beautiful view than this. (Hope I translated that right.)

Walking the last stretch to Burgos

Burgos tiles

The portal to Burgos

Burgos Cathedral and town square
  

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