Days 14 thru 18 - Lograno to Burgos

Phase 3 of my journey is complete. Rinse & repeat from my previous posts....ie, this hiking from day to day makes it incredibly difficult to keep up with blogging each day. Thus, my strategy will likely continue to be doing updates when I reach the bigger cities, which is where I'll spend 2 nights in each to 'rest & explore'. Writing this post finds me in the city of Burgos, after 5 days of hiking along the Camino from the city of Lograno. More details to follow below, but this phase of the journey has been one of incredible ups & downs, highs & lows, both physically and mentally.

Here's a summary of my latest phase, along with my entire journey so far:

Day 14 - Lograno to Najera - 18.5 miles

Day 15 - Najera to Granon - 17.2 miles

Day 16 - Granon to Villifranca Montes de Oca - 17.3 miles

Day 17 - Villifranca Montes de Oca to Cardenuela Riopico - 15.2 miles

Day 18 - Cardenuela Riopico to Burgos - 8.9 miles

Total Phase 3 - Lograno to Burgos - 77.2 miles

Total Phase 2 - Pamplona to Lograno - 60.6 miles

Total Phase 1 - St Jean Pied de Port to Pamplona - 43.1 miles

Total - St Jean Pied de Port (the start) to Burgos - 180.9 miles

Miles to go to make it to Santiago de Compostella - 304.3 miles

So.....I'm 37% complete of the 'official' Camino de Santiago. Recall that I'm hiking further to 2 additional coastal towns...I'll call that a 'bonus hike',

Overall, I still feel strong, a few aches and pains, but I'm feeling confident about my journey going forward. But until then, I'm looking forward to my 'rest & explore' time in Burgos.

Day 14 - Lograno to Najera

Day 14 was a day where I had low expectations. That it was simply going to be a long, lonely 19 mile hike. I had stayed 2 nights in Logroño. Some fellow pilgrims that I had travelled with for the previous few days, and had made strong connections with, moved on ahead after the first night. The new influx of pilgrims that filled my alburgue throughout the day included one large group from Japan, and several smaller groups from various other countries, and none of them spoke English. Pilgrims who travel in groups tend to stick together, and I had been busy updating my blog and exploring the city on my own, so other than a few awkward interactions due to the language barrier, I really didn’t make any connections. So as I left my alburgue at 7:30am, I was a bit anxious as to how the long 19-mile hike would go, and my expectations were low.

But as they say, “the Camino provides” and it proved me wrong. It was a great day, and a powerful day.

It was a cool, sunny morning as I stepped out of my alburgue and headed west towards the outskirts of town. I did share some brief conversations with fellow pilgrims along the path, but we ultimately drifted apart and continued on our own separate paces…the ebb & flow of the Camino.

Shortly less than an hour into the hike, the route took us down a path through a park with a lake, that was shared by pilgrims, bikers, joggers and some local fisherman who were watching their lines in the water. As the path turned the corner around the lake and into the woods, I caught up with a gentleman and we exchanged “Buen Camino’s!” We began the usual pilgrim conversation. First time doing the Camino? Are you going all the way to Santiago? How has it been so far? Were you from? Your name? The conversation was going well, and it felt good to connect with a fellow pilgrim in the early stage of today’s long hike, contrary to what I was feeling earlier as I left Logroño.

I learned that Fletch (insert the obligatory Chevy Chase joke) is originally from Canada, near Buffalo and the shores of Lake Erie, who currently lives in California. We shared stories about our backgrounds, our families, our interests, among many other topics. And as it usually does with me, our conversation drifted to music, where we learned that we had similar tastes, with a particularly deep love and appreciation for the Beatles. I could tell that this is a guy that I could hang with, and we were making a connection.

Ultimately, our conversation turned to “why the Camino?” We shared powerful stories that we’d heard from others along the way, and without divulging any secrets, we shared our own “why’s?”

Before we knew it, we arrived at our first stop, the town of Navarrette. We had walked together almost 2 hours and 7 miles, and it seemed like no time at all!

