WE ARE IN BURGOS!  And the counter has dropped down to 489 km to go. It  just seems surreal that I’m here because it was here last year that the seed of this trip was planted.

So anyway to catch up… I was booked into a great private albergue in Villafranca but none of my friends appeared and I wondered if they had all bottled the 27km. To be sure I wandered back into town to the municipal albergue… And there they were!   So, I hauled my bum back up the hill to collect my stuff and I grabbed a bottom bunk with the rest of the gang. Then we all hauled our bums back up the hill again because the pilgrims menu in the posh hotel was far too good to miss!

Next morning I set off at just before 7.00 to face that same hill again. Only this time I carried on climbing for nearly 3km and then like some cruel roller coaster the path dropped down and up again the other side. But I did manage to catch the sunrise which was rather special.

Yesterday also presented a first challenge for me… To “go” in the woods or run run run to the loo!   Problem was it was 12km until the first stop! So this morning was one of the few occasions that I was overtaking everyone.

I stopped for a drink in Ages; this is a really lovely little village and I almost wished I’d stopped here last night.  It was also time for me to stock up on soe minerals as I’ve been having really bad cramping.  It started in my hands but now it’s in my legs and a real problem.  Gerry looked it up and says I need calcium, potasium and sodium… so I’ve bought yoghurt, salted mixed nuts and dried fruit.   Someone also gave me a sachet of the powder that cyclist mix in with their water… I have to say that within 30 minutes I feel 100% better.

We spent the night at a very lovely albergue in Atapuerto.  This place has a very special significance as they have found bones of some of the earliest humans found in Europe… Apparently  close to 1 million years old… So walking these hills felt really important and left me wondering all those that have walked here before.

The albergue was great.. 6 lovely ladies in our own room.   As per usual we opted for a pilgrims menu in the local bar… Which as usual was full of other pilgrims doing much the same.   There is a definite feeling of camaraderie building as we see the same faces most of the time now.   The only one missing was Andre… I guess he walked on… And you’re left wondering if our paths will ever cross again.

Today we left early and walked over the last hills into Burgos… WOW!  Did I mention we walked to Burgos!

My amazing support team (aka Gerry)  had booked us girls a couple of rooms in a four star hotel behind the wedding cake that is Burgos cathedral… We even had our own terrace…  But being pilgrims we made a washing line  and hung the laundry out to dry.

I had a visit to the cathedral (more on that another day)  but just back from a great meal with some truly lovely ladies… And the most luxurious treat of all… I  bought some nail varnish and sat on a bench in the town centre and painted my nails… And I can tell you… It feels very special!

Off tomorrow to start our walk across the high plains… And I’ve been told it’s flat!