Day 13: Ages to Burgos

I was the second one to leave the municipal albergue in Ages around 07:45. It was still dark out. I proceeded down the road to Atapuerca. Outside Atapuerca, there is a UNESCO archeological site where hominids from over a million years ago are being dug up. I stopped to refill my water jug at the fountain in Atapuerca, and watched the Spanish guy who was speeding ahead of me miss the sign to turn off the road to the left onto a dirt path. He was out of shouting distance, so I figured he'd just have to figure out his mistake.

Next, it was a climb up a hill with sharp and loose rocks. There must have been sheep grazing there at one point because there was a fair amount of sheep droppings amongst the rocks. After reaching the summit of the hill, it was downhill towards a quarry and then down into the quiet town of Cardenuela Rio Pico.

From there, I walked further downward toward Burgos. First, I had to walk along the fence of the airport. Then it was miles of walking through an industrial district. There was a Gala factory that makes ceramics like sinks, toilets, and bidets. Then there was a Bridgestone tire factory that smelled like burning rubber. There were also alot of car repair shops and car dealers. As I exited the industrial area, there was a McDonalds right on the Camino de Santiago. It was 12:45, so I went in and got lunch: a quarter pounder, potato wedges, large Coke, and an Oreo shake. It was okay, but did not taste the same as the McDonalds back home.

After lunch, it was city walking. I had to stop to cross streets and deal with pedestrians and cars as I headed to the old part of Burgos. Eventually I made it to the Burgos Cathedral. My guide book said it was free to enter on Tuesdays after 16:30. Since I still had an hour until 16:30, I continued walking until I got to Hotel Abadia near the University of Burgos. I kept waking up at the albergue in Ages last night, so I needed  to get a good night sleep in a real bed. I checked in, showered, and then took a taxi back to the Burgos Cathedral at 17:00 to get my credencial stamp and tour the inside. While inside, I saw the Spanish guy who missed the cut off early in the morning. We waved to each other.

The taxi that dropped me off told me there was a taxi station somewhere near a bridge. Since international calls from my phone are expensive, I did not want to call a taxi. I'd have to find the taxi station. I wandered out of the old part of the city to the east for twenty minutes and by some miracle found two taxis idling near a bridge. I got a ride back to the hotel.

There was a Telepizza about a block from my hotel, so I got the individual menu again: a pizza with onions and green peppers, cheese sticks, and a Coke.

The archeological site near Atapuerca.

Entering Burgos.

McDonald's, I'm lovin' it.

The retablo of the cathedral.

The dome of the Burgos Cathedral.

Burgos.

Day 12: Belorado to Ages

I left Belorado at 07:50 and navigated the rest of the town through the dark. On the way out of town, I saw a Repsol gas station. I got a 1.5 jug of water that would last me for the coming day.

I passed through Tosantos, which is known for having a chapel in the side of a cliff. I then walked through the hamlets of Villambistia and Espinosa del Camino. Then it was a steady climb to Villafranca Montes de Oca, which was half hidden by the clouds. The road through the town is tight, with some buildings occupying the shoulder of the road at spots. Trucks were literally flying through the town on N-120, coming within a few feet of hitting houses. I sat on a bench for awhile to rest in Villafranca Montes de Oca. I was quickly surrounded by a dozen cats looking for food I think!

Unbeknownst to me, the real climb came after Villafranca Montes de Oca. It was a steep climb out of town through the forest. The path then follows a firebreak at the crest of the hills. The path was muddy and had me dragging a few extra pounds of mud on each foot. Finally, the Camino de Santiago descended down into the hamlet of San Juan de Ortega. From there, it was a relatively easy 3.6 kilometers into Ages. I passed through a field of cattle on the last leg.

I checked into the municipal albergue in Ages at 15:45. It is located above a bar and restaurant called La Taberna. I was the first person there, but eight more backpackers showed up later. One of them was Alesandro. He is a vegan and was hoping there was an open grocery store in town, but there was not, at least in the winter. Ages is a very small town, and La Taberna was the only place to eat in town. I had patatas bravas and an egg tortilla for dinner, along with three beers. I watched the local people in the bar, then went to bed early.

Walking into Villambistia.

Swarmed by cats.

Walking through a field of indifferent cattle.

Ages.

Day 11: Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado

I left Santo Domingo de la Calzada shortly after 08:00. Everything was closed as it was Sunday. I headed out and was in Granon by 10:00. I got some Powerade and a serrano ham sandwich from the vending machine on the main street, then walked to the end of town to eat it on a bench. A blue-eyed cat sat down near my feet and stared at me eating. I gave in and gave it the last bite of the sandwich, which it seemed to enjoy. After I left Granon, I passed a sign noting that I'd now be entering the third region of Spain on the trip, Castile and Leon.

The rest of the day composed of walking through four small towns (less than 300 residents combined) and doing most of the hiking next to noisy N-120. The towns were Redecilla del Camino, Castildelgado, Viloria de la Rioja, and Villamajor del Rio. A stray dog befriended me for a while in Castildelgado. It kept following and giving me a look that it wanted to be fed, but I had no food. Eventually, it disappeared. Viloria de la Rioja was notable for being the birthplace of Santo Domingo de la Calzada (St. Dominic of the Causeway) exactly 1,000 years ago.