We found a local bar for some food & drink, and continued our conversation. After a short while, Fletch casually pulled out a small felt bag and poured out a few of its contents. They looked to be small shells, but he explained that they were “lucky stones”, which are actually a small bone behind the ear of a sheepshead fish, which helps them stay upright and navigate through the water. When the sheepshead die and decompose, these lucky stones wash up on shore. Fletch’s mom finds and collects these lucky stones from the shores of Lake Erie. She gives them to her kids for good luck. Fletch explained his own tradition with the Lucky Stones, that he gives them to someone who has made a deep impression on him, and that he feels a deep connection with.

And then he handed a lucky stone to me....

Gulp, and wow. It honestly took my breath away. We had known each other less than 2 hours, and somehow through our 'short' walk & conversation, I had made an impact on him, so much so that he bestowed his family's lucky stone tradition on me. I was honored, and humbled. And I’m not ashamed to admit there were a few tears shed, both ways.

We finished our food & drink, and agreed that we would continue the hike on our own separate paces, and that we’d connect later for dinner or drinks at our ultimate destination. We said our goodbyes and parted ways.

From that point forward, there was still a lot of hiking left, about 12 more miles, so my encounter with Fletch gave me a lot to reflect on over the next several hours. And since I hiked that last long stretch primarily solo, it gave me an opportunity to get to that next deeper layer of experience I had talked about in a previous post. There are so many things that you see and experience on Camino that trigger a thought or idea, some very direct, others very random and out of nowhere. A few examples…

My experience with Fletch had me asking the question 'how can I bring the Camino home with me, and put into daily practice what I’m learning and experiencing here'? I guess it's somewhat like one of my original reasons for doing this Camino journey, ie 'what kind of impact can I make going forward in my life'? I've seen and experienced so many incredible things so far, learned so many life's lessons, made so many connections; and with lightning speed. Something that does happen back home, but with much less frequency, and intensity. Is it even possible in my normal daily life back home, with family, friends, and out in the community? Once again, without divulging any secrets, I did come up with a few ideas, but I'm going to let them simmer and see how they develop as I continue on my journey.

Another, more random, thought that triggered in my mind had to do with my previous life in the corporate world. For some reason, I started thinking about the various ways that I was 'trained' throughout my career. Go to this training, that seminar, talk with & shadow this person, read this article, that book. Some of it was effective, some not so effective, and some completely off the mark. Which got me to thinking, if you want to develop a great employee & leader, you should give them a 6-week sabbatical, and pay for them to go on their own Camino journey. From my experience so far, that person will return having gone through the absolute best leadership training possible. They'll learn everything they need to know about how to be a great employee, leader, and best of all a better person. They'll learn how to problem solve, deal with adversity, be decisive, genuinely connect with people, be vulnerable, ask for help, offer help, be a servant, how to build & execute a plan, be flexible, reflect & learn on both successes and mistakes, understand different perspectives, and so much more. These are all the things that the trainings, seminars, books, etc were attempting to instill in me over a period of years, and I've learned them all in a few short weeks! It brings me back to Paul from Holland's quote, from a previous post...."you learn more by traveling than reading 100 books" So true!

To bring all these deep thoughts back to the hike itself, I was walking through beautiful wine country in the Spanish La Rioja region. The Camino path meandered through rolling hills covered with vineyards on all sides. The beauty of my surroundings made all the deep contemplation and reflection that much better!

At about 4:30pm, I finally entered my destination, the town of Najera, and checked into my alburgue for the night, the Casa Rural la Alpargateria. It was shared room dormitory, and I was in one of the lower bunks. It was me and my five bunkmates, all women. Could be interesting!

As I said earlier, Fletch and I had agreed to meet up again for dinner. I got my gear and sleeping area organized, washed up, and took a quick rest. I went down to the main lobby a little after 6pm to fill out the envelope, to put on my extra bag, to be sure that it gets transported to the next town in the morning. Another pilgrim, a young lady, walked into the lobby to check in. She looked exhausted, she said that her knee was hurting, and was glad to be done after a long day's hike. After a several minute encounter at the front desk, she stepped aside and I could see that she was upset. I asked her what was wrong, and she said that they had given away her room because she showed up late. She started crying. I felt terrible and asked if I could help. She gathered herself and her bags, and walked down the street to find another room. I thought about her a lot that night and the next day. We did connect the next night and am happy to say that she found a room, her knee was better, and she felt great! Dealing with adversity, solving problems, all part of the Camino experience.

I headed into town where I met Fletch for dinner at a local restaurant. 3 other pilgrims joined us and we proceeded to have great conversation, hearing about everyone's stories and sharing our experiences so far on the Camino. John from Tacoma was at the table, the 79 year old restaurant owner from Tacoma who I had encountered previously along the trail. It was great to hear stories of his family, his restaurants, and his philosophies around hospitality and serving the community. There were also 2 young women, my bunkmates, at the table....Mikaila from California, a recent college graduate who was traveling to contemplate her next move; and Bernadette from Germany, who recently quit her job as a lawyer to also contemplate her next move. It was fun to share stories, ideas and different perspectives with people from such different ends of life's spectrum. We all have a common reason for being here, some type of searching & reflection; but we are pursuing & experiencing it from our own perspective and in our own unique way. We're all learning from each other. Deep stuff, and I love it!

Time to get back to the alburgue for bed, to get rested and ready for tomorrow's 17 mile hike. After having such an incredible day, little did I know how things would turn so badly.

At a little after 10pm, I slipped into bed, put on my c-pap mask, and turned on the machine. There was a loud humming/whining sound, something I've never heard before. I turned it off, then on again. Same thing. There was no way my bunk mates were going to be able to sleep with that sound, and certainly no way they could sleep with my snoring. I didn't want to be 'that guy', the one that kept the whole room up with his snoring. So I decided to take some of my stuff, and head out to the common area to find a place to sleep. The best thing I could find was a stiff, not at all comfortable chair, and found an out of the way corner. It wasn't a good night's sleep, as I only slept about 1 hour. I wasn't looking forward to tomorrow's journey, a 17 mile hike on 1 hour's sleep doesn't sound like a recipe for success; but the 'Camino would provide', and prove me wrong. More on that later......

Some pics from the day.....

Heading out of Logrono on a cool, crisp morning, posing with fellow pilgrims.

Heading west on the outskirts of town, and into the park.

Passing by the local fisherman.

Meeting up with Fletch, sharing stories on our 2-hour walk.

Some interesting sights along the way - where's the beef?

Hiking through wine country.

A unique way to travel the Camino.

Me & Fletch. I've got the 'lucky stone' in my pocket,

More wine country.

An art exhibit along the path.

Sharing the path with fellow pilgrims.

Never ending wine country. A great place to take a hike, contemplate & reflect.

A random stop along the way. So much wisdom inside this small structure!

Another example of hospitality along the way.

The Poem of the Camino, Google Translated....

Dust, mud, sun and rain, it is

the Camino de Santiago.

Thousands of pilgrims,

and more than a thousand years.

Pilgrim, who calls you?

What hidden force attracts you?

Neither the field of stars,

Nor the great cathedrals.

It is not the Naverrese bravery

Nor the wine of the Riojans

Nor the Galician shellfish

Nor the Castillian fields

It is not history and culture,

Nor the ballo de la Calzada

Nor Gaudi's palace,

Nor Ponferrada castle

I see it everywhere I pass,

And it is a joy to see everything

But the voice that calls me

I feel it much deeper

The force that pushes me

The force that attracts me

I don't even know how to explain it

Only El de Arriba knows it!!

Another rest stop along the way.

Finally made it to my alburge!

It was a long day. My record-longest hike!

Dinner with my fellow pilgrims. It was a great day up to this point!

Until this. My sleeping accommodations. It's going to be a long day tomorrow!

Day 15 - Najera to Granon

I started out day 15 with low expectations, just like day 14. I had only 1 hour sleep, and the fact that my c-pap was potentially broken was weighing heavily on me. It makes me sleep better, and I also didn't want to be 'that guy', the loud snorer who keeps everyone awake and who everyone talks about the next day. I was potentially looking at booking private rooms going forward, which certainly meant more comfort, but less of the communal Camino experience you get by sleeping in a dormitory situation. But just like on day 14, the Camino provided, and it turned out to be an epic day, almost a mountain-top experience!

