Day 16

Burgos to Hornillos del Camino

We left our hotel at 7:00 am and walked through the city of Burgos for about two miles. We missed a turn and probably added about a half a mile to the hike - no worries. After leaving the city we walked through a rural area across a number of roads either over bridges or using underpasses. We also passed under some train tracks.

​We stopped for breakfast in Tardajos. The cafe was pretty busy with pilgrims. There were about seven or eight police officers with guns that were stopping cars in both directions in front of the café. We were not exactly sure what it was they were looking for, but they also stopped a couple groups of pilgrims who jaywalked across the street to the cafe. “Uhm - there’s a police officer with a gun, and you jaywalked? In front of him?”  The police officer nicely said a few words in Spanish and pointed at the crosswalk. Jim and I are well trained and used the crosswalk without being asked.  

Overall we walked 13.5 miles to Hornillos. We met a new friend on the trail from Minneapolis and walked with her the last few few miles. We had a great chat about our backgrounds (she’s a Methodist) and our experiences with the Camino (she was filling a gap between Burgos and Leon which was a missed portion of a Camino trip in 2017). Quite a few times on this trip we have been asked if we are brothers, or how we know each other, or how it is we traveled to Spain to hike together. We have been honest and explained we are life partners who have been together for 34 years. So far we have had great experiences.

Our hotel is 2 1/2 km from Hornillos and they have a service where they pick you up by car. We called the hotel and with my bad Spanish tried to explain we were to check in and needed a ride. It worked. It was the first time we have been in a car in three weeks.

​Tomorrow we head to Castrojeriz.