In the Mountains

Yesterday was Labour Day. It sure was for me. So was today.

Monday Sept 2, 2019

Belorado to San Juan de Ortega

24.2 km, 37,000 steps, walking day #12

and

Tuesday Sept 3, 2019

San Juan de Ortega to Burgos

26.1 km, 40,000 steps, walking day #13

Started at 790

Sept 2nd had a bit of everything, in terms of weather and terrain. It started off quite cool. We were all wearing jackets. Some pilgrims were wearing scarves, fleece and gloves. But as the day went on it warmed up, and off came the layers. There was lots of climbing. We started at 700m above sea level and the top was 1100m. It wasn't straight up, though. There were downs in between. So - there were uphills, downhills, curves, straights and flats. We walked through forests with ferns 5 feet tall, and paths lined with huge drifts of purple and pink flowers. 

We walked on asphalt, on rocks, on packed dirt. The last 10 km was a rocky path with mature oaks on one side and mature pine on the other. We all had sore feet after all those rocks.

How this dude is managing to walk in flip flops I'll never know. He let me take a picture of his feet!

San Juan de Ortega is a tiny town comprised of: one pilgrim's hostel, one hotel, one church and one restaurant. That's it. Oh - and two fountains! 

I had dinner at the restaurant. My meal included a local specialty - Morcilla de Burgos, which is a black pudding sausage. It was fabulous. Fried until dark and crispy on the outside, and soft and delicate on the inside. Mild tasting and lovely.

The Morcilla is on the right

After dinner we all sat around the hotel breakfast area using our electronic devices, since the Wi-Fi didn't reach to the rooms.

Today

It was very cold at 1100 feet above sea level this morning. At 8:00 am it was 10 degrees C.  

Sunrise in the mountains

The first half of the day was on a rocky path through forest. It was so rocky sometimes it felt like I was walking on the moon.

One of the highlights of the day for me was walking this labyrinth.

As I got nearer to the center, I was turning faster and faster, turning north, west, south, east, north, west, south, east, and I realized in that tiny space I was facing every possible direction. 

This alpine flower grows right at ground level, no leaves.

We left the mountains and descended into the outskirts of Burgos, an enormous city. By this time it was 25 degrees C. We entered via the industrial area and headed towards city center, but that was a 15 km stretch of hot sidewalk.

Oh, good. I was wondering where I could get a new ferret

I was taking a break in a rare spot of shade when another pilgrim caught up to me and sat down too. She spoke Spanish, and a word or two of English and French. I speak English, a fair bit of French and a word or two of Spanish. But the language of hot, tired, sore and thirsty is universal. We walked together for about 10 km and we were able to make each other laugh with just one or two words. I waited for her while she used a bank machine, and she waited for me while I went into a bar to get my water bottles refilled. She was able to explain to me that a ferreteria is a place to get plumbing and electrical supplies. I explained to her why I thought the word was funny.

We got each other through the walk into the city and we saw the Cathedral of Burgos together. 

From there, her hotel was to the right and mine was to the left, so we said goodbye and blew each other kisses.

I had a dinner of goat cheese, walnut and Iberico ham salad, and then went back to my room to put my feet up.

Burgos has a stunning promenade along the river