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Day 12: Burgos to Hosantos
Day 12: Burgos-Hosantos
31km
During the night, as our hospitalera warned, we heard loud fireworks all night for the city's big annual festival. Our 10pm curfew in the bustling city of Burgos was very painful when fireworks were happening directly outside our window in the city center plaza. As Ettore and I walked out of the albergue at 7am with our packs, swaying festival goers were still packed inside the plazas drinking. We wandered our way out of the city center looking for espresso, weaving through the young Spanish party-ers, past the cathedral glowing in the sunrise, and quickly made our way back into wheat fields.
La Meseta
We were now walking La Meseta, the long flat plains of Spain. We met a Norwegian And tried to find a place open for breakfast. We had no luck and walked over 10km to the next small town. We found a tiny hotel and Camilla and Oscar and a Hungarian girl were huddled around their croissants inside the patio of the hotel's stone walls. This was not going to be a day for espresso breaks every 30 minutes so we had two espressos and took an extra long break. After all, we were walking about 8 miles over hills to get our breakfast. The guidebook suggests to stop at 20 km at a town in the middle of nowhere. Thanks to my new daily routine of diaper rash cream on my toes, I was blister free and ready for another 10k. Ettore and I continued, singing and sweating all the way to an oasis in the plains called Hosantos. So far, La Meseta has been beautiful in its own unique way. We stood in huge stretches of wheat watching the wind cross over the fields like waves on an ocean. These are places that you usually can't get to by car.
It is supposed to take us 7 days to cross La Meseta, maybe 5 or 6 days if we keep our pace up to 30+ km a day and we leave before sunrise to beat the heat.
I threw away a pair of socks today and a used up bottle of sunblock. I don't know if my pack is getting significantly lighter or if I'm getting significantly stronger. I considered myself a fairly fit person before starting the Camino but hills, sun, and heavy packs day after day is hard to prepare for. Few people actually train for the Camino. I believe you prepare for the Camino by just beginning and walking the Camino.
The Norwegian whose name is hard to pronounce and who works as a manager at a fishing company is now called Salmon. He talked about how many people dropped out of the Camino at Burgos and how many of his friends he made in the first day stayed back in the big towns to party or to just go home. Some were not fit enough physically or mentally. The Camino is not for everyone and certainly La Maseta showcases an even odder breed of walkers.
The Albergue System
A few words about the albergues: You never make reservations and the albergues fill as pilgrims arrive. Because you have to show your pilgrim credencial, you are only staying in rooms with other people traveling the Camino. Depending on the albergue and availability, you can be given small mats on the floor of a large room with over 50 people or be in bunk bed with as few as 6 people. That's right, snuggle up in your sleeping bag next to the old snoring man and squeeze your wallet tight. I've gotten really good at quietly hurdling bunk bed ladders with sore feet, suspending a dry change of clothes over shower doorways, and packing my backpack in the dark every morning.
The vast majority of pilgrims are so kind and thoughtful but like anywhere, there are a few oddballs (like the French pocketknife guy) that puts you on edge. Luckily, my favorite Italians have got my back now. I am never alone on the Camino.
Day 13: Hosantos to Boadillos del Camino
Day 13: Hosantos-Boadillos del Camino
28km
Due to a Belgian snorer, Ettore and I did not sleep well and it is amazing how much your sleep quality shows in your walking energy. We left a tad late from the middle of nowhere to walk to another oasis in the middle of nowhere. Most of these towns have been around for centuries and were built specifically for the pilgrim on the Camino. As we headed into the first town, we came across the ruins of a 12th century convent. There is an albergue built within the crumbling walls and a Dutch hospitalera stamped our credencials and suggest we take a detour to an active Monastery to buy cookies from the cloistered nuns. We took the risk of walking an unmarked dirt road and came upon a boarded up church in a quiet town. I tried knocking on all of the doors and figured we weren't there during open hours. We carried on to the next bell tower in the distance. As we approached town, another stone-walled building appeared and I realized that this was the Monastery we wanted. I walked into a courtyard and found a small open doorway. Inside was a little buzzer to ring and a glass case full of cookie samples. I rang the bell and heard footsteps approaching the wooden cabinet in the center of the wall. I opened the cabinet to see only a spinning shelf and the voice of the sweet nun who asked what cookies I would like. We chatted for a few minutes about the Camino and where I was from. I can't tell you what joy I have in communicating with someone in another language. So speaking Spanish to the faceless wall was a new level of Spanish I didn't know I could reach. The nun spun around my order of two different kinds of cookies and then I spun around my euros. Transaction with cloistered nun complete! We were off to the next espresso bar and sat with our cookies in the town of Castrojariz sipping cappuccinos and viewing the castles ruins atop a hill.
