Burgos to Hornillos Del Camino
“A little progress each day adds up to big results”
And so we finally arrive in Hornillos Del Camino, although from there we have been bussed to a beautiful little village called Isar, which contains the Hotel Rural La Consulta de Isar. This is one of those wonderful surprises where you fetch up in a one horse town and assume you’ll be sleeping in a barn, only to be transported to a haven of loveliness two kilometres down the road which is just the oasis you’ve been fantasising about all day. And then the proprietor gives you beer and fish soup. It truly is the business.
Today has been a mixed bag: the initial part of the journey was straightforward and very relaxed; the latter part was downhill over loose, large stony paths that wreck havoc with fragile feet. It is known locally by the poetic name of “cuesta matamulas”, which apparently translates as “mule killer slope”. Smashing. Actually it was fine for me, but dreadful for Carolyn.( I don’t have a possessed foot ). Fortunately it wasn’t too long a walk, and we arrived in one piece at around 3 o’clock this afternoon.
This morning we met a very nice guy from Quebec as we were trying to figure out our exit route from Burgos, and enjoyed Steve’s company for the morning part of the journey. He left France at the age of 16 to move to Canada, and, at the risk of sounding unreasonable, now possesses more Canadian characteristics than out and out French ones, i.e. he was charming, humble and empathic. A very nice fella. I feel compelled to add that I have never had a problem with the French; I personally have never found them obnoxious, unhelpful people who believe that anyone who is unable to communicate in their language should be burned at the stake. Absolument pas.
We have now entered the Meseta region of the Camino, the so called wilderness of the journey, which contains little shade and leaves you exposed to the elements whatever they might throw at you. Today was fine, to be honest. A perfectly pleasant temperature. I do understand what they mean, though, it does make you feel pretty vulnerable.
It is the end of a relatively long, but not disastrous day, and all is well with the world. Tomorrow we invade Castrojeriz, which no doubt most of you have visited during your childhood summer holidays. Ok, maybe not.
Today’s album track is “ Bright Side Of The Road”, by Van Morrison, that sunniest of individuals, because it was very bright sunshine and we were walking on the road………………..What? 🌟
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