Camino de Santiago; Days 9-15

It's pretty hard to find time to create a timely post,  to have a fast connection to create it, or to have the energy to expend on it  We walk 20-30 km each day, about 6-7 hours of walking and are so tired and happy when we arrive.   The weather is golden and the shadows are growing longer as the days move along into autumn.  It smells like fallen leaves and farm animals.  We pick a bunch of grapes from vineyards along the road to munch on, and gather wild berries and nuts for fun. The Spanish peregrinos showed me how to collect and crack almonds to get the nut out.  Thousand year old villages, some tiny and quiet, dot the Camino, and we stop for a coffee or glass of wine and a bocadillo, or sandwich on a crusty roll.  Or a tortilla, a Spanish frittata full of tender potatoes.  Life is good.  As with sailing, the weather and maintaining the equipment(our feet) are the most important things we pay attention to.

 Here's the next six days of travel along the Camino

Day 9  We departed Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a 21 km walking day.
Soft morning sunlilght illluminated the ramparts of a fortress wall.

Day 9  A checkpoint  . Still too many miles to think about!

Day 9  Walking through the wine growing region of Rioja.  A glass of
very nice wine costs from .80 to 1.80 Euro!

Day 9 Rolling hills of harvested wheat.  We enter the flat region called the Mezeta.

Day 10  The local people celebrate the Camino and treat us pilgrims well.

Day 10   Walking 24 km to Belorado . Eating rich roadside elderberries!
We also picked figs, grapes and blackberries.

Day 10 into the mezeta, the flat wheat growing region.
Four days of walking without hills.  Follow the yellow arrows!

Day 10  Local people gather walnuts, and almonds.
They shared them with us.  To Belorado was 24 km, to Burgos,
to San Juan De Ortega was 24, and to Burgos was 27km.

Day 12  Burgos Cathedral from my hotel room. It rained buckets that day, which I didn't hike through because of my mangled toe and blistered heels. It was Santa Maria Del Pilar day (Columbus Day) Spain's national holiday, and the cathedral bells pealed for 15 minutes to commemorate it. Stunning!!!  A sound we never hear in the States.

Day 12  The medieval gate in Burgos.

Day 12   Outside the gate, an exhibit of Henry Moore bronzes was on view.

A view of the cathedral square from my balcony.

An avenue of topiary and espaliered, grafted plane trees was inviting.

Verginio and Guilio took us out for diner of mussels, shrimps and
 various Castillan foods.  Delicious and loads of laughs .
 We ended withtiny shots of grappa!

Day 12  Burgos Cathedral at night

13  The dome above the tomb of El Cid, Spain's hero.

Cathedral tour was interesting and so much beauty.  Handcrafted centuries ago.

Santiago, St. James the Moor Slayer.  All of Europe celebrated the deliverance of Spain from the Moors by making pilgrimages in honor of the Miracle of Santiago's appearance in the battle.

An autumn view of polars lining the Camino, breaking the wind across the fields

Day 13  Riders on the Camino.  It looks a lot easier!

13   The Camino goes ever on and on.

As you can see from the last picture, it's hard to find a place to go to the bathroom.
So......we needed a Shrubbery!

Day 14  walking 20 k to Hornillos.

The days move steadily along, and for the four or five days it takes to cover the meseta the landscape is much the same.  But we meet up with trail friends and chat with others who become new trail friends, and the days are so pleasant .  Even when it rains a little.  The weather will probably close in as we approach November, and Galicia and the Atlantic Ocean with it's winter gales.

Until next time, Buen Camino!!