End of Camino San Olav

Last night on our stroll around town, we found the "sarcophagus fountain". Apparently three Roman sarcophagi were used to make this fountain. 

We had breakfast in our B&B and on our way out of town, señora Maury took us through the 19th century church, with its original painting in tact. 

The walk today was short, about 19 km and almost all on a Via Verde. Since it's Sunday there were lots of people out, mostly on bikes but some walkers. 

By 1 pm we had ended our camino in front of the Burgos cathedral. 

After a hamburguesa at a riverside cafe, it was time for goodbye.

 Reb took off on her two hour drive back to Moratinos, and I decided to walk the 5 km to the train station. I was lucky to get there four minutes before an earlier train to Leon and I was able to change my ticket and hop on. 

Two hours later I was in Leon. 

Checked into my 16€ room at the Hostal España. I was surprised to hear the guy standing in the next doorway say --Laurie? Turns out it's a fellow camino addict from Slovenia whom I've "known" for years on the Internet. Small world!  And we are both setting out in the Salvador on Tuesday after a day in Leon. 

Monday will be a day to buy new socks, new rubber tips for my poles, more phone time, and best of all a long visit to the cathedral!  

Day 2 on the Olav. 29 heavenly kms

This was a truly spectacular four**** day. The owner of our hotel, the Taberna Moruga, drove us back to the place we had stopped walking yesterday. It was around 8:45. 

The magic started right away. First we saw some dinosaur footprints that are 114 million years old. 

Then we arrived at a 7 C visigothic church, one of three in Spain, and had about a half hour to wait till the printed opening time. It's a remote church, in the middle of nowhere, and I'm always dubious that the personnel will really show up on time. But at the appointed opening hour exactly, 10:05 (not 10:00), a guy on a motorcycle drove up to open the church. Words cannot describe either the inside or outside. 

From there our walk went through several nice little towns, lots of fields on rolling hills, just generally beautiful scenery. 

Towards the end, with about 4 km left, we found ourselves on the side of a steep hill unsure of where to go. The GPS suggested we should go straight up to a ridge but there was no obvious path. Then all of a sudden walking our way, seemingly materializing out of thin air, came one of the town's ten residents out for a walk. Another Camino angel, she took us up and pointed the way. Doña Eugenia, thank you very much. 

Day one on the San Olav

Rebekah, my pal who lives on the meseta in a town on the camino, joined me in Santo Domingo de Silos last night. We went to vespers and very much enjoyed it, then a light supper and off to bed. 

Today's walk went through two nice small towns 

and a lot of scrub oak forest. Fair amount of elevation gain and the beautiful views that come with it. 

The last part of today's walk was terribly marked and would have been impossible without a GPS. Another totally solitary walk, but having a companion makes a ton of difference. And since the last time we saw each other was last year, we have a lot to catch up on. 

Heat wave makes 30 km harder

Today's walk from Hontoria Del Pinar to Santo Domingo was a nice one with a few marshy wet parts and a few rocky foot-killing parts. Almost as bad as walking on the railroad bed rocks!  

Lots of walking through grazing lands. Had a nice little chat with the only person I saw all day, who was with the cows. He's lived all his life in the town below the pasture and told me I should detour down to see the pretty little village. Maybe next time. 

The heat has gone way up, soon to be brought down by some thunderstorms, but hopefully not while I'm walking!  

The town of Santo Domingo de Silos has a Romanesque cloister of great renown as well as famous singing monks. I will be at vespers at 7 to see if they are as good as everyone says. 

Tonight my friend Reb is joining me and we will try a new little Camino-- the San Olav from here into Burgos. It has to do with a Norwegian princess who married a Castilian prince long ago. She died young of homesickness and made her husband promise to build a church to Saint Olav. This was finally done a few years ago, I think, giving rise to a new camino. Highlights include dinosaur footprints and a Visigoths church. Can't wait!! 

In the Cañón del Río Lobos

When I was planning this camino, I saw that the route went close to but not through the canyon. Looking at a map, it seemed that that omission was easily fixed --get a cab to the start of the canyon and then soon after the end of the canyon I could easily cut back to the camino. 

