Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Campo, 3 May (20 kms)

It was a long trek to the far side of Castrojeriz, followed by a tough climb up the hill onto the Meseta.  I stopped halfway up and a woman took my photo with the view!  It took 2 hours to reach a place that sold breakfast.  In a one-horse town, a young guy on a bike was riding around offering vouchers for a free glass of wine with lunch.  I ordered their "English Breakfast" for 4 Euros and asked for the wine "para llevar" in my 250 ml bottle.  This town was Itero de la Vega, which was approx. half way to my destination at Boadilla del Camino, where I had booked a private room in the popular albergue "En el Camino".

When I arrived there, it was positively teeming with peregrinos, lying around on the grass or sitting in the sun having a beer.  The private rooms were in a newly built annexe, with a magnificent wooden front door, modelled on the sun motif on the medieval church door across the square.  The only problem, it was impossible to open or close as there was no outside handle.

The rooms were brand new, with electronic shutters and all mod cons.  When I tried to make a cup of tea, I discovered I had left my adaptor behind yet again!!  The Señora kindly gave me a flask of boiling water - maybe that is always available in Spanish hotels, if only you ask for it.

Medieval church door

Modern hostel door

Pilgrims arriving at the albergue

View of the church from my window

I went over to the albergue for the pilgrims' meal at 7.00 p.m.  It was sopa de ajo  and either fish or beef stew.  I chose the latter as it was a mistake:  very tough!  The young owner, Eduardo, was standing at the door collecting money as people left: a nice little earner for him as there were c. 50 people packing the 2 dining rooms.  I paid 30 Euros for the room and 10 Euros for the meal.  I had a very good night's sleep as there was no noise from anywhere.

Bridge leaving Castrojeriz

Orchid

Hontanas to Castrojeriz, 2 May (9 kms)

People in the dorm started stirring before 6.00 a.m., trying to pack up in the dark.  Every time the door opened, an emergency light came on in the corridor outside.  Finally, I decided I might as well join them, before going downstairs to the bar for some breakfast.  I noticed an internet terminal in the corner, which had been hidden by all the hordes of people the day before.

Long shadow

Setting out on the track through the fields was the most beautiful bit of the Camino so far, with the early morning sun right behind me, casting a huge long shadow.  I reached Castrojeriz at 9.30 a.m. and went straight to the Camping
"Camino de Santiago".  It turned out that my reserved room (33 Euros) was in fact a little caravan-type chalet, one of 4 on the top of the hill, with a magnificent view over the valley and hills opposite.  I realised that the Camino itself went right past me, behind the fence which enclosed the cam site.

I went into town to reconnoitre, intending to check out bars and restaurants for later.  MM had recommended La Taberna, so I went there and had a longer session on the internet in the corner of their bar.  I returned later at 1.00 p.m. for the set lunch (12 Euros) : sopa de ajo (garlic), then delicious   home-made albondigas with chips and salad.  I asked for an orange for dessert to take-away.

La Taberna

This town is 3 kms long - amazing!  As the day progressed, a biting easterly wind sprang up.  The sunshine could not compensate for the wind tunnel effect down the long main street.

Near the Taberna, I saw a house "Casa Grevillea" and discovered it was a B and B kept by an Australian couple.  If only I had known about it, I would have booked in there instead of the Camping which was way out on the edge of town.  I had a chat to the owner, who said she got most of her business through "passing trade".  It was certainly in an excellent spot for that. See:
casa@casagrevillia.com.au.

Convento de San Anton, 14th century ruins

Hornillos to Hontanas, 1 May (12 kms)

View from my window at Isar

Hornillos albergue on the right

We were driven back to Hornillos to continue the Camino just after 8.15 a.m.  I stopped to buy a banana at the friendly grocers, since I observed the French group stocking up with supplies.  I should have bought one of their chunks of cheese as well.  There were lots of pilgrims, walkers and cyclists, on the track.  It was another lovely Spring morning, with lilacs out in the gardens.  There was a big public swimming pool at the end of town, but the water would have been freezing!

