day 36 – draft Sunday, 8 October 2017 San Juan Ortega (Saint John of the nettles) to Burgos

day 36 – draft
Sunday, 8 October 2017
San Juan Ortega (Saint John of the nettles) to Burgos
28 km today – 292 km on Camino Frances - 998 km from Le Puy - 492 to Santiago

Most of the pilgrims (about 50 in all) are up an hour before sunrise getting ready: in some ways no different to tramping in the Tararuas.  There is no breakfast.  When getting ready I talk with a Hollander disabled, he says, by small pox.  As we talk he is in a sporting wheel chair. He tells me he has a ‘long nosed’ tri-cycle that he will transfer to and propel using his hands and that he and his two companions use major roads.  As I leave moonlight guides me, and I have chosen the roads also.  About 30 minutes later I am passed with a whoop from two on long-nosed tri-cycles sandwiching one on a regular bike.

The N-120 is the major road to Burgos and I reach it just after sunrise. By now the Camino from French border is some 4 km directly north of me.  Then begins the walk proper to Burgos.  About an hour later I encounter substantial remains of what looks like a (former) railway bridge.  There is enough room for a wide carriage way through the remaining archway with a second archway substantially demolished to allow the full width N-120 to have a gently banked curve.  But what purpose did this railway serve? No immediate answers are to hand.

Shortly I reach the settlement of Ibeas and a watering hole named Cantina: time for breakfast.  Two bocadillos pollo are good complete with cafe americano and fresh narajana juice.  It is about 8 km along the N-120 to the next decision point. I try hitching but no one seems interested.  The heat (about 25 c) is quite oppressive and my left forearm is getting quite red.  Why did I think sun screen would not be needed nearly half way through autumn?

I reach my decision point just after midday.  I can either continue ahead on more roads into Burgos or cross the Rio Arlazon (more like a stream at this point) and follow a reputed tree lined pathway.  Either route is about 6 km.  I chose the later and find a rocky path with low sparse vegetation and no shade.  After a while the path improves, the vegetation get higher and closer to the path and I encounter what must be several thousand Burgoese of all shapes, sizes and ages having a Sunday afternoon stroll. And the Rio Arlazon grows in volume also.

I arrive at my selected (parrochial) albergue just after 14h.  I am the first for the day, closely followed by two young women who started that morning at Atapeurca, about 6 km on from San Juan Ortega.  I have a lie down for two hours then into the old city centre about 1 km away, checking out when the Museum of Human Evolution is open.  On my back I encounter the Portugese from Viloria (Friday) and San Juan (Saturday): we greet one aonther, I thank him for the wine, we shake hands and part.  Mass in the modern parish church is at 19h30 followed by a pilgrims blessig followed by a nourishing dinner shared with five other pilgrims (all in their early 20s) and the hospitalera.

And so to bed.