This
morning, July 19, before leaving the Monastery of San Juan de Ortega, we
go into the kitchen to bid the priest good-bye. He is awake and he has
prepared white coffee and cookies for all the pilgrims. Nice but sober,
the priest lives in this isolated place the whole year. While leaving we
say:
-
"See
you next time and thanks."
-
"See
you then and beware of the wolf."
-
"Between
Paca and me, the wolf can’t have any doubt." I say, pointing to
our different size.
-
"Don’t
be so sure, the wolf always takes the last one."
When
we finally leave it is twenty past six and there is a wet fog. We say good-bye
to the wood, first before arriving at Ages and then when we pass through
the hill that the army enclosed with barbed wire. When we go up the hill,
a sitting big hare looks at us a hundred metres away. On the top of the
hill you cannot see further than fifty metres because of the fog. We meet
a young Frenchman a little bit confused in the fog. We greet him and
after a while the young man goes ahead.
We
have a new breakfast in Riopico and brand our credentials with its
wonderful green seal. There are some pilgrims in the bar and we know all
of them.
As
we arrive at Villafria, a man comes towards us. He says he belongs to the
Brotherhood of Friends of Camino de Santiago and, one by one, he asks each
pilgrim about their physical and emotional state and if we need something.
He says he walked the Camino eleven times and he advises us about pains
and blisters. He leaves as he came, following his route.
The
route into Burgos is endless. We find an old pilgrim, she notices
that we also are pilgrims and greets us. She is French. She goes slowly
with her rucksack and she is totally alone. Where will this nice grandma
go?
We
phone Jose Luis, a Sorian friend of mine. Would you like to walk a stage
with us? It is not possible.
We
enter a pharmacy, because Paca has her period, and I weigh my rucksack: 12
Kg. Paca does not want to know the weight of hers.
Beside the Cathedral of
Burgos.
We
arrive at the Cathedral at noon. There we get a seal on our credentials
and a very nice chat. We lodge at Hotel España, in the very center. After
washing ourselves, Paca heals a big blister on my foot. She is an artist
with blisters.
As
we must have enough time for good pleasures, we go and have lunch at Ojeda
Restaurant. Only in case you do not know, at Ojeda’s you eat wonderfully.
I swear.
After
eating we have a coffee at a terrace in "El Espolón". There we
meet two known young pilgrims, one from Alfaro and another from Valencia.
Today is the Alfaro pilgrim’s birthday. We must have a drink!. Finally,
we need a siesta.
In
the evening we go for a stroll and we say good-bye to some pilgrims that
finish the Way here in Burgos. Some of them finish because they have no
more time, others because they are exhausted. Each one leaves a whole in
our souls. Perhaps we will never see them again. All of them were good
companions. We give our address to Miguel the Sevillian. Miguel is the
father of the young woman whom the doctor told not to continue in Roncesvalles.
Miguel’s daughter, who is called Salome, arrived at Burgos suffering
from lameness and taking medicine against inflammation in her legs. Her
father, very wisely, decided to catch a bus from Burgos
to Leon and once there, after having a good rest, go on until Santiago by
doing short stages.
At
night, after drinking some wine, we eat some fish in a bar. We sleep like
a log.
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