Each day has one thing in common. I know that I have never seen or been in all of the places I will walk through today. It will all be new and therefore a bit more interesting but also a bit more worrisome.
After I wake and before I begin packing I will look at my email. It's my connection to the people I care most about. I got off to a good start today.
My day started with a terrific message from Tony Baloney ( it's what I call him ) a friend I have come to know over the past seven years because we are connected by a friend, Big Johnny 1438 from Scottsdale. Thank you Tony. You have no idea how much your message helped me get started today.
The weather looks very good and when I open my window I can feel a bit of a chill. Great walking temperature. I completed my packing and have added a few small items like the laundry powder which adds a little weight. That's ok because I have decided that I will also leave the rain pants behind. All in all I think it's about even resulting in no change in the weight of my backpack .
I arrive at the breakfast room and Michele is there just getting started. Today's offerings include the
usual carb choices but today we also have scrambled eggs and fruit. I will have a little of everything along with orange juice and my cafe-con leche.
As we start eating we both find it odd that Rainer is not there. Normally he is the first to breakfast but not today. When thirty minutes pass Michele decides to call his room. No answer. A visit to the front desk and we are told that he has already checked out.
It's a bit odd because he said 9:30 and if he decided to go early, which is fine , we both would guess that he would have left us a message. We wait a little longer but decide at 10:30 we must leave.
The walk out of the city is much better than my entrance route. We walk through Santa Maria square past the Cathedral and we are shortly on The Camino. The distance between Burgos and our destination, Hornillos del Camino will be 13 miles and it will be flat.
Unlike other segments, today's will have very few potential places to stop for coffee along the way. We will stop in Tarjados but that can certainly change depending on a variety of things.
Our pace is fast. Yes, fast. The trail is flat and the sun is warm. There is a breeze with a temperature I'm guessing of about 60 degrees. We will soon stop to make wardrobe changes. I will take off the rain jacket and at first it will be a little cold. It won't take long for that to change at the pace we are moving at right now.
I stop on occasion to take a picture which creates a gap between Michele and I. Camino rules, not a problem. As I close the gap with Michele I can see ahead two people sitting, taking a break. Michele is talking with them and starts to move again just begore I arrive. It's the Weather Girl!
The Weather Girl has found a young guy to walk with. She has one of her Nike running shoes off and as I past them she is on her feet being helped by her walking partner. She has her arm around his shoulder as he try's to help her put back on the shoe. Just ahead is a long downhill section which will require the use of poles which will cause them a problem.
As I walk past them at a good pace I know she recognizes me but says nothing. Just think, that could have been me! Sometimes I make good decisions.
I am soon along side Michele again and we agree that we have covered about six miles. We approach a small town, nothing unusual and as we turn near the end of the town we are greeted by "Michele Michele", Fernando and Nelly. They call us to join them for coffee and we do. Margaret the older, small German lady is there as well as Anna from Brazil. The first time I met Anna a couple of days ago I think I may have referred to her as French.
Coffee and a Coke Zero, a few pictures with everyone's camera and a cookie from Fernando's endless stash and Michele and I are on our way. The Brazilians started their walk today at least an hour and a half ahead of us and we are now in front of them. We will see them at the end of the day.
The walk is uneventful and we arrive in Hornillos del Camino at about 3:30. Actually Michele was ahead of me by about twenty minutes because of my camera work.
I walk into this very small village and enter the cafe and I am greeted by a loud collective "Jim, Jim from California". Michele, Emma, Emily and Elaine. Michele is holding court and is also busy trying to find a room. There are none in the village not even in the Albergue. Rainer is not in the village and has not been seen.
There is a bottle of wine which the girls have purchased for three Euro. Just a reminder, that is about $4 US, retail. I pass and order a small beer on tap. The counter guy asks if there is anyone named Michele? Yes and Michele is now in a conversation and gathering information.
As it turns out Rainer did leave early and is staying in a Hotel that is about two miles off The Camino and he has secured a room for Michele. The Hotel will send a van at 5:30 to pick him up and take him to this offsite location. Michele is very happy and decides to buy a very nice bottle of wine at a cost of ten Euro which we will all drink while waiting for the van.
Michele's transfer is similar to what happened to me in Los Arcos but my transfer was in a Police car .... far more interesting.
The van arrives and Michele is off. The pilgrims dinner is in just fifteen minutes so I will just stay and have dinner and then head back to my Hotel.
There are five of us for dinner. Me, Nelly, Fernando, Emma and Emily. Emily is a physical therapist working in a hospital in Sweden age 26, Emma age 27, is thinking about work or school.
Emma tells us all that its her Father's birthday. I can see what Nelly is thinking as she interrupts for Fernando. There isn't any Internet service or wifi but there is a phone booth. I can't remember when I last saw a phone booth. I ask Emma if she is going to call her Father? She then decides to call and asks if we will all get in the booth to sing Happy Birthday to him. Everyone agrees, yes we will do it.
Emma calls but her Father is not home but will be back in ten minutes. False alarm as our salads arrive. As we finish the salads Emma try's again and yes he is there. She waves us to get into the booth as she speaks with her Father in Swedish.
On cue, we all begin singing Happy Birthday to Emma's Father. Nelly and Fernando in Portuguese , Emma and Emily in Swedish and me in English. When it comes time in the song to inject the persons name none of us know what to call him so it just gets garbled. We finish the song and there is loud applause from all of the other pilgrims just sitting down to eat. I think Emma is happy that she decided to call. I know Nelly is.
Dinner is over and I head back to my Hotel to take care of the gear and to complete some writing. It is 7:30. Any early night, perfect.
I enter my room and it is really small. I have to turn sideways to get past the end of the bed in order to get to the bathroom. The bed fills nearly all of the room. It's at this point that I realize that I don't care. It's clean and I am tired.
I decide to take inventory of all of the things I would ordinarily expect in a Hotel room which I now don't find all that important. Here is a what I could think of. I'm sure I missed a couple of things.
My little room does not have, a phone, soap, shampoo, a shower cap, conditioner, a closet, a mini-bar, glasses, a cork screw, room service, more than one light, an extra towel, an iron or an ironing board, a television, a radio, a wake up call service, a bathtub, a scale, a night stand, a cable guide, a high end shopping guide, an extra pillow, a free tooth brush, a ceiling fan run by remote control, a do not disturb sign to hang on the door, a patio, an ashtray, free bottled water, a coffee maker, carpeting, a chair, a sofa, a table, pen and paper with the Hotel's logo, a free post card, a comb or brush, a hair dryer, a thermostat, wifi , a Bible, hangers, slippers and last but not least a turn down service.
I'm sure I have over looked a number of other things I would normally expect to find in my Hotel room. Perhaps you can think of something I missed.
I'm tired, good night.
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