Burgos

11:45pm

Hotel Norte y Londres

Today was probably my favorite walking day yet. Conditions were PRIME. Perfect temperature, beautiful unobstructed views, a light breeze, and steady footing. Just ideal. Our day started with another lovely breakfast, and we were off. One short climb toward the beginning, and then we crested the hill to behold this majesty. 

We could see Burgos in the distance; our long-awaited resting spot. The descent down the hill continued to take our breath away, consisting of wild poppies, rolling hills, and fields of wheat. We stopped at the bottom for a snack and coffee (tea for my dad), and were back on the road for the afternoon. We walked a lot of it with a group of 5 guys, who all met on day 2 of their individual Camino experiences and joined forces to walk together. One from the US, one from Canada, one Germany, and I believe the UK and Italy. It’s so sweet. And they made for some great and entertaining company. 

This afternoon was very soul-filling. Mostly because my dad has really found his stride and feels soooooo much better than he did on his last trip, and even the beginning of this one. It was just exuding from him. His strength. His determination. His pride in himself. 

Another reason it was so lovely is that we opted for a slightly longer (who are we??) but more enjoyable route into downtown Burgos, electing to avoid the industrial areas we’ve heard such awful things about and choose instead the "Rio" path, right along a river and through a gorgeous city park. We made it into downtown Burgos by 2:30pm, which also made us pretty proud. We had some lovely reunions with friends from various stages in our journey who we happened upon along the route, and walked to the cathedral for our first peek and a stamp. Nothing could ever do this place justice. It’s awe-inspiring in every way. 

Tomorrow we will tour it during our rest day, and I can’t wait. We walked around the cathedral and into the square in front of it, where we stopped for some drinks and tapas before checking into the hotel. 

Once we checked in and showered, we headed out for dinner at a restaurant directly underneath our hotel room! Full disclosure: we chose it so we could get their WiFi password, because the signal was way stronger than the hotel’s. BUT! We bought a pizza and drinks, so everybody wins right?? Except we double won, because that pizza. THAT PIZZA. I will dream about it. And then, of course, ice cream. Dulce de leche and coffee for me, and raspberry vanilla for mi padre. Divine, as usual. 

Our hotel is SO charming (old... but that’s right up my alley), crown moldings and creaky hardwoods and fugly floral bedspreads that I of course love. And now we will drift to sleep with the sounds of the city. They’re not all peaceful sounds (HA) but it makes me even more excited to see what this vibrant place has in store for us tomorrow.