I honestly don't remember much about the hike itself, as I was in a bit of a daze. 1 hour sleep can do that to you. I do recall continuing to think about 'what can I do to bring the Camino experience home with me'. I advanced some of those thoughts, but still nothing definitive, just still simmering ideas. And just like every other day, it was a mixture of walking through the rolling hills of the countryside, into small towns & villages, only to come out the back side and do it all over again. The last stretch into my destination Granon, felt like one stop too far, as I was tired, and walking on a gravel road along the side of a freeway. I finally reached the small village of Granon at about 4:30pm and made my way to my alburgue, the Hospital de Peregrinos Suan Juan Bautista. I had heard about this alburgue from other pilgrims, so I decided to check it out. It was no reservations and 'donativo', you just showed up, and you paid whatever you could, and based on your experience. The sleeping arrangements were 2 dozen people in a room, in 2 separate rooms, sleeping on small mats side by side, about 6 inches apart. Talk about 'communal'! The alburge itself was in a church, converted to a monastery, that was built in the 1400's, a beautiful, medieval building!

I was greeted by the host, Christian, where he walked me through what to expect. I told him the situation about my c-pap, that I was hoping that it magically might work again, but if not I was hoping that we could work something out that I didn't have to sleep with all the other pilgrims. I did try it out, and it still wasn't working. He assured me that we could work something out, so he checked me in.

I proceeded to get my gear organized, take a shower, wash my clothes, and take a short rest. I still wasn't entirely clear what my sleeping accommodations would be. At 6pm, the 32 pilgrims were instructed to meet in the kitchen to begin preparing the communal meal. I never did see a menu or any instructions, but somehow we managed to shred the lettuce, slice the tomatoes & onions, peel the potatoes, slice the bread, cut up the meat, set up the tables, tablecloths, silverware, napkins, and begin preparing the soup & salads, all the while music was blaring (Queen, AC/DC, Greece, etc), and people were dancing. It was mass, organized chaos!

With dinner prep completed, we were then instructed to go downstairs to a chapel off the side of the monastery, to attend a pilgrim's mass & blessing. The chapel held about 50 people, a regular Catholic mass was held, including with several older local men & women, along with pilgrims, all in Spanish. The mass concluded with the pilgrim's blessing. I couldn't understand a word, but it was all very moving.

After mass, it was time to go back upstairs to eat the communal meal we prepared. It was fun to sit amongst pilgrims of all ages and nationalities, and share our stories. With dinner complete, it was time to wash the dishes, clean up and take everything down. Once again, it was mass, organized chaos, with everyone chipping in to accomplish our goal.

By this time, it was about 9pm, and we were instructed to go upstairs, to the church choir balcony. We all sat in the ancient, wooden choir chairs, facing each other in a rectangle. A small candle was placed next to each of us, and pamphlets were handed out for our pilgrim's ceremony. Our host started reading in Spanish, then turned it over to each pilgrim, to complete the reading of the ceremony, everyone in their own language. Once that was completed, all the lights were turned off, a larger candle was lit, which was passed around to each pilgrim one by one; for each to share what was good about the day and/or why they were walking the Camino, each in their own language. Considering the setting in a church built in the 1400's, and the emotion from each person in telling their story (even though I couldn't understand most!), it was incredibly powerful.....as I said, a mountaintop experience! I'm not ashamed to admit, once again a few tears were shed.

We then had the opportunity to go down into the darkened church to see the beautiful floor to ceiling golden altar, and look back up into the choir back, backlit through stained glass where we had just done our pilgrim's ceremony. Unbelievable, and something I will never forget!

It was now time to figure out my sleeping accommodations, so I asked our host, Christian. He told me to grad my bags and follow him downstairs. He lead me back to the chapel where we earlier had the pilgrim's mass. He set a mat down on the floor, and indicated that this is where I was going to sleep, all by myself, with a private bathroom, in the chapel. It was incredible, almost surreal. The chapel was cold, so I slept in my winter coat and hat, but I had a wonderful night's sleep all by myself, without bothering anyone else by my snoring.

Once again, the Camino provided, and what initially could have been a horrible day, turned out to be a mountain-top experience that I'll never forget!

Pics from the day.....

The last thing I saw when I walked out of my alburgue in the morning. One hours sleep wasn't a good start, but this was a ray of hope!

Heading west and up a big hill right out of town. Beautiful scenery but I didn't the big hill right away!

Greeted by this crucifix near the top of the hill. Puts my one hours sleep and aches & pains into perspective.

A welcome 'second' breakfast in the first village.

Once again, love these old doors in the small villages!

