Vincent's Camino

Day 12: 17 Oct 2024 Distance (kms): 22.6 Elevation gain / loss (m): 177 / 276 It was another gray, wet day as I made my way from Agés to Atepuerca. Atepuerca is a UNESCO archaeological heritage site and shows evidence of human from nearly a million years ago. After walking in the rain and coming to a peak, I was greeted by this sign: "After the pilgrim dominated the mountains of Navarra and saw the vast fields of Spain, he has not enjoyed a more beautiful view than this one." Hmm, it was kind of hard to admire the beauty of the place on a wet, miserable day.  Getting closer: Stopped at ‎⁨Cardeñuela Riopico⁩ for breakfast and to change into better rain gear: After that came to ‎⁨Orbaneja Riopico⁩: Then I was in the outskirts of Burgos. The regular path goes through miles of pavement walking along the airport. I decided to take an alternate route along Rio Arlanzón to get to Burgos: (Those three sticks showed me exactly where to go when I was all confused and lost...

Day 11: 16 Oct 2024 Distance (kms): 27.6 Elevation gain / loss (m): 508 / 312 It was a gray day when I started from Belorado and the rain held-up while I made it to  ‎⁨Tosantos⁩ and  Villambistia. The next town was  ‎⁨Espinosa del Camino⁩, where someone was unhappy with 'turigrinos'! By the time I got to ‎⁨Villafranca Montes de Oca⁩, it was raining so hard that I decide to take a break from the rain and also get breakfast. The next several kilometers, ran through a fairly remote oak forest that was also a steep up-hill climb. It is said that in medieval times, bandits would hide in these forests and rob pilgrims. There was a Spa nish Civil War memorial erected in along the Camino here: The silver plaque on the memorial reads: Quiero escarbar la tierra con los dientes,  quiero apartar la tierra parte a parte  a dentelladas secas y calientes. I want to scrape at the earth with my teeth, I want to split the earth apart bit by bit with dry, hot bites. (From Ele...

Day 10: 15 Oct 2024 Distance (kms): 22.2 Elevation gain / loss (m): 348 / 216 Left Santo Domingo around 7.30 and finally walked on the modern version of the  bridge that Santo Domingo famously build in the 11th century. The first town after Santo Domingo was Grañón. Stopped at the Panadería Jesús to get hot mango cake and chocolate croissants for breakfast. Apparently this is a famous bakery and I would not have stopped, if not from my Montana friends telling me about it.  The next town was ‎⁨Redecilla del Camino⁩, with a metal "cut-out" statues of pilgrims.  This is also where I stopped by a cafe to have coffee and my second breakfast of eggs. The cafe was run by a really friendly Bolivian woman.  In the town of Castildelgado, saw some heavily pruned trees in front of a church. The trees look almost identical to the one in front of a house in our neighborhood.  Next came to the town of Viloria de Rioja where Santa Domingo was born and baptized.  Along the ...

Day 9: 14 Oct 2024 Distance (kms): 20.9 Elevation gain / loss (m): 379 / 232 Started from Najera when there was not enough daylight and had to look for the arrows pointing the way inside Najera. Finally exited town and saw the Camino winding downhill out of Najera. Chicken in someone's backyard in Azofra. It is interesting to consider all the things one sees while walking. Sometimes it feels as if the Camino gives a window into the lives of other people.  An old coat of arms on a wall: In a house, just outside Azofra, the pillars look wavy from the side: But look perfectly straight from the front: Looking back at Azofra: This pillar (based on reading on the Internet) used to mark an old cross road and was also used to hang criminals from: Gravity fed irrigation system watering, among other things, sugar beets: Just when you think the path is never going to end: There is an encouraging sign: With a man offering fruits and other goodies from the back of his car on a 'donativo...