Burgos

A classic Camino start to the day - in a room containing 7 beds, a few alarms are heard briefly at about 6:15.   Within ten minutes there's the rustling of 7 people getting ready and packing quietly in the darkness.   Then someone realises that we're all involved and turns the light on.   "Good idea!" says a voice.

Off a few minutes after seven.   Turns out there's quite a hill just beyond the village.  But then there's the top, and in the distance the first sight of Burgos - which is big, well, big for the Camino route (it's about 200k in population).  There's a monument on the top:

Since the pilgrim dominated the mountains of Navarre in Burguete and saw the vast fields of Spain, he has never enjoyed a more beautiful view.

 Breakfast is some 6km after leaving (and Janni and Ian had got there first) then it's onward.

For most of the morning I was walking on my own.  Time to think and reflect and pray. Occasional interactions as I pass someone or, less often, someone passed me.

I took the optional route via Castañares and the riverside path into Burgos.   To start with very quiet, then more local people out for walks and runs. 

Finally into Burgos and to the hostel - which doesn't accept bookings so you have to get there and see if they have space.  Being quite early they did!

Then some lunch and a look round the cathedral before a rest!  Planning a longer day tomorrow -31km to Hontanas.