It had to happen...

Yesterday the jet lag, riding up a steep 12% grade and wanting windows open or closed with noise open and hot room closed caught up with us. There was talk and a bit of this and that, but happy to report all is well after “accidentally” locking Bridget in the room. Today we rode to Sagagun where will will start our volunteer work Tuesday for two weeks. We had a good ride today stopping along the way for coffee, lunch and a chat with Mark from Wisconsin doing the Camino with his brother and come for 10 days every year and expecting to finish next year. We met and chatted with a French couple who snapped pix of us this morning. Thinking of all of you back home with blessings to all of you.

D&B

 

Day One on the Camino

Today was our first day riding on the Camino from Burgos to Castrojeriz which was about 24 miles away. Things rolled along quickly for the first half and then a hill climb in the middle slowed us down. We also slowed to talk with pilgrims as we passed and said “Buen Camino” meeting pilgrims from Germany, Czech, Peru and then John from Canada. John it seems is s retired postman and is doing the Camino for a second time saying he just can’t stop walking carrying a bag. John said he found out about the Camino when his wife did it, came home and said she was divorcing him. John came over to do it and find out what the Camino was all about. John apparently re-married and Bridget asked if he met his new wife on the Camino in which he replied “no I met her in a pool”. He said it was good because he saw what he saw what he was getting up front. Bridge and I laughed for the next few miles. We are in a nice boutique hotel in Castrojeriz after our day.

Burgos

Today Bridge and I traveled from Bilbao, home of the Frank Gehry museum to Burgos which is about 80 miles South and on the Caminó about 1/3rd the way to Santiago. It’s a big city and more about that later but we had troubles figuring out how to get there. It a bit over an hour by car which we don’t have, so we checked out busses, trains, taxis and Uber. One-by-one there fell through. Taxi was like $300 (no), busses took like 3.5hrs and didn’t leave until afternoon, we went to the train station and found a train that left at 9:40am but was 9am when we asked and our hotel was 10 min each way and we hadn’t packed. Lesser of all was a brisk walk to the hotel and wobbly run with our roller bags on cobblestone streets back to the station which we made by about 7 minutes before it left. The ride was nice along rivers and valleys then we made a 25 minute stop in which the conductor told us we could get off. We took a short walk out of the station to a coffeehouse nearby and I had a tea that I spilled all over my had and burned. We thought it was getting late so we rushed back to the station and found our train missing. Yikes!!! It was still 5 min before it should have left and we got that pit-In-your stomach panic as our bags were on the train. We saw another train on a different track and ran to that platform and was told it went to Burgos, but we went in and not the same car we had been in and no bags. Bridge went running to a different platform and I was desperately asking for info. It seems that they moved our car off ad were adding more cars, so a couple minutes later out car got hooked up with our bags in it. The adventure has not only started, but gave us a run for calm, being present and letting go run for our money. Long day but got really nice when we got here. Bikes were delivered and easy to assemble with just pedals to attach and handlebars to tighten. Bridge and I did laundry and went for a short 15min ride on the Camino to check out the bikes.. Weather is wonderful, about 75 degrees and went for a nice dinner tonight. Bridget shopped for a bit and I went around town taking pictures.

Burgos cathedral

Train car being added

Happy to be back on the train

They're Back!

D & B on the Camino in 2018

      Dave and Bridget are about to head off tomorrow back to the future. Having met on the Camino in Finisterre in 2013, it's only fitting that we return as a married couple this year to spend 5 days biking the Camino from Burgos to Sahagun where we will volunteer for two weeks as hosts of an Alburgue or hostal there welcoming pilgrims and serving them dinner as they make their way on their own journey.

Monestary Santa Cruz in Sahagun

Burgos to Sahagun which is right before Leon