Reminds me of a joke....how many pilgrims does it take to return a lost phone?

I came upon this fairy mundane monument, at the time it was just me and a woman from Georgia. I was just taking my back pack off for a rest, and she was taking pictures, while a phone rang. It wasn't mine, and it wasn't hers, so we searched through the weeds. Sure enough, someone had lost their phone. We answered it, and neither of us could speak Spanish, so our efforts to figure anything out were fruitless. Several other people joined us, none of whom could speak Spanish either. Still no luck. Finally, persons 8 and 9 showed up, who could speak Spanish. They were able to communicate, the the person who lost their phone hiked backwards to retrieve it. You can't make it up!

Mission accomplished with the phone returned, so back on the road.

More support and hospitality!

More beautiful landscapes. Even with 1 hour sleep, how can you feel bad when this is what you're surrounded by!

On my hike, I passed through a town called Santo Domingo de la Calzada. I took tons of pictures, as the churches here are so incredibly beautiful, but I'll just share a couple.

The incredible altar.

It might be hard to see, but there's a chicken coop that's literally inside the church's walls. Yes, a chicken coop. And they crow loudly. There's an interesting story behind the 2 chickens. I won't tell the story, but rather provide a link if you care to read about it. https://caminotimestwo.com/2017/03/17/the-chickens-of-santo-domingo-de-la-calzada/

Almost to Granon. As you can see, near the highway, I was on a gravel road just next to it for about 3 miles in the hot, sun and I was ready to get there!

Some last minute encouragement!

The gates of Granon - a welcome sight!

My alburgue, a church, converted to a monastery, built in the 1400's.

First class washing facilities, way up in the attic!

Sleeping accommodations, mats on a floor, within inches of each other.

Mass organized chaos preparing for dinner.

The small chapel where the pilgrim's mass & blessing were held.

Time for dinner.

Clean-up.

The choir balcony where our pilgrim's ceremony was held.

Group picture after the pilgrim ceremony.

The incredible golden altar at night.

Looking back up to the choir balcony where the pilgrim's ceremony was held.

My sleeping accommodations in the chapel. All alone, my own private bathroom, altar, relics and all! A great end to a great day!

Day 16 - Granon to Villifrance Montes de Oca

With an epic day behind me and a good night's sleep, I was ready to go on day 16 for yet another grueling 17 mile hike. My expectation is that I would have deep thoughts running through my mind, solving all the world's problems, and figuring out how I was going to bring the lessons of the Camino home with me. As the day unfolded, not so much the case. Rather than a 'mental' day, it turned out to be a more physical one. I felt strong, and with every step I took, I seemed to get stronger. I felt like I could conquer the world. I considered it a challenge to get to my destination as quickly, and painlessly, as possible. And given I hiked mainly solo, I had no one else to hold me back from my goal. In the end, I met that challenge, practically running down the last hill towards my alburge in the town of Villifranca Montes de Oca.

No life-altering experiences or encounters with other pilgrims, simply getting from point A to B, and feeling good about it. As I sat back and thought about it when I arrived, I felt a bit disappointed, thinking 'is this why I did the Camino, to simply get a good hike in?'. But the more I've talked to my fellow pilgrims, I'm finding that everyone is experiencing the same thing. One day, you're on a big high, you make magical connections, you love the hike, your mind is racing; but on other days, it's completely the opposite. And what's a good day for me, is the exact opposite for another, going down the exact same path. I've realized that doing the Camino is just like everyday life. It's different for everyone. Each experiences it in their own unique way. Just another life's lesson.

I did meet up with some fellow pilgrims for dinner and did make some good connections there, once again sharing our experiences along the Camino and our 'why's': Jackie from Montana, Bonnie from France, Ingrid from Denmark and Karrina from Germany. Some pretty powerful stories, and a few tears shed. It's these powerful personal connections that make the Camino so special, and not the physical hiking.

Pics from the day.....

Saying goodbye to my alburgue hosts from the night before. Thanks for the mountain-top experience!

On my way out the door. Taking your goat, cat and dog for a morning walk. Only in Granon...

The descent out of Granon into the countryside on a cool, crisp morning.

More cool doors and ornamental details going through the first small village.

The greeting party is fast asleep.

My second cup of coffee at a rest stop along the way. Serving pilgrims from all over the world.