Everything was all set. I had gotten rates from the taxi and had promised to call the afternoon before to set up a time. Here's where things went south. The taxista's wife answered and said her father in law was very ill and there would be no taxi service for a while. 

While I was sitting in the hotel cafe pondering my dilemma, someone said to me --are you Laurie? Turns out that this woman, Arzucena, is a friend of a friend of the woman I walked with last year. Lee had told them when and where I'd be there. Another camino angel. First she insisted on taking me around town. We saw a local performance of the Castilian jota (traditional dance) with all the dancers decked out in their traditional dress. 

Then to the church, where the priest had me ring the bells, showed me the relics, and took me through the wardrobe with its beautiful vestments, some as old as 16th century. 

But the most amazing moment happened when we were in a cafe in the center and Ceni (her nickname) learned that the taxista's father had died and without missing a beat she said --I'll pick you up at 7. Not sure why, but though I don't expect things like this to happen, I have had so many experiences like this on the camino that they no longer astonish me. 

So by 7:30 this morning I was on the trail through the canyon. Amazing. 

27 kms later I'm in Hontoria Del Pinar in my 24€  room getting ready to eat my main meal downstairs. Tomorrow my pal Rebekah joins me and my days of solo walking will be done!! 

June 7 --Long day from Abejar to San Leonardo

These 32 kms took me almost as long as yesterday's 38. Most of the blame goes to the many kms walking on big piles of loose rocks on an abandoned rail track. It was awful and my feet really took a pounding. So, unfortunately, did my knee. On one particularly ungraceful scramble up the steep side leading to the rail bed (having gone through the wrong barbed wire fence), as I was about to give a triumphal cheer for having made it, I tumbled and smacked my bad knee on some of those nasty rocks. I'm ok but it's sore. 

Anyway, the day started out lovely with the first 7 or 8 on a nice dirt track. First little town had a Roman fountain and s ruined castle. 

Then it got less fun. I should have known when the arrows took me over to the towns abandoned train station that I was heading for the old tracks. Sure enough for km after km I had to walk on rocks. 

At some point after my fall the camino gods took pity and sent me through a pine forest. 

Much better but not easy walking because the ground was very swampy. 

After what seemed like forever, I arrived for market day in Navaleño. Had a cold drink, took off my boots and bought some fruit. Very friendly place. 

Then only 6.5 km left to the destination of San Leonardo de Yague. Yague was a general in Franco's army and leaving his name on the town is causing all sorts of problems. Lawsuits have been filed under the relatively recent ley de la memoria. This guy apparently did a lot of good things for the town --brought in electricity, medical offices, library, movie thester, etc, so many of the old don't want to remove his name. It's not about him being a Franco general, they insist. Young people seem indifferent, though one said she hated to think how much it would cost to change all the signs. And a lot looked very new. 

Interesting trivia for today--much of Doctor zhivago was filmed here! 

 

Hoping my replacement credit card shows up today. It's not here yet but fingers crossed. 

Great walk coming up tomorrow!!!!!

38 long kms to Abejar

I wouldn't say it was a spectacular day but it had its nice parts and almost all off road, which makes my feet very happy. 

I left a little after 6, having just face timed with Justine and Oliver in the bathtub (8:15 California time is 5:15 Spain time). 

Sunrise was super 

I went through a few little towns with nothing going on (but they did have fountains so I had plenty of water). Lots of walking through grazing land but the cows never came close.  Not very lush. 

But there were some nice bike trail parts that had nice views and soft surfaces. 

I'm in a municipally owned albergue. 60 beds and I'm all alone. Sheets and towels, real luxuries and only 17 €. But if I had come tomorrow, there would have been no room for me because a group of 60 school kids from Madrid is arriving. 

Today was a good thinking day-- my mom's birthday. I am happy that I can say with no doubt that hers was a life well lived. I miss her terribly on the Camino, since she would've been giving me lots of Skype advice about walking. 

I think I'm done with these 35+ km days. Smooth sailing from here!