Day 5 – Santo Domingo de la Calzado to Burgos
After driving to Villfranca de Montes de Oca, day five started with a steep climb that definitely tested the cardio. As we started we passed two Australian women, one of whom must have been well into her 80s, so no excuses for us! The countryside was mostly forested and in the past, pilgrims were in danger from thieves, bears and wolves in this area. Lower temperatures and lots of shade, made walking much more pleasant so it didn’t feel any harder than easier walks on the warmer days. We passed and were passed by other walkers from all over the world. With some we would have a chat about where we were from, where we started and how long we expected to take.
By the time we reached the picnic site we were very hungry and Jose had again prepared a wonderful lunch, which we enjoyed with plenty of laughs. Did I mention how much I love Spanish bread with olive oil, salt and pepper? What a pity we can’t get decent bread at home! We are also enjoying all of the local seafood, chorizo, cheeses and sweet treats at lunch, it is different type each day.
After visiting the 12th and 15th century San Juan de Ortega church, we drove to the city of Burgos where we found there was a medieval festival being held in honour of El Cid, or Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, an 11th century nobleman who fought against (and for) the Muslims. Here we’re market stall, jousting tournaments and people walking around in medieval dress. We went on a tour of the famous and imposing Burgos Cathedral with a very funny guide who was very proud of the cathedral, but certainly had some weird hand gestures. While awe-inspiring, the opulence left me cold – surely there is more the Catholic Church could do with the money than fill its cathedrals with gold and silver? No wonder the reformation movement gained popularity!
After the tour John and I went to the Museum of Human Evolution, displaying some of the human fossil finds from the UNESCO world heritage site at the nearby Sierra de Atapeurca. The museum was brilliantly done and I would have loved to spend longer there, but we were meeting the others for dinner so we only had a quick look. While we were waiting for dinner to arrive, I took my camera to the hotel and on the way I came across a medieval royal procession on horseback – lots of excitement from the crowd and I managed to take a few pictures.
Total distance walked was 15km.
Day 6 – Burgos to Carrion de los Condes
Day 6 dawned as another bright sunny day, with a few clouds – we have been lucky with the weather. We were warned to expect some cold and wet days, but so far, the wet weather gear is unused. And then there’s all the all the warm clothing we thought we would need. We drove to Rabe del Camino to start our walk across the Meseta on the Castillian high plain. Often, walkers, especially those with time deadlines bus around this section because of its reputation as long, flat and boring. However, I enjoyed walking through farmland, mostly grain crops that had recently been harvested and sunflower crops. The clouds were constantly changing creating spectacular panoramas on the surrounding countryside. One memorable sight was the sun shining on the hills behind a village as we descended into a river valley. Strangely, my camera started taking videos and recording conversations by itself along this stretch – perhaps it is trying to send me a message? I think it is possessed!
Our picnic spot was surrounded by poplars that were just beginning to change colour for autumn and the breeze blowing through them rustled their leaves. While we waited for lunch, we soaked our feet in a pool that had been built around a natural spring, although the water was so cold it was painful. At today’s lunch Jose challenged us to drink red wine from a purron. A purron is a wine flask with a spout from which drinkers pour wine into their mouths, not touching the spout or spilling it down their chins while stretching their arms straight. Naturally, this was not easy!
After lunch we drove to Carrion del los Condes. Here, we saw bodegas which are cellars dug into the hillside as storerooms and dovecotes where doves make their homes. The doves eat the insects in the crops and the villagers also eat the birds and their eggs. We then walked along the canal lined with deciduous poplars and other trees, with the afternoon sun shining through their leaves that were changing colour with autumn. Sugarbeet and sunflowers were growing in the fields along the canal and we also saw a donkey leading some sheep. John was interested in the man catching crayfish, which are an invasive species, but good eating.
We spent the night in the San Zoilo Monastery, founded in the 10th century. After checking in (and flooding the bathroom) we were lucky enough to tour the Monastery where renovations of the 16th century work revealed an intact 11th century Romanesque church, complete with marble pillars taken from old Roman buildings. The most important artefacts found during the renovations were two silk tapestries 1000 years old, brought back from the south of Spain during skirmishes with the Moors. Their exquisite designs incorporated Muslim motifs and writing.
I am walking strongly, giving me confidence for the more difficult sections ahead. We walked 19.9km for the day and welcomed a traditional meal of confit duck in the Monastery dining room.
Talking the walk: A non-believer's journey along the Camino de Santiago 