One of my favorite towns along the way, Belorado. A lot of great artwork and decoration.

Follow the directions.......

And this is what you saw.

Artwork on a local gas station.

Thankful to be able to FaceTime with grandson Calvin while out on the trail, before he heads to daycare!

Cats seem to be everywhere along the trail.

The coldest beer ever, and a bathroom break along the trail.

Made it to my alburge, the Bar and Pension Jomer.

Another long day, but feeling good and strong!

I didn't get any pictures after this. Time for bed for another day.

Day 17 - Villifrance Montes de Oca to Cardenuela Riopico

I just can't sugar coat it. This was my least favorite day of the Camino so far. I felt physically strong on the previous day, which gave me confidence going into day 17. But bottom line, it sucked, both physically and mentally.

Right out the back door of my alburgue, the hike started immediately uphill for about 45 minutes, then proceeded through something like a state forest of pine trees, along a manufactured service road that seemed to go on forever. The hike proceeded through what I considered to be some pretty bland countryside, and some not so exciting villages. The last several miles were a death march, going up & down a rocky, uneven terrain, past some industrial areas, all in the hot sunny weather. Not the greatest conditions for me.

To top it all off, there was absolutely nothing going through my mind, other than some repeating songs that I simply couldn't get out of my head. No solving of life's problems.

It's not to say there wasn't anything positive along the way. I did run into some interesting people, artwork & animals, but all in all, my least favorite day of my Camino journey. I did enjoy my stay at Alburgue Santa Fe, in the town of Cardenauela Riopico, where I had a nice comfortable private room, including a private shower. I also had a nice dinner with fellow pilgrims, although the conversation wasn't as deep and meaningful as other days.

Just like in my previous post, some days are good, some days not so much. This one not so much.

Pics from the day.....

The view from the top, after my initial 45 minute climb. Looks pretty, but it took a toll on me to start the day.

A memorial for 300 victims killed in the early stages of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.

Another memorial along the way. RIP pilgrim!

The long, boring service road through the forest.

A welcome bright spot along the way,

Angel was quite the character. He was dancing along with music coming from his van. Spanish versions of songs by the Beatles, Stones, Police & others. I enjoyed conversation with him, along with some welcome snacks.

His area was decorated with some interesting tree art.

Ages was a small little village along the way. Some neat artwork and decorative detail, but not much else to save the day for me.

Another long slog through boring countryside until the town of Atapuerca, known for its archaeological site where some of he oldest human fossils have been found.

A traffic jam leaving Atapuerca.

Just outside of Atapuerca, another grueling climb up a hot, dry, rocky hill. Can you tell I want this to end?

Another memorial at the top of the hill.

Going past some pretty ugly industrial facility. Once again, can you tell I want this to end?

Finally made it! Maybe not as long as previous days, but one of the toughest!

Nice accommodations at the Alburgue Santa Fe.

A nice dinner with fellow pilgrims, Alex on the near left from the UK, 4 from San Diego besides me and Alex, and 3 from Italy. Our host was from Columbia, not pictured.

Time for bed. Looking forward to a shorter day heading into Burgos, the shortest of my journey yet.

Day 18 - Cardenuela Riopico to Burgos

I had a good night's rest, and was ready to hit the road around 8:30 am after a quick breakfast and some stretching. While this was scheduled to be one of the shortest days of my entire journey (around 9 miles), I had also heard it was one of the most boring, scenery-wise. The route wound around a nearby airport, then through the industrial suburbs for most of the way into Burgos. Sure enough, shortly after I left my way out of town, I was walking up a freeway entrance ramp, over the freeway, and around some construction. I convinced myself it was ok, given that it was a 'relatively short' 9-mile hike, and I'd be in Burgos soon enough for 2 nights of rest & explore.

But shortly after passing the construction, I saw a pilgrim hiking back in the wrong direction towards me. Alex and I had ebbed & flowed together over the past several days, staying at the same alburgues, but we really hadn't gotten to know each other. I asked him if he forgot something. No, rather he was going back to find the 'alternate route' that he had missed; the route that mostly stays away from the industrial suburbs and follows the river into Burgos. I asked if he minded if I tagged along. He agreed and I followed him towards the alternative path.