Every day on the Camino is a new beautiful experience.
Antonio twisted his ankle days before and was not recovering so he and Patricia took the bus today, reaching our destination sooner. Ettore and I walked the final 5km in near silence. You know I'm tired if I'm not singing about the next town. We reached 28 km today. In the past two days alone, we walked 47 miles. I'm so tired and I've never been more content.
Feet status: Ever since my conversation I had with Santiago about thinking in the moment, I have not had blisters.
I ate dinner with the Italians and Salmon the Norwegian in the albergue. I don't know where Camilla is. I think she and Oscar and Hungarian girl are a few clicks behind us. I hope we meet in the next town.
Day 14: Boadilla del Camino to Carrión de Los Condes
Day 14: Boadilla del Camino-Carrión de Los Condes
26km
I woke up with a devastating discovery. I had bed bugs. These were not the same bites as spider town. The series of 3 bites in a row on my hands and feet were proof. There's not much you can do if you want to keep moving so I carried my infested backpack, hoping to take care of it in the next town.
I walked the flat monotonous gravel paths through wheat fields with my 3 favorite Italians: Ettore, Patricia, and Antonio. Our ability to communicate is helped largely by Ettore's English translations and my Spanish. I am the spokesperson at restaurants since they don't speak Spanish. It is a funny scene when an American girl from Chicago acts as ambassador for a group of goofy Italians in rural Spain...but the role makes we feel really important and they love wine just as much as I do. We walked slowly through more of La Meseta and became at our quietest yet since knowing each other. La Meseta and the sun wears you out and I think all of our minds went floating up into the sky.
We ended up staying at El Monasterio de Santa Clara, a convent that takes in pilgrims. To treat the bed bugs, I washed everything in my bag and placed my whole backpack inside of a giant plastic garbage bag and set it out on the roof of the convent in the sun. The bag makes it so hot that the bugs either escape or die.
May all God's creatures living in my pack die on the rooftop of the convent. Amen.
Patricia was hit with bed bugs a few days ago and shared her calamine lotion. Despite all precautions, this, too, is often part of the Camino. I'm sorry if you've gotten a little itchy reading this.
We didn't see Salmon today and I still haven't seen Camilla or Oscar. They are lost at Camino sea.
We were in a very small and uninspiring town but I've never felt closer to my Italians than today.
Day 15: Carrion de Los Condes to Moratinos
Day 15: Carrión de Los Condes-Moratinos
27km
Another cool morning drinking espresso in the dark with our packs huddled at the cafe door. We could not walk the Camino the full Italian way today because we had a 17 km stretch without any towns. Can you imagine walking that long without an espresso bar? Antonio packed us baguettes and marmalade and biscottis. We left with the sun rising and because we have been gaining so much ground in the past few days, we met a few new pilgrims and sang a few new songs.
My contribution is the Potato song that is a huge hit with the Italians. "You say po-TAY-to and I say po-TAH-to..."
I often pause on my walks when I see a line of ants crossing a trail. I call it the Camino of Ants. I think about how ants carry enormous leaves on their back for great distances to only find more leaves at their destination. Why does the ant carry these leaves for so long? I have also been carrying ridiculous things on my back for great distances. I am no better than the ant.
