Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Into Burgos ala El Cid


Last thoughts on Monday in San Juan de Ortega, population 20. . .

At the 6:00 p.m. Pilgrim's Mass, we got to the part where you shake hands as a sign of peace. No problem until it was time to greet Martina from Germany who has traveled with us since St. Jean Pied-de-Port, France. No dice, it was an emotional hug of peace instead.

It's a Camino thing.

I broke away from my pack of mates for a night, dinner with Hans from Holland and Ally from Bulgaria. Hans plays four instruments, speaks about five languages and draws excellent caricatures of the places we visit. Outside of that he is pretty ordinary but still a great mate!

It was my first night to ever sleep in a monastery, I slept well.

STAGE 12

San Juan de Ortega to Burgos

25.6 km/15.9 miles

I walked for 5:54

Total Distance Walked 287.9 km/179.0 miles
Total Time Walked 76:06
Total Spent on Albergues 65 Euros

Distance to Santiago de Compostela
510.7 km/317.3 miles

I left the monastery at 7:10 a.m., I learned quickly from yesterday's mistake. It drizzled for about the first 2 km but then turned into a breezy, overcast, low temperature day.

The hardest part of the walk today was that when you get to Burgos, population 170,000, you still have to walk 10 km through the city's industrial parks and newer parts before you get to the albergue which is fabulous and right next to the Burgos Cathedral.

I have seen a lot of cathedrals in the last three years living in Europe, but the Gothic cathedral in Burgos is one of the very best I've seen, great outside, better inside.

The fact that El Cid Campeador and Doña Jimena are buried there helps as well. In the movie "El Cid," Charleton Heston played El Cid and Sophia (MAMMA MIA!) Loren played Doña Jimena. GREAT MOVIE!

I explored the old town this afternoon as it started raining again, it is such a vibrant city.

I wonder if they have an American football team here?

Nice dinner tonight with the usual suspects, we reunited in Burgos. I ate Morcilla which is a traditional Burgos delicacy. It is rice, meat and lamb's blood packed in a sausage casing and then cooked to blackened perfection!

I'm becoming a native.

I want to thank Jason Johnson again for all of his advice on the Camino. He has been dead on to date, but no, I won't be taking off for three straight days of 40 km like he did last year after Burgos.

Also thanks to Jason for advising me to bring the Nikon D3000, I think I'm getting some great shots and can't wait to publish them when I get back to Sweden.

We start on the Meseta tomorrow. . . long, flat and relentless. Hopefully the weather will continue to cooperate.

BUEN CAMINO!!!

4 comments:

steveswindle said...

"I'm becoming a native"
You also look like Papa Hemingway!!!!
He went native....I think that is a good thing.

Johan said...

I checked it out. Could not find a team in Burgos. Closest to Burgos are the teams of Santurtzi Coyotes from outside of Bilbao and Gijón Mariners. Then there are teams in the Madridarea as well as Zaragoza. Read more on the Spanish american football federations homepage: http://www.aefaweb.com/

Kalle said...

It's nice to read about your adventures as always coach. It's almost as if that I start to long for retirement... And it's 40years left for me.

Keep up the good spirit!

itzbfitz said...

For a sore calf, I've heard there's nothing like eating coagulated lamb's blood and rice stuffed into an intestine. Is it feeling better? Getting close to 200 miles...