As I came into Belorado, I saw a Jeep pull off the road and onto the Camino with a wild hog tied to its grill. This makes sense since I heard rifle shots early in the morning. I made it to Hostal B about 15:00. The hostal has shared rooms and private rooms. I opted for a private room.

The Hostal provided dinner for €11.50, so I took that option, since it would make things easier. I should have just eaten out. The starter was a mixed paella that was reheated in the microwave. The entree was a veal steak with peppers and fries. The veal had alot of fat that needed to be cut away. I went to bed early in preparation for a hard day of walking up to Villafranca Montes de Oca.

Walking into Granon.

Leaving La Rioja, entering Castille y Leon.

The stray dog that kept following me.

Viloria de Rioja

Belorado

Storks nests on the church in Belorado.

Day 10: Navarrete to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

I left the hotel at 08:10. On the way out of Navarrete. I caught up to the lone backpacker whom I'd seen the day before. The Korean girl said there were only two other people at the albergue in Navarrete. I passed her up as she could not keep up with me. Today was the first day where it rained. I finally had to used my rain jacket and pack cover. I walked by Ventosa, then was walking through vineyards for as far as the eye could see. Then it was a descent into Najera.

I made it to Najera at noon. It was a good-sized town. I crossed the clear Najerilla River and headed toward the red cliffs that border the town. There was the Monastery of Santa Maria la Real. I paid €4 to enter. The church is built into the side of the cliff with access to a cave. In the cave is a statue of Mary that was found there in 1044. I left at 13:00, knowing I still had slot of walking to do.

I walked out the backside of Najera through the red clay and over the hump. Then, it was miles of vineyards until I got to the town of Azofra, which seemed kind of dead; I saw few cars and few people. The vineyards eventually turned into hayfields. It was a long gradual ascent into Ciruena. First I passed a golf driving range, which was busy. The rest of Ciruena was like a ghost town. There were fairly new apartment buildings, of which less than half seemed to be occupied. Some of the apartment buildings seemed to be completely vacant.

I trudged on toward Santo Domingo de la Calzada. I walked past alot of farm equipment on my way into town, giving me the impression this was an agricultural hub. I finally reached the Confradia del Santo Albergue, the only albergue open, at 07:00 after it was dark. I should have not stopped off in Najera earlier in the day. The albergue was packed with maybe sixteen people, not including myself, and I did not recognize anyone. I guessed that I caught up to the group that had left the day before my original group. One skinny Korean girl helped me find an open bed and asked me what country I was from and where I had walked from.

I went out looking for dinner just before 20:00. I saw all the local people headed into the cathedral for mass, so I went inside too. By the time I got done with mass, there was only a little over an hour to get food before the albergue doors were locked at 22:00. Also, all of the nearby restaurants were packed after mass. I just settled for getting some food out of the vending machine: a microwaveable hot dog, licorice, and chocolate milk.

Ventosa.

Najera.

The statue in the cave.

Grapes that were not harvested last season.

Hay stacks.

Ciruena.

Trying to walk down to Santo Domingo de la Calzada just before dark.

Day 9: Viana to Navarrete

I got a late start at 09:00, but I would not be pushing too hard today. I left Viana, noticing there was a Mondelez factory in the town. Before reaching Logrono, I left the region of Navarre and entered the region of La Rioja. La Rioja is known for making the best wine in all of Spain. Just before noon, I took a quick break before crossing the Ebro River. I changed my socks and drank water. There were two storks in a large nest above me on the electrical tower.

I then navigated through downtown Logrono on stone streets. Eventually, I got to a more modern part of the city with lots of pedestrians and restaurants. It seemed there were several different routes to traverse the back end of Logrono based on the different signs and arrows I saw. I took what seemed to be one of the obsolete routes, passing by car dealerships and some factories as this is where the app Camino Companion said to walk. After that it was a long walk through a park with a reservoir.

Vineyards have become most of the landscape now, with the Don Jacobo Winery right along the path up to Navarrete. As I walked today, I saw people working in their vineyards. I did not walk a terribly long day due to being worn out from the long hike the previous day.

I reached Hotel Rey Sancho after a quick stop to Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion Church for a stamp. I went out for dinner later. The first restaurant I tried, El Molino, was only serving tapas. The second restaurant, El Albero, was still closed for the holidays it seemed. I ended up at a hole in the wall called Deportivo Bar. I ate a big bowl of spaghetti with tomatoes and basil. It was actually pretty decent. I washed it down with a couple Mahou's. I only saw one other pilgrim the whole day.

Looking back at Viana.

Leaving Navarre, entering La Rioja.

Walking into Logrono.

Storks nesting on an electrical tower.

A mural of a guy wearing Camino de Santiago stamps like they are tattoos.

A bull sign on a hill between Logrono and Navarrete.

