August 23, 2018

This is day 14 of walking, two weeks since we started out August 10! I am marveling at how well my body is holding up for the days’ walking adventures, but boy does everything hurt in the evening and while I try to sleep! The bottoms of my feet are tender every night cry out in pain! However, I manage to get my socks and shoes on and get out and do it again each morning. 

Today I was the first one out of the municipal albergue at 5:50! I just couldn’t leave that place soon enough! Besides feeling like it was sweltering all night, there was a particular group of three people that were obnoxious in every way!

I really needed my headlamp this morning-though it was still challenging as there was quite a bit of fog to shine my light through. By the time I got the 2.5 kilometers into the next town of Atapuerca, there were two walkers ahead of me and on the way two additional pilgrims behind who passed while I was trying to find my glasses! Quite a feat when you can’t see! I did have another pair in my bag that I managed to pull out so I could search but I had dropped the ones that I was wearing farther back on the trail than the area in which I was searching. I thought I hooked them into a backpack strap when I was putting on a bandanna and surmised that they fell when I bent my head over – but they must’ve fallen when initially I thought that I hooked them into my strap and must not have accomplished that. Plus it was still dark out! I was fortunate that there was someone out early behind me that saw them! Thanks be to God again! And minutes later, I was at a high point and saw the whole sky light up in pink, with views of 360° – from whence I came, to the “Meseta” that will follow and to the town to which I was descending into, Villaval.

Once out of Cardeńuela de Riopico, there were two options. The one most people travel because it is well marked yet along the highway, and another that drops down on a grassy trail along the backside of an airport. I decided to take that road less traveled and was very glad that I did. Sure, the airport wasn’t the most gorgeous vista, yet it was considerably easier on my feet and the fields. weeds and grasses were really quite beautiful to my eyes. 

And then I had another choice to bypass 7 kilometers of unpleasant walking along the highway by going through and south of the little hamlet of Castańares, along the River Arlanzón. Amazing!!! This might have been the most enjoyable portion of my Camino so far this time! The skies were overcast and it was a supremely comfortable temperature! As I continued to walk through the woods and into the gargantuan park, I passed hundreds of Spaniards out for their exercise! This park is so huge with countless trails and it reminded me of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco! What a pleasant morning enroute into Burgos!!

My wonderful, loving husband booked me a room at Hotel Maison del Cid and I have a view from my bed of the huge cathedral! Mostly I have showered, unpacked every single item of my backpack, and re-organized as well as had a plate of huevos fritos – my favorite Spanish dish, while awaiting my room to be ready since I arrived in town at 11:30! I still walked five hours and 22.3 kilometers (13.9 miles) and my feet ache like hell on fire – basking in a day well done!

Trying to decide if a “rest” day here is in order…