We struck up a conversation, and although we were far apart in age (Alex is 28 versus my 59!), we connected. We talked about our families, music, work, retirement, and our why's for doing the Camino. Alex is a strategic and contingency planner for the British government. He gathers the facts behind various plans & strategies, considers the pros & cons, and presents them to the political leaders, who then ultimately make the decisions. He says he loves his job, but is simply taking this time on the Camino to evaluate where he wants to be moving forward. He was incredibly articulate, and reminded me of the graduate level students I recruited during my last years at UnitedHealthcare. I loved that job, helping young people find a career that fit their life's passion. I shared my experience in that role and gave him words of encouragement. I hope those words might help Alex find his path in some small way! Alex took a break for a bite to eat a few miles outside of Burgos, but I continued on as I was excited to get into town. We exchanged contact info and agreed to keep in touch.

I continued down the alternative path just on the outskirts of town. It was a beautiful walk along a small river, with lots of pilgrims mixed with locals. It reminded me of some of the walkways along the Mississippi River back home. I could see the city off in the distance. I made it to the bridge nearest my destination, and crossed the river to find my alburgue, just a few short blocks on the other side. I left my bags at the alburgue since it was too early for check-in, and headed towards the Cathedral. As I made my way closer, I could see the gothic spirals sticking out overt the skyline. I finally got close enough to see the entire Cathedral. Such a spectacular sight! I decided to go inside for a tour, and it was more than amazing! I downloaded the english speaking tour guide app, and proceeded to spend over 2 hours marveling at the beauty of it all! Construction of the church was first started in the 1200's and continued into the 1700's. It's amazing what they were able to accomplish without the aid of modern construction equipment! If you're ever in Burgos, it's a must see - I highly recommend it!

I stepped out into the square after my tour and started looking for a place to eat, as I hadn't eaten much all day. As I walked towards a sidewalk cafe, I could see a couple waving at me, and I realized they were fellow pilgrims that I'd lost touch of for several days....Dan & Mary from Montana. Dan & Mary were two of the first pilgrims I'd met. We stayed at the same alburgue at the start in St Jean Pied de Port, and sat at the dinner table with our hosts when we had the powerful moment of sharing our stories of why we were doing the Camino for the first time. I had also hiked with Dan & Mary at various times in the first 2 stages of the Camino, but had since lost touch when I started staying in the bigger cities for 2 days, and they carried on. Unfortunately, Mary had developed a knee issue, so they stayed in Burgos for a few days for her to heal up. Despite the reason, it was great to catch up with them, and to share stories of our Camino journeys.

Back to the hotel to check in, shower, rest up, and do a blog post update before heading out to dinner. Without going through all the logistics, I ended up connecting with several pilgrims that I had been traveling with along the way for dinner, and/or drinks that night, including Dan & Mary, Fletch, Leslie, Alex, Jackie, Bonnie and Karrina; and also met a few new pilgrim friends, including Christina from Denmark and Anders from Norway, who was a fascinating character! It was a great night, sharing stories of our Camino journeys, our 'whys', and many other topics.

Pics from the day.....

Heading out of Cardenuelas Riopico. It's amazing some of these structures are still standing!

A mural on the way out of town. A perfect picture of what it feels like near the end of a long day on the Camino!

More hospitality along the way.

Heading up the freeway ramp.....

And around the construction....

Following the path along the river into Burgos.

Made it into town. The church/monastery right across from my alburgue.

My shortest hike of the Camino!

Seeing the gothic Cathedral spires for the first time.

The Cathedral in its full glory!

I took thousands of pictures inside the Cathedral. I'll only share a few.....

The main cathedral altar and dome.

The main alter.

The choir box and 2 working organs.

One of the many beautiful side chapels. I believe there were 16 in all.

The Golden Staircase.

These guys at the top of her church move when the bell tolls, the big guy on the left on the full hour, the little guy on the right on the quarter hour.

The intricate craftsmanship!

One of the many beautiful domes in the Cathedral.

Dinner & drinks with fellow pilgrims.

With Fletch and my new fellow pilgrim friend, Anders from Norway. I hope to see Anders again out on the trail again! Fletch is heading home soon, so this is likely the last time we'll connect on the Camino. Buen Camino my friend!

Meeting a few more friends on my way back to the alburgue for bed.