[NOTE:  More pictures added to Day 14]

Pilgrims

(Belorado to Burgos by bus–13,663 steps walking around)

Matthew 5:1-16
v. 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

And there is plenty of underfoot trampling going on, with centuries of pilgrims having walked on these same tracks. I’m glad for the paths. They keep us on the way and they are (usually) smoother than the rough ground around. But once something is tossed down and pressed into the ground by passing feet it is no longer good for its original purpose. God made his people to be salt, to enhance the favor of life and preserve his good gifts for others. I don’t want to fail in what God calls me to do and have my life lost for kingdom purposes. Lord, help me to be salt in the places you put me, even on the pilgrim way.

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Church and albergue parroquial in Belorado

As we were putting on our boots the English-speaking Bulgarian lady offered preserved green lemon peel all around. We were the last ones out at eight but only so late because Maurice found the coffee just as we were ready to go. Then he had coffee again at the Taxi Bar Kais so we could use the wifi and get out of the chill mist as we awaited the next part of our journey: the bus to Burgos.

I didn’t want to do it!! It seemed like cheating, and there were things I didn’t want to miss in the next couple sections of the Camino. But Maurice was insistent and he had his reasons: My heel still hurts and my leg is getting worse, and if I don’t take some time off and rest I might be too injured to continue. We have the meseta ahead of us and there will be long stretches without villages (or farmacias or medical care). It’s better to rest now than have to stop and not make it to Santiago. And besides, I tell myself, I’m sure the medieval pilgrims hopped on a donkey cart whenever one was available.

There must have been two dozen pilgrims buying tickets at the bus station (including the Bulgarian ladies). Where had they all come from in Belorado and why were they taking the bus? The 9:30 bus, which left at 9:45, was lovely, with foot rests and tray tables. Another batch of pilgrims boarded up the road in Villafranca Montes de Oca. In one hour we were in Burgos; at our current rate it would have taken us at least three days. We disembarked near the cathedral so we popped over for a quick look. I was framing a picture when Maurice called, “Look who it is!” Neil the Scot was having a beer on the square, and when he saw us he was genuinely confused. When he leaves people behind on his 30-kilometer-plus daily jaunts he never expects to see them again, yet here we were. “And you look so fresh!” he marveled. We laughed and let him in on our transportation secret. As we chatted, Maurice looked up and there was Jonathan, who started when we did in St. Jean Pied de Port. And he had not taken the bus.

We walked (a long way) to the hotel Maurice had found us online, the Hotel Puerta de Burgos. It looked a little down at the heels in spite of being Burgos’ 2015 Hotel of the Year (or maybe all the others are so much worse). We ate our lunch, rested, took a nap and basically did nothing. In late afternoon we walked back to the cathedral area, wandered around, had sangria and a tortilla in a cafe and just sat.

West door of Burgos cathedral in afternoon sun

We walked up the stairs next to the cathedral for a quick look into San Nicolas de Bari with its magnificent Plateresque altarpiece extending up to the vaulted ceiling.

I thought the dinner places nearby looked too touristy and neither of us wanted to walk far, so Maurice suggested a doner kebab. Perfect. Toward the bus station we found a hole-in-the-wall place and had a satisfying if messy supper in forgettable surroundings.

We went to the pilgrim mass in a small chapel in the cathedral and all the pilgrims got blessed some more. Incongruously, in representations in the chancel, Jesus was wearing a skirt and a dress (not really, I guess, but it sure looked like it).

We headed back to the hotel about eight, just as the city was coming alive. Bars were spilling out people and drinks, children were playing, parents were pushing strollers, teens were hanging out and young adults were pushing dear relatives in wheelchairs through the thronged squares. Plenty of shops were open, so we bought snacks for our room and breakfast for the next day.