After about 1.5 hours I stopped for coffee at the tiny albergue of San Bol, just to see what it was like. There were only 12 beds, but it was in a lovely sheltered spot in a hollow, just off the Camino.  The lady there made delicious coffee from a splendid Nespresso-type machine.  I chatted to a German and a Czech guy until the 4 French arrived from Isar.

San Bol

It was not a bad walk down to Hontanas, but there was no room there at the inn, at least no private rooms anywhere, even at 11.45 a.m.  People were already spilling out of the various bars and albergues on the main street, so as more and more people arrived, I thought it better to secure a bed in a dorm at El Puntido.  At least I got a bed near a window in a room for 7, and not in a bunk.

Outside Albergue El Puntido

I sat around in the sun all afternoon, both outside the albergue itself, opposite the church, and then on a high point in their garden with a tremendous view over the whole village.  I chatted to a Danish lady who was sunning herself up there.  The church clock struck every hour and some geese cackled in response.  Sometimes a cock crowed as well.  Would this go on all night?  (It did, minus the cock, who knew it was sleep time!

I had the pilgrims' meal at 7.00 p.m.  There was a bewildering choice of 5 dishes in each of 3 courses.   I chose paella, chicken and chips and yoghourt.  At bedtime, I knew it would be a challenge with 4 men and 2 older Spanish ladies in the dorm.  Sure enough, there was plenty of snoring, first one would start, then another, then another.  I realised too late I should have taken a pill, but I didn't want to add to the general disturbance by rustling in my bag.  I heard midnight strike, and later 3.00 a.m., then no more after that!  As I lay awake, I resolved to avoid dorms at all costs in future!

Sunbathing with a view over the town

Witch

Burgos to Hornillos, 30 April (21 kms)

My room at Meson del Cid

At 7.30 a.m. I had a good breakfast in the Meson del Cid dining room.  My table by the window enabled me to see the Cathedral across the square, especially the intricate stonework of the spires.  I also observed early pilgrims setting off for the day on the road higher up to my left.  The dining room seemed to be full of French people, obviously from a coach tour.

I was on my way by 8.45 a.m. with 21 kms to go: rather ambitious for Day One, but I was booked in at Hornillos, a stopping point with not a vast amount of accommodation.  It was a perfect day for beginning my 2014 Camino: cloudy and sunny in equal amounts.  Spring was here:  buttercups and daisies lined the way out of Burgos through the park.  Later I saw gorse in flower and many Lenten Roses.  Birds were singing, especially cuckoos.  I passed the State Prison on my right.

Milestone on way out of Burgos:  532 kms to go!

I stopped at Tardajos at 11.30 a.m.for a cafe con leche and a chocolate croissant.  On this trip, I can afford to indulge when doing so much exercise!  Now the day was getting hotter.  Rabe looked a nice spot to stay, but I had to press on.  I had quite a long rest and a siesta at the Fuente de Praotorre, where the pump of the fountain was actually producing water, but I just washed my hands and face.

The last 5 kms into Hornillos were hard going.  I concluded that 15 kms was an ideal day for me, but it's not always possible to find accommodation at that point.  I went slowly down the so-called mule-killer slope (bearing in mind that falls often happen when people are tired).  On arrival in the small town, I went straight to the Alimentacion shop, where I knew they would be willing to call the Casa Rural, Consulta de Isar, for me whilst I sat on the bench outside, consuming a cold can of beer!

The Casa was more basic than expected, 2 kms away.  It had very small rooms (5 of them, only) and not well sound-proofed.  There were 6 French people there (3 couples) and one French Canadian lady, who thankfully could chat with me and translate what the others were saying at dinner.  She even lent me her iPad to fire off a quick email home.  Dinner was Russian Salad, potato and tuna soup, veal with a beautiful fresh salad and for dessert, a flan with fruit puree.  I slept soundly after such a strenuous day and paid 58 E. for dinner, b. and b.

Little church en route

Burgos, 29 April

There was a lovely breakfast set out in the spacious dining room: the fruit on the buffet was especially good. I watched a few late peregrinos walk past at 9.00 a.m., noting the size of their backpacks (mostly too big!) this hotel is on the higher, official, route out of town on Fernan Gonzalez.

