One complaint I have about all the guidebooks for the Camino is that either they under or overestimate how difficult a day is going to be. A woman in our alberge read that today was going to be a short uphill with a long downhill. True on the long downhill, but we climbed a fricken mountain before we got to that point. I didn’t mind the climb. It was that I just didn’t anticipate how long it was going to be. That’s why I don’t usually read ahead about what’s expected on the trail.
Walking into a large city is always difficult. Usually the historic center of town is on the far side of all the new development. You’re anticipation of getting into the beautiful part of town makes for a very long long walk in. We had a lot of suburbs to go through. Today we did the Green way, which takes pilgrims off of most of the roads through the industrial part of Burgos. It became windy at the top of the mountain and kept up a headwind most of the day.
Finally we arrived in Burgos. I was booked in a bunk room and decided to get a hotel. My first moments of total privacy since Ste Jean Pied Au Port. I enjoy the albergue experiences, but…
Today, as we were walking around the cathedral area, we ran into Athena from Australia. We conquered the first hike to Orrison together and have not seen each other since. She is recovering from an injury and will be back on the trail again in a day or so. It was so good to catch up with her.
Jolanda and I said our goodbyes for now. I will leave early tomorrow and she will have a rest day.