LP and VQT

 Posted by VQT We did it.  We left at 6:45 and arrived at 2:45.  The sun and heat from noon on was intense.  But we arrived and our friend Tina was in the bar of our hotel - seeing her again and cold beer was a great boost to our tired bodies.   According to my IPhone I walked 44,694 steps today! Below are photos I took 3 years ago from this town (we didn’t stay here but stopped here for a break). Storks were nesting on the church roof across from the hotel.   Photo of stork on church roof taken in 2022.   Photo of stork flying above church taken in 2022.   People are amazed we saw the storks in the field a few days ago.  

 Posted by VQT Day 14 and it’s a doozy!  The Meseta starts in Burgos and ends in Leon.  It’s a test of endurance.  No shade and few services. It’s 12:45 and we have stopped at a cafe.  So far we’ve walked 12 miles.  We think we have 4 to 5 miles left to our destination    The Meseta.   LP walking up an incredibly long hill.  Seriously it must have been a mile or more uphill.   Looking out over the Meseta.   Another view of the vastness of the Meseta.  

 Posted by LP Photo - world map on wall of our breakfast cafe - pins indicating the home countries of Camino pilgrims  Photo - Knight Templar (protected pilgrims of old) Cross, with ribbons and other additions on overlook of Meseta Photo - VQT watching a local “harvest” an almond tree by the side of the trail  Photo - a sunflower by the side of the trail (I have this idea that the sunflower “escaped” from the sunflower farm to live a life of freedom! 🌻) Photo - Camino sign with (plastic) glasses and wings added - it says something like “travel on the left”  Photo - just part of the vast Meseta stretching out for miles  Photo - VQT and Bec (from Tasmania) outside a little shop called 469km (till Santiago)  Photo - inside the little shop…it had everything a Camino hiker could want (including bottles of wine) and these clocks of times around the world  Photo - sedum in a hiking boot on window sill  Photo - chicken at top of monument (next to church ...

 Posted By VQT Another day of gravel roads.   Small church passed in the early morning.  We were walking by 7:30.   LP at roadside marker.   The Camino path stretching off into the distance.   Another photo of the Camino.  There are no trees - no shade - on the Meseta.  

 Posted by VQT Day 13.  Booking accommodations on the Camino is always a challenge.  We look at mileage, terrain, prior days mileage and the following days mileage.  Plus, we rely on booking.com photos and reviews.  Last night was a miss.  We arrived at our hotel yesterday and found we couldn’t check in for an hour.  Two other women were there waiting to check in - Stacey and Mindy from Hawaii. Turned out only the four of us were staying at this sad place that night.  LP and I decided that the hotel qualified for one of the top positions in Camino hotel OMG experiences.  Photos on booking.com were apparently taken many years prior.   The exterior.  We had one of the “suites” with a balcony.  Rubble field across the street from our balcony.  Stacey, Mindy, VQT and LP.  We met the two women from Hawaii at the only cafe/bar in the town. After a few glasses of vino tinto we were all laughing about the hotel.   Our “s...

 Posted by LP Photo - charming dog in bar last night  Photo - metal door outside business….with bees and spiders, etc Photo - Burgos cathedral spires and television antenna  Photo - police (and Tony from Australia) helping us find our way out of Burgos  Photo - VQT in field photographing storks (aren’t they wonderful?)  Photo - old house with vines and a green door  Photo - green door Photo - another green door Photo - yet another green door Photo - a blue door (didn’t expect that, eh?) Photo - river we crossed coming into town  Photo - mural (of Camino hiker and their dog) on side of barn  Photo - VQT at dinner this evening with Mindy (from Hawaii) and Stacey (from Las Vegas)

 Posted by VQT After a slow start getting out of Burgos for 2 reasons - we were not in a hurry and then we couldn’t find where the Camino started in the town.  Yesterday walking in we used Mapquest to find our hotel and even though we knew the Camino went by the Cathedral the town doesn’t allow any Camino signs around the Cathedral. After much right, left, circling, backtracking we were assisted by two police officers and a local.  Finally on our way.   Exiting Burgos was uninspiring and we’d hope to stop at a monastery but we were so baffled by finding our way out of town we’d walk by the monastery turnoff before we realized it - no turning back for us. Hours later walking over a highway overpass LP said, are those storks?”   YES!  Grazing (foraging) in a cut wheat field were storks. Stork flying away.   Stork flying.   Stork taking off.    3 storks lifting off to fly away.   3 storks taking off.   Storks flying with trees in ...