I moved my backpack down to the Meson del CiD, having abandoned the old suitcase which had protected my new lightweight Aarn pack on the plane. I left a little message for the chambermaid: "no lo quiero". Then I crossed the square to the cathedral and got the pilgrim's rate (3.5 E) to visit, complete with audio commentary. This gave a guided tour lasting about an hour.

Burgos was the first Gothic cathedral to be built in Spain. There were displays and models in the cloister, showing how it was extended and embellished over the centuries. It also explained how the different levels on the sloping site were cleverly compensated for, including a magnificent staircase by Diego de Siloe, leading up to the north door of the cathedral. El CiD and his wife are buried beneath the transept crossing.

I had the Menu del Dia for lunch at the Bonfin Restaurant: Sopa Castellana, grilled Merluza w. salad, then Tarta de Manzana for dessert. I went back to the hotel for a siesta, but was disturbed by people arriving in the next room and their plumbing. I was about to make myself a cup of tea when I discovered I had left my adaptor plug behind at the Abba. On returning there, I was delighted when it was returned to me from a box of similar paraphernalia kept at reception.

At 5.00 p.m. the Museo de Burgos opened, so I went along to see the archaeological exhibits and medieval paintings. I passed a "China Shop" on the way and was able to buy a dinky little hairbrush for under 2E. Strolling back across the river, I couldn't resist having chocolate w. churros at a popular cafe. This just about filled me up for the evening, so I went to bed and read my Kindle, forgetting about dinner.

My room at Meson del Cid is in a prime spot overlooking the cathedral's west door. I can also see over the typical red and ochre rooftops to a line of wind turbines on a green ridge in the distance.

View from my window

Meson del Cid - my balcony is near the Hotel sign

This fresh pilgrim seated next to a weary one

Madrid to Burgos, 28 April

The flight to Madrid arrived 20 minutes early, so there was plenty of time to find the ASLA counter near the exit of T4, purchase my ticket to Burgos and simply cross the road to find all the bus stops. The coach was very comfortable and it was a lovely sunny afternoon for the journey. I felt a bit worn out after 20 hours on a plane and just wanted to get to the end. The film being shown on board was "The Impossible", in English with Spanish subtitles, and I might have watched it if I hadn't already seen it on the plane last year!

On arrival in Burgos, I went straight to Meson del Cid where I had a booking for the following day. It was around 6.00 p.m. They were fully booked and extremely apologetic, saying that normally they would have expected to have a few spare rooms. The friendly receptionist phoned the Abba Hotel, some 200m. away, and got me a room for 70 E. This proved to be a good choice, a nice room with a small balcony which had a view of the cathedral spires beyond a park in the Castillo area. After a beer from the mini bar, I set off for a walk and purchased a few items from the small supermarket below the cathedral: bread, cheese, jamon and an orange to have later in my room. After all the meals on the plane, this was just what I needed.

The Abba Hotel was playing Abba music in reception, where I used their computer to send an email home. The hotel seemed to specialize in coach tours, as there were 2 enormous coaches parked outside. It also boasted a heated indoor pool, but I didn't have a cozzie with me. I turned in at 9.00 p.m. with a sleeping pill to combat any jet lag and slept soundly till the sky lightened at 7.00 a.m.

 

Perth to Dubai, 27th April 2014

Poster in Leon

It was a rainy evening as I left Perth for my 2014 Camino adventure. The flight was 50 minutes late taking off, due to an unknown "technical problem", but there would be plenty of time in Dubai to make the connection to Madrid. The plane was packed; not a spare seat anywhere, so no chance of stretching out for a sleep. Dinner was finally served around midnight, after which I took 2 painkillers for the insipient toothache which had been bothering me for a week. Would I have to walk the entire Camino with this problem? The lady sitting next to me (on her way to walk the Via Plata from Seville) suggested oil of cloves, an old-fashioned remedy probably available at a Spanish pharmacy.

I managed to sleep fitfully till about 7.00 a.m. Perth time, when I walked around the plane for a bit and did a few exercises. In Dubai, I went into the airport hotel to book a room overnight for the return journey (US$ 248 for 7-10 hours).