The sunsets lately have sometimes been amazing and other times unusual. Last night was one of the latter ones.
I thought it was different and in no small way also stunning. This virus is bringing out the very best of sunsets!
Today was fortunately a shorter day of walking as we walked quite far yesterday and I needed to get into the garden today among other things. It was all over and dusted in about two hours, but those hours were peaceful and very pleasant walking. The sun was shining and it was about 14 by the time we finished at 10:30.
It was 16 an hour later when I drove out to pick up one last tin of paint and find garden plants for my parents. Sort of a personal record, only getting into a car 4 times in the last 6 weeks. Did not anticipate that!
The field flowers are showing now. In about a week they will be spectacular and I'll try to post a few photos of them.
Other flower ‘walls’ are showing themselves now. Makes the walking a joy.
Back on the virtual camino, things are getting interesting as we anticipate our arrival into Burgos, one of the truly wonderful cities on the Spanish portion of the Way of St. James.
As I believe I said earlier, in 2013 we had hoped to walk just 20 kms and then bus 18 kms into town due to Annemarie's situation, but on a Sunday the bus service from the small villages was basically non-existent. So without any other choice we walked the 38 kms, the longest stage of our camino. Annemarie was very brave with her broken toe and many blisters.
When I started out in 2018 it was below zero, there was ice on the roads and a skiff of fresh snow as well.
Frankly it was a bit bleak, but beautiful in a bleak sort of way. Ages in the distance.
Ages is a place I'd often thought to stay, but somehow it has always seemed to elude me.
It's a very cool medieval village with some real character.
2013.
2018.
We passed quickly through...
But Ken has a memory so I'll also post a photo of the town from 2013.
Rain again, on and off, mostly on, over the Montes de Oca. Long 12 km stretch without much of a rest except a moment to eat a banana and put on my wet but still warm sweater. Coffee with cognac in San Juan de Ortega and a tuna empañada.
And began the somewhat awkward climb up to Matagrande at 1,082m. A bit of a desolate, but beautiful place that I've always managed to visit without others around, except of course Annemarie in 2013: ) A place of reflection, even when it's windy and cold.
2013.
2018....brrrrr!
Burgos looking so close, but still some 23 kms away.
A rare selfie on this virtual camino. On the last amigo's Zoom call, Ken asked what I was wearing when it was so cold. I had planned for 3 season walking, not really expecting that I'd experience the cold and snow that I did. I had adequate gear in layers. Thankfully Annemarie left me her purple buff when she left. It saved me as the weather deteriorated, and I used mine as a toque.
A group of French pilgrims who I'd come to know somewhat in 2018. They walk a section each year.
It's such a long way into Burgos. In 2013 we made an effort to take the alternate way into the city that I'd read about, but we got redirected after the airport and ended up walking through the industrial area.
2018.
Ken said that he missed the turn for the river route and walked the crappy industrial zone route. Neil said that he walked in alone after Sarah's injured feet forced her to take a taxi with others. Neil had his epiphany moment as he walked into the city alone. It happens that way, and he promises to share it with me next time we are face to face in person...hopefully sharing a beer! It's our turn to visit them in Oz, so I'm going to hold you to that mate! Hopefully we can travel again post covid-19 fairly soon.
Ken's Burgos thoughts;
This albergue is huge, like the city--it was a long 10 km walk from the industrial suburbs (missed the turn for the bypass, it wasn’t marked, but that was okay because we both needed coffee and a bocadillo by 12:30)--anyway, my feet are tired. More walking now, to find correo, maybe a gear shop to get a neck wallet (I can’t get into the money belt easily and I’ve had enough--also don’t like keeping my passport in my outside pocket). [It had already been damaged by the rain while crossing the Pyrenees. Lesson learned: ziplock bags!]
At one point we stopped to repair Annemarie's feet. 38 kms is a decent walk with a pack on your back for anyone, much of it on road surfaces.
In 2018 I figured out the alternate route into the city centre. It went on and on, but it was much nicer than the industrial slog.
While we expect to walk tomorrow, the blog will address the rest day we took here in 2013. A really interesting city!
No comments:
Post a Comment