30.9km

We are pushing to Hontanas today, as Hornillos del Camino, the usual stop after Burgos, has no available albergues tonight.

After a simple breakfast from our grocery supply, we leave together at 8.15am. The waning gibbous moon is still in the clear blue sky, with wisps of pink clouds as we walk through city.

It’s easy to get lost in the city as you try to leave Burgos. I cross check with Gaia GPS as I go to ensure I stay on the Camino.

We take an avenue down a big long park bounded by short old stone walls. It’s quite a distance, and after some suburban houses we finally reach the edge of the city to gravel paths that have the familiar Camino feeling.

It’s dry today, and we are glad for it after the wet days. Thin, long clouds diffuse across the light azure sky. Barren trees glow yellow with sunlight, and with the frosted grass along the edge of the path, the chilly 0°C air, my puffy, beanie and gloves on, and breathing steam…it actually feels like winter.

We join the Arlanzón river and walk along it for quite a bit until Tardajos, which is at the 11km mark, one-third of the way today. The rest have gone ahead except Areum, and the two of us decide to take a break at some benches in the plaza. I share my sobao (a kind of sponge cake) I bought in Atapuerca, and Areum shared some coconut chips with me.

The next nearby town, Rabé de las Calzadas, is quiet and we don’t see anything open as well. Just as we leave the town, Ingrid catches up with us. She was ahead, but had found coffee at Tardajos and took a break there.

We walk past undulating farmland plains. The skies are completely clear and it’s sunnier now. A very gentle wind accompanies us, and there are wind turbines in the distance on our left. It’s the start of the Meseta, literally meaning “plateau” in Spanish, a large flat area between Burgos and León.

We spread out as per our paces, and I’m walking on my own for awhile. The farmland plains and the path spread out in front of me.

I crest a hill, and I see the long path ahead into Hornillos del Camino and the small dots of my fellow pilgrims ahead on the way down the trail.

At the bridge outside Hornillos del Camino, there is a sign which says in Spanish:

Constan, you have been able to reach “Hornillos del Camino”, but we will carry you to the end in our hearts.

At Hornillos, I finally get a coffee. Right after, a Korean couple I had met at Atapuerca and Burgos walk in. Their names are Chang Hyun and Yun Jung, and we chat for a bit. I ask them why they are walking the Camino, and Chang Hyun tells me that Yun Jung said, to marry her, he will have to do the Camino with her. Wow. They ask why I’m not with my friends, and I’m like, where are they? Turns out they had caught up with each other right ahead of me and were picnicking at a public bench right opposite my cafe.

I get back with them and we continue on to windy, flat farmland for miles. It’s as flat as the ocean, the grassy horizon as far as the eye can see. We’re the only ones for ages and I start shouting nonsense into the wind for fun.

The town that is 5km from our destination, San Bol, seems to be missing. There are the typical signs talking about the layout of the upcoming town, but we never see it. Ingrid jokes that the town is underground.

After what feels like forever, we reach a downhill slope, and Hontanas appears below us. We reach Hontanas at 4.15pm. Nothing, not even a supermarket is open, so we agree to buy the “pilgrim’s meal” from the albergue even though it sounded simple—tuna salad, macaroni, and fruit yogurt. We are hungry after the long walk and don’t have much of a choice. It also doesn’t have wifi, which frankly, has been an unexpected luxury for most of the places we’ve stayed at. There is a sign at the counter saying “no hay nada creepy” which makes you think that there is something creepy instead.

The caretaker of the albergue is a Templar, and he shows us his dress and sword. We also walk into more Koreans in the dormitory. In addition to the couple, there are two guys who are continuing their Camino from Burgos where they ended in the past, and one older lady.

The food the Templar prepares turns out to be plenty. The tuna salad is very healthy, a welcome dose of vegetables after the meatiness of Basque Country and Navarra. The pasta is cheesy and tasty. Wine is always delightful and the bread fills you up.