My Italian family and I stuck together most of the day and Ettore and I landed at a cluster of buildings (not really a town). We had officially marked the halfway point between St. Jean (our start) and Santiago. That's about 400km on foot.
I type this while scratching bug bites and feeling the heat radiate off of my sun screened arms and face. I accidentally left my shampoo in the first town I walked to and haven't washed my hair in 2 weeks. I've also convinced Ettore to continue to Santiago. He was going to stop in León and return to Italy.
Day 16: Moratinos to El Burgo Ranero
Day 16: Moratinos-El Burgo Ranero
30.9km
Ettore and I found a snoring-free room and I was free of bugs so I slept!! Wow, did I sleep!
We continued through rural wheat fields, this stage of the Camino is hard, and not just for the gluten-intolerant... and then we passed through Sahagun with history that was too hot to stop and look at. We did cross over a Roman bridge and followed a long dirt road through the fields nearby an old Roman road.
Saint Qualifications
A few notes about the long hot gravel paths through miles and miles of fields in the middle of nowhere: Somebody thought it was a good idea to plant trees along the path. That person is my hero. Actually they should be sainted. We have passed through towns named after saints (San Juan de Ortega and Santo Domingo de la Calzada, to name a few) who were sainted for merely building a bridge for pilgrims. Perhaps they did other things. The person who planted the trees along the unforgiving gravel paths of La Meseta is my new patron saint of skin cancer. Let's call her Saint Derma. She will soon be competing for the lead role over St. Patrick for all Irish pilgrims who have run out of sunscreen in rural Spain.
I met a father and his two sons from Madrid who started walking the Camino in Burgos. The boys were middle school age so they told me about how much they hate their art teacher at their school. A few tips they gave me: let students listen to whatever music they want to, let them work in groups, and don't make them be perfect. Got it. Thanks, chicos.
We also met an Italian couple who were walking the Camino and getting married in Santiago at the end.
There are so many little stories and people that fill each day.
I found the two teaching sisters from Michigan at today's albergue. One of them had a bad ankle so they took a bus to catch up and were surprised to find us. They didn't think they'd see anyone for another day. We are bus-free, almost blister-free, and cruising on foot with our full packs.
News on the Camino is that Camilla is ok but behind several towns! She also twisted her ankle so she is going extra slow.
Antonio called Ettore to let us know that they found Salmon the Norwegian a few towns ahead. Our migrating village of pilgrims has started to drift as the days go on. We hope to meet in León tomorrow. It's 37km away so we will leave at 4:30am!
Day 17: El Burgo Ranero to León
Day 17: El Burgo Ranero-León
37+km
Did I say 4:30am? That's funny. After the efficient Scandinavians had left the building, I finally dragged myself out of my bunk at the reasonable Italian hour of 6am. Ettore and I hauled it from dawn until 5pm, walking 37km in total into the city of León. Our highest mileage in one day yet. My guidebook says to take the bus into town the last few kilometers to avoid city traffic. It talks about swallowing your pride and consider your ego and why we think it's so important to walk on foot every mile. I appreciated that point but I came to walk the Camino and I'm so glad I kept my feet on the ground. The slow and ugly change on foot from wheat fields, to industrial factories, to suburban car dealerships, to narrow medieval streets into the cathedral plaza, was a fascinating transition. No bus can show you that.
We made our espresso stops as short as possible since we had so much ground to cover... And we finally entered the shockingly huge city, population 120,000!
Diaper Cream for the win
They say that the Camino is not a competition or a race and it''s about your personal journey...blablabla...I know this...BUT...I just want to point out that I met two ex-soldiers who had to stop because the Camino got rough. A guy in the German army had blisters that had him off his feet for a few days and a guy from the Israeli army had shin splints. Clearly their armies haven't gotten hold of the secret weapon: diaper cream. <insert sponsorship for diaper cream here.> ha. Apply liberally on your toes every morning. And always stop for espresso.
Continue the journey on the Camino with me here in Part 4.
Pre-Camino Travels | Camino Part 1 | Camino Part 2 | Camino Part 3 | Camino Part 4 | Camino Part 5
