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Published: October 10th 2015
La Henera
Our modern lodging in Monasterio San Juan de Ortega6 September 2015, Sunday, Stage 13, San Juan de Ortega to Burgos
GPS: 16.32 miles, 5 hours 42 minutes moving, leave 0800 arrive 1710 with 1 hour 20 min. lunch stop.
Fitbit: 16.89 miles, 50 stairs, Steps 37,983; 71 degrees
We leave La Henera at 8:00 a.m. The church bells are tolling as we walk by. It is going to be a long day to Burgos. We start walking along the wooded valley. It is a lovely, cool, crisp morning and I have light gloves on.
We descend a little into Ages and have the most wonderful breakfast. People leaving say the chocolate croissants are to die for. But we opt for the generous empanadas filled with bacon, potato and vegetables. It is the recipe of the proprietor's mother and grandmother and delicious. We also had eggs, bacon and tomatoes with good bread. Coffee con leche and freshly squeezed orange juice are the drinks. Jo had told us it is more difficult to get fresh orange juice as one travels west--what a source of good information she has been!! This is a little gem of a place and a visit here is a great way to start
La Henera
Alojamiento Rural with triple rooms available only by telephone reservation. the day.
We are eating up in the small second floor area with another couple and start chatting. They are from Finland. They are trying to decide how to do which sections of the camino as they do not have enough days for the entire venture. We say farewell and head on out. A little later we are at a crossroads and they come up commenting on how fast we walk. Some days are better than others and that good breakfast must have fueled our rockets!
Beyond the village is the simple medieval bridge built by San Juan de Ortega over the Rio Vena that flows into the Rio Arlanzon in Burgos. It rather gives one goosebumps to realize one is striding across a bridge built so many centuries ago by such a saintly man!
We continue to descend to Atapuerca. We have now left the trees behind and the topography reminds us of the hilly Palouse area of eastern Washington state, with lots of scrubland. There is some open range land. This area has a significant place in history because of its prehistoric caves. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The earliest human remains in
The scene along the Camino
This is morning and in this light some trees show yellow leaves. Europe, dating back over 900,000 years have been recovered. The site has provided an exceptional record of how life was in one of the first human communities.
We now start a very rocky climb to Cruz de Matagrande. This ascent is very hard on the feet as it is rocks, that shift under your feet, on top of bedrock. There are diversions. As we clamber up over the rocks there is a military site all barb wired off to our left. More immediately to the left is a labyrinth, almost covered in grass, but just a short distance, on the right is a mammoth labyrinth of stones on the bare earth. Harlan missed the first one entirely, but there is no way one could miss the second one! It was as if the little one had given others bigger and better ideas!
Oh, but are the views tremendous at the top. Burgos lies before you, below, to the left, are the little villages we will go through as we wend our way to the big city of Burgos. And way far off on the western horizon lies the 'mystical meseta' of Spain.
We navigate the little villages
Small purple flowers
These little purple flowers grow up through the rocks, pavement, and in the middle of nowhere you will see one poking out of the ground on this sleepy Sunday and then decide to take the main route, as mentioned in Brierley's book, that skirts the Burgos airport and an industrial zone on earth tracks. The directions are as follows, "Turn down sharp left off the road (not well signposted) by urbanization Riopoco onto track around the airport security fence and continue over stream and up to main road." Well, it was not signposted well but Harlan had a gut feeling that this little trail, so-called a 'road,' must have been the one we passed. So, turning against the collected 'wisdom' of other pilgrims in sight, down the aforementioned road we went. It was becoming an increasingly warm day and it was just the two of us and a lot of flying insects. Finally we come to a high chain link fence around the airport. We trudge around one side and have started down another long side when Harlan bends down and picks up some rocks. I look around for a little mound of rocks to which some pilgrims like to add their special rock. We had not been doing this so his action was a little puzzling. Then all at once I see the dog
The dry fields along the way.
This area reminds us of the Palouse Country in Eastern Washington. running toward us--full speed. Watching its gait and speed I recognized a gray hound on the run. Shortly thereafter a white panel truck approaches us and is periodically beeping its horn. I am so tired I decide that if they order us to turn around and go back to the road I will just ask them to take me to headquarters as I will not turn around and retreat over territory just covered! But no, we realize the truck is pacing and keeping track of the gray hound! In fact, in a few minutes, here comes the gray hound again, returning and racing by us. Now here comes the white panel truck with its horn beeping intermittently . It happens a third time, only this time the gray hound is chasing and pacing the truck from behind! It is all so surreal. It is hot, the surroundings are desert like scrub, you have this crazy dog and truck racing back and forth in front of you as you circumnavigate the perimeter of an airport that does not have one plane in sight and there is also not another human in view!
We have planned to have lunch in Castanares
Looking down on the Village of Ages
The view from across the dry grain stubble fields but nothing is open. The book says it is a "sleepy suburb straddling the N-120." How a village can be so sleepy with a main road going through the center of it is hard to imagine---and all we wanted was an ice cream!! A lady finally indicates where a store may be open and we have our well-deserved ice-cream.
We now decide to take the 'recommended route' again, passing a straggly sports ground and the Garcia gravel works. At this point I am not much impressed with the 'River Walk' into Burgos. I am having a hard time as it does not compare with the 'Pamplona River Walk.' We are now following a concrete path or a parallel woodland path. At this point there are many paths crisis-crossing randomly over the ragged parkland. The area is being used however and we see a father and son fishing in the stream. Our guidebook now advises us to 'keep the river always immediately to your right and you cannot lose your way.' That is accurate information and we follow the advice. We pass by lake Fuente del Prior with a sandy shoreline and see some children playing near the shoreline. We
Geraniums in the window
Window plantings are common and geraniums are a favorite flower seen along the way. are now up and into Parque Fluvial Ecosistema de Ribera de Rio Arlanzon--now things begin to 'tidy-up' and we are walking, for miles it seems, along a wide sidewalk with a stone decorative wall separating you and the river. There are beautiful, old lights hanging over the river and it is very classy. We pass intersections where road bridges lead off to the right and into the city proper. At these intersections there is usually a grand statue. The one near our hotel is that of hometown boy, El Cid.
After one failed attempt at finding our hotel, we reluctantly realize we must pass by several more statues! We are staying at the sleek, modern hotel in the Silken chain. We are not impressed. The staff is rather diffident and less than helpful. The room is minuscule and both do battle with shins and the bed frame.
We decide to get our Burgos bearings and head out. We locate the famed cathedral but want to see it tomorrow when we can begin to do it justice. We wander through the Old Town section, running into little squares and following windy streets. We decide to eat on a small
The cook and helper (husband and wife)
This is where we stopped for breakfast and spent an hour and a half (much in line). Met a nice couple from Finland and chatted over the best empanadas in Spain! plaza, enticed by the advertisement for batidos (milk shakes) and they are delicious. We enjoy several more dishes and the ever watchful proprietor comes forward with a rolled shawl to insure I am comfortable and will keep eating! While sitting there I recognize several people leaving a small building. After dinner we walk over and see it is a small chapel offering respite from the very busy city. It is also a small albergue of sixteen beds. Lucky those sixteen. It is operated by the Divina Pastora Association. This is a Catholic association of nuns and lay people who do this as a sort of ministry. The albergue is dedicated to Our Lady of the Pilgrims and this place has served as a hospital - not just in the medical sense, but in the shelter or hospitality way continually since 1466.
Returning back to the hotel, we find a message from Marie. How about dinner? They have met up with Oscar and Jonathan. So sorry, Marie. I am tumbling into bed - may you have happy dreams of El Camino in your sleep!
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