A giant bottle of Don Jacobo wine.

The church in Navarrete.

Day 8: Estella to Viana

I left Estella at 07:45 and walked along the lit streets of Estella and Ayegui. I came to the Irache Winery as the sun was coming up. They have a wine fountain along the trail for pilgrims, so I tried some of their wine. It was not bad, definately better than the tinto I had on Day 6. About thirty minutes later, an English guy named Mark caught up with me. We ended up walking together and talking. It made the miles pass quicker. He decided to quit his job in his mid-forties in 2012, then travel with the money he got from selling his house. He had walked every single Camino route to Santiago, and some of the routes multiple times. Despite being a vagabond for six years, he had spent all of the time in Spain with the exception of a single trip to Peru. We walked up to Azqueta and Villamayor de Monjardin. Mark wanted a coffee, but all of the cafes were still closed.

We finally walked into Los Arcos before 13:00. We stopped to get lunch at a bar called Cerveceria Buen Camino. I had an orange juice and an overpriced plate of spaghetti. While eating lunch, the Italian guy, Alesandro, came in to get coffee. He seemed surprised I was there and asked me what time I left Estella.

I continued on walking with Mark until we got to Sansol and Torres del Rio, which are two towns on hills, but on the opposite sides of a stream. Torres del Rio had the only open albergue for miles. Mark called it a day in Torres del Rio as he had walked from Pamplona to Estella the previous day. I swapped out my socks and took a water break at a picnic table in town. I then walked on by myself through dry, hilly terrain to Viana. During this stretch, I started seeing more vineyards and olive groves.

I got to Viana just as the sun was setting, and it was getting cold. I had to take a small detour as one of the streets was being recemented. I arrived at the municipal hostal, but there was no attendant working there. Apparently the attendant ends the day at 18:00. There was a phone number I could call, but I decided to just treat myself to a hotel after a long day. I checked in to the Palacio de Pujabas, showered, washed my socks, and passed out on the bed. By the time I woke up, it was too late to get dinner. I just went back to sleep.

The wine fountain. The winery gives away 100 liters each day.

There is nothing untouched by graffiti in Spain.

There is a small castle on the hill overlooking Villamsjor de Monjardin.

Much of the day's hike looked like this.

The entrance to Los Arcos.

Los Arcos and its massive church.

Looking back at Sansol and Torres del Rio, which is mostly hidden by the barn.

Watching a tractor plow a dry field. 

I finally reach Viana.

Day 7: Puente La Reina to Estella

I started the day walking through the town of Puente La Reina and over the six-arch Roman bridge over the Arga River. Then it was uphill walking to Maneru. By then the Italian guy, Alesandro, caught up to me. It was the second time of three times that day that he was supposed to be way ahead of me. What happened was that he was in such a hurry, he missed yellow arrows and ended up taking the wrong turns. He then catches me from behind, overtakes me, and goes speeding forward again. I have no clue what he is in such a rush for since he claims to not even be a Christian. I've found is best to walk at a leisurely pace, explore the towns, and stop to take plenty pictures on the Camino.

As I walked through the hilly city of Cirauqui, I found a stamp on a chain near a post office box. I tested it out. It said "Cirauqui, Navarra" in blue ink with a picture of the town. I finally found a non-albergue stamp for my credential book.

I proceeded on through to Lorca via an ancient Roman road for part of the way. When I passed through the town, I saw an open garage with a vending machine, a table and chairs, and a sign that there is free WiFi. I get a Coke from the machine and sit down to look through my phone for awhile.

From there, I finish out the day walking through Villatuerta and Estella. It looks like some migrants had been relocated to Villatuerta as there are lots of women with headscarves with kids as the grammar school was letting out. On the home stretch through Estella, I see a tourism office. I stopped in and asked the ambassador if she had a stamp for my pilgrim credential. It turns out she did. It said "Estella" with some religious symbols. I finally got to the albergue, which is connected to a Capuchin convent. They gave me the choice of a shared room for €16 or a private room for €25. It was an easy decision.

I showered and then went to pick up more medical tape at a pharmacy. Then, I went looking for somewhere to eat. I happened across a chain place called Telepizza on the other side of the Ega River. I ordered a  cheese pizza with onions. The pizza maker, Jesus, found it hard to believe I did not want any meat on the pizza. Looking through the menu pictures, it looks like the Basque people love heaps of ham, salami, and bacon on pizza. He even showed me the pizza before putting it in the oven to make sure I really only wanted onions on it. The pizza was pretty good and probably the best meal I've had in Europe so far.

I went back to the albergue and shaved without shaving cream because I could not find a miniature bottle of shaving cream at the pharmacy.

The Roman-style bridge in Puente La Reina built in the 11th century.

Cirauqui.

The view leaving Cirauqui.

The church in Villatuerta, the birthplace of St. Veremundo.

Estella.

San Pedro de la Rua Church in Estella. It was closed, but supposedly Saint Andrew's shoulder bone and a piece of the true cross are inside.

Estella and the Ega River at night.