Camino de Santiago, Days 18, 19, 20: Burgos, Spain

Burgos Cathedral

Jamie and I needed a place and the time to catch up and relax.  Burgos, a cosmopolitan city with close to 200,000 people, fit the bill.

The old town of Burgos is beautiful.  The current Burgos Cathedral, built in the 1200’s and directly on the path of the Camino, towers over the main plaza.  Unfortunately, it has been so cold that it is rather unpleasant to be outside.  The local women walking in fur coats have the right idea.

We’ve walked around the old town and eaten and had plenty to drink.  We have been in the bars and thrown our sunflower seed shells or peanut shells on the floor just like the locals do.

We’ve enjoyed a hotel stay and another opportunity to wash our stinky clothes in the sink, watch TV, and sleep.  The TV just keeps reporting on the story of the Oklahoma tornado.  Very sad.

We went to the Burgos Cathedral and the Museum of Human Evolution which showcases some of the many finds from Atapuerca, including a 500,000-year-old skull of Homo antecessor, “one of the earliest human varieties in Europe” and stone tools used my Homo heidelbergensis.  I stared into the eye sockets of the Homo antecessor skull but got no messages.  500,000 years ago is sort of unfathomable.

Tomorrow, we set off again, walking separately but together in spirit.  We hope to meet up again in four days or 100 kilometers.

Photos of Burgos, Spain: