Day 16: Burgos to Rabé de las Calzadas, 12.2km
I had high hopes of getting to Hornillos today but my feet had other plans. I actually made really good time to Rabé de las Calzadas, arriving just after Noon. I had stopped in Tardajos for a late breakfast. I had to pee really bad, so I stopped at the first place I saw open, Bar Ruiz. I used the facilities, had a cafe con leche, then set out to find a place with more food options for breakfast. I ended up at Bar El Camino, which I highly recommend. They were clean, friendly, had a nice selection of food, and are right across from the Albergue. I finally had the opportunity to try the tortilla de patata, which is basically like a frittata or an omelet with potatoes, egg, ham and cheese. It was sooooo good!
My feet enjoyed the break, but when I started walking again, it was painful. I decided to stay in Rabé de las Calzadas for the night.
The Albergue is one of two in the town. It's clean and has been recently remodeled. I paid extra for dinner and breakfast since the food options are slim.
There is one bar in town and I'm sitting in it right now writing in my journal. Earlier there was a crowd of locals in here watching MotoGP. They cleared out and now there are young people in here plus a few peregrinos.
I have become friends with a woman from Bilbao, Spain. Her name is Ana (if you are reading this and I spelled your name wrong, please let me know!) and she is traveling with her daughter, Madeline (again, if I have this wrong, please let me know!). We waited for the Albergue to open together. While waiting, there was a family walking around with a young boy, probably about 7 or 8 years old with a backpack, a pilgrim staff, and a shell around his neck. They came over to talk to us and it turns out he is "doing" the Camino by car with his family for school! He showed us his book for his class and he was so darn cute! He asked me where I was from and what my name was. They shared some bread and chocolate with us. I gave him and Madeline each one of my Oregon "heart" pins I brought with me. He was very excited about it and put it on his shirt right away.
While sitting here in the bar, I have had a cafe con leche and some cookies. The owner is a sweetheart! He seems genuinely excited to have peregrinos here and even gave me (and the other peregrinos in the bar) a Miraculous Medal to add to my Tau cross around my neck. Ana and Madeline were also in the bar and invited me over to play some board games I had never played before.
We went back to the Albergue to have dinner at 7p. There were two German gentlemen, a Swedish brother/sister combo plus the three of us. I became fast friends with Petra and Henrik from Sweden. Between all of us, we conversed in German, Swedish, English and Spanish. It's like a mini United Nations at these communal meals sometimes. Dinner was pasta soup (kind of like ramen, actually), tortilla de patata with peppers and yogurt for dessert.
I went back to the bar after dinner to see if there was internet or not. I had noticed a sign earlier, but no one had a key to the room with the computers, so I went back to the Albergue and went to bed.
My feet enjoyed the break, but when I started walking again, it was painful. I decided to stay in Rabé de las Calzadas for the night.
The Albergue is one of two in the town. It's clean and has been recently remodeled. I paid extra for dinner and breakfast since the food options are slim.
There is one bar in town and I'm sitting in it right now writing in my journal. Earlier there was a crowd of locals in here watching MotoGP. They cleared out and now there are young people in here plus a few peregrinos.
I have become friends with a woman from Bilbao, Spain. Her name is Ana (if you are reading this and I spelled your name wrong, please let me know!) and she is traveling with her daughter, Madeline (again, if I have this wrong, please let me know!). We waited for the Albergue to open together. While waiting, there was a family walking around with a young boy, probably about 7 or 8 years old with a backpack, a pilgrim staff, and a shell around his neck. They came over to talk to us and it turns out he is "doing" the Camino by car with his family for school! He showed us his book for his class and he was so darn cute! He asked me where I was from and what my name was. They shared some bread and chocolate with us. I gave him and Madeline each one of my Oregon "heart" pins I brought with me. He was very excited about it and put it on his shirt right away.
While sitting here in the bar, I have had a cafe con leche and some cookies. The owner is a sweetheart! He seems genuinely excited to have peregrinos here and even gave me (and the other peregrinos in the bar) a Miraculous Medal to add to my Tau cross around my neck. Ana and Madeline were also in the bar and invited me over to play some board games I had never played before.
We went back to the Albergue to have dinner at 7p. There were two German gentlemen, a Swedish brother/sister combo plus the three of us. I became fast friends with Petra and Henrik from Sweden. Between all of us, we conversed in German, Swedish, English and Spanish. It's like a mini United Nations at these communal meals sometimes. Dinner was pasta soup (kind of like ramen, actually), tortilla de patata with peppers and yogurt for dessert.
I went back to the bar after dinner to see if there was internet or not. I had noticed a sign earlier, but no one had a key to the room with the computers, so I went back to the Albergue and went to bed.