Distance: 23.9km (287.9km).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 968m / 860m / 1080m.
Weather: Almost not one cloud in the sky.
Burgos. Taste a little of that name, there is something grand resounding of that name. Today, I followed in the footsteps of so many pilgrims before me, to the Gothic capital of Spain. Burgos also marked the end of the second part of my Camino. The day however, began by me coming down to the restaurant running the albergue, where it was sunflower seeds lying all over the floor. I knew perfectly well the cause of it, yesterday evening there had almost been a local party guessing by the sounds coming from below. Even the children were out and playing, while we, the pilgrims had to get to bed early. Oh, the irony of it all.
In the morning after leaving Atapuerca, on the way up to Cruz de Matagrande.
Walking into the city was boring, but before the dull part begun it was a pleasant walk after Atapuerca and until Orbaneja. Out of Ages, I walked in the dark and alongside a road; when it got bright, I saw that the pilgrim walking ahead of me had a large toy frog attached to the back of his backpack, strange.
Flaming sunrise over the wind turbines.
The sun appeared when I was ascending up towards Cruz de Matagrande after Atapuerca, not far away from the discovery of the earliest remains of people living in Europe. They were cannibals. The archaeological site is declared a Unesco World Heritage site. At the location of the highest point on the walk, at 1080m, the sun formed a flaming outline around the cross. Next to the cross, there were several concentric circles made of stone. The buildings of Burgos visible in reach of the eyes.
Cruz de Matagrande.
A single gravel track wound itself down from the hill, another way went around it, you could choose which way you wanted to go. The one going around, was on a paved road, I walked the single road continuing down in a small hollow in the landscape. It lead me down to small Villaval, the village looked as it lived outside of time. The bell tower of the church had collapsed; the roof would, depending on the weather, either fill the church with water or sunlight. It was a sad view, churches are often common meeting places for villages here.
Down to Villaval.
Then the dull walk into the city began, though some distance outside the city, it feels correct to say that it begin when you cross the busy highway. The airport, worn workplaces and suburbs passes by, but then you arrive in the inner part of the city, the old town, and everything changes. There, an old gateway and city walls greets you and then you enter history.
The remains of the church in Villaval, the bell tower has almost collapsed entirely.
The new and modern albergue (Casa del Cubo) was not open when I arrived, so the backpack was put in the line of backpacks that had come before me. I went for a beer together with some other pilgrims. While we sat down with each our cold cerveza, a procession walked by, a long line of people dressed in medieval costumes, both on foot and on horse. Knights and laymen. There was allegedly a medieval festival in the city.
In Burgos, an old archway.
Torsten arrived when I was back in the line outside the albergue, we had kept in touch and I knew that he had decided to take a zero day here. That made me really happy, we agreed to meet later on. Several other pilgrims that I have met are also arriving, as Bianca, who I met in Granon. The stay at the albergue only cost three euro, and you share a cubicle and shower with three others.
Catedral de Santa Maria in Burgos, with a medieval procession walking by.
If you are continuing walking the next day, you should arrive in Burgos early. The city (that is, the old town) is an architectural jewel and a visit to the impressive cathedral, Catedral de Santa Maria XIII, which is built in a gothic style, is mandatory. If you look aside from the boring suburb, this is the prettiest city on the Camino so far.
This famous pilgrim has been resting outside the cathedral of Burgos for many a year.
After I had looked at the city, I met Torsten as agreed, he had taken a room in a small guesthouse together with two other pilgrims (usually, you can only stay one night in a pilgrim hospital). I met Alessandra and Martina in Najera, but did not get to speak so much with them then. We walked up to the old castle above the old town, hoping that it was still open, but it was closed for the day. Though the castle was closed, the view over Burgos was great.
View over Burgos and the cathedral in the evening.
It was bustling in the city in the evening and we were lucky to grab a table on a lively café in one of the several plazas. And as before, I had to get back to the albergue before the doors were locked, there is a sort of rule that pilgrims has to go to bed early.
The walk was just partially nice today, but in the centre of Burgos that was soon forgotten. Tomorrow, the third part of the Camino beings and the meseta is forming a natural beginning of it.
Evening dinner in Burgos, Alessandra, Ajana and Torsten.
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