Day 7 - 01.07.2020

    I forgot to tell you, after our short visit to the cathedral in Burgos, on the way to the hotel we stop at the pharmacy, the pharmacist tells us to try a medicament before going to the doctor, remedy used by athletes and pilgrims. I'm surprised when I notice the active substance: ibuprofen-arginine, which has enhanced anti-inflammatory effects. That night Vasi takes a pill and to our surprise after it his leg no longer hurts, so we decided to postpone the visit to the doctor. In the morning he takes another pill and we set off. The exit from Burgos is beautiful, we are happy that it is not raining anymore and we will be able to reach our destination before it is too hot.

We booked beds at a municipal albergue in Hontana, which opened its doors the same day. In Hornillos del Camino we stop to eat sandwiches and have a coffee, it's 11 am, we find that  albergue here aren't open, but we anyways have reservations so we don't worry about it.

Long dirt tracks and huge cereal fields reveal little by little the famous Spanish meseta. We find less shade, but at least Vasi's leg doesn't hurt anymore. Until Hontana we cross two long and lonely portions of the meseta, the last part contains a more accentuated and stony part, which gives us headaches.

    However, we are happy because we are talking to the lady from the albergue, to confirm the reservation, we find out that on the same day the famous mochilla de la luz will arrive.

    Before leaving Romania we spoke with one of the organizers of the project to commemorate the victims of Covid-19, if we could join: to take a piece of the road, a backpack as a tribute to all victims around the world, we forgot about project because it had started before we left Romania and we didn't think we would catch up with it. But we did, so in our joy, we thought we had another chance to join the project.

    The descent to Hontana strained Vasi's foot, as the part is rather dangerous for me and my bike, the stones, gravel and ditches on the agricultural road made my bike a real sleigh, which I could not control even with the brakes from my wheelchair. Vasi is forced to whitstand the brunt force of the descent. I was nervous and I was very scared, but at least we could see the town and we knew we almost finished for today, but we will not finish as we thought.

    We arrived at the albergue very tired, we had done 31.5 km on a stifling heat, it's 2 o'clock. In front of the albergue at a table were two men who entered and got out of the albergue patio without masks on, there were two ladies talking between them without masks or other safety methods against the virus, I was in the street and Vasi wants to enter the patio (right out of the street) to put down the backpack so he could put on the mask, when suddenly one of the ladies started screaming and pushing Vasi out the door on the street. I didn't understand what was happening, among the screams she told us that we didn't have masks and that maybe we were infected, to leave quickly because we didn't have a reservation and she certainly won't welcome us. Dismayed, we didn't understand what was happening and what we were supposed to do. I called the number I had made the reservation earlier that morning, a gentleman answered, I introduced myself and I asked why we were not allowed to enter, even though we had masks and a reservation, he told me that we had no masks and we were not welcome there, they had no masks on! He starts threatening again, which I couldn't stand and I turn off the phone. Tired as we were, we had no water and we had nowhere to buy, we rest for a few moments on a bench below the hostel and set off again.

    At the exit of Hontana we find an open swimming pool, from where we take a water and a cola, we keep the road to Castrojeriz, we walk about 5 km, when behind us stops a police car  (civil guard). He identifies us and in the meantime they tell us that the lady from the albergue in Hontana called the police because we tried to enter the hostel without masks and they ask us what happened. We tell them that even though we had a reservation and masks, she didn't want to receive us, I didn't understand why so we left. After our documents were checked, both Romania and Spain (we had the NIE for more than 15 years) politely ask us if we want to denounciate the albergue or the lady from the hostel to consumer protection, because they personally have seen that we had reservations. I tell him I don't want to, and the documents are returned to us and we receive a warm buen Camino. 

    We go to Catrojeriz, even though we don't have accommodation, at the municipal albergue they tell us that although they are open, they don't receive pilgrims, so we continue searching. We find a place in a hotel, we were alone in the whole hotel, so we rest for the rest of the day. With all the good and bad, one more day ends.

Day 6 - 30.06.2020

Vasi's leg hurts more and more, we leave around 6 o'clock in the morning, we barely arrive in Belorado at noon. 

We decided to go to Burgos by bus to see a doctor and rest, but also because we could not find accommodation in Belorado. We sit at a table and without thinking too much of it, we buy sandwiches and cafe con leche to wait for the bus.

At 3 pm, the bus, although it appeared to be adapted for people with disabilities, the access ramp was not functional. We arrive in Burgos, a feeling of being at home embraces us and warms our souls long before we enter the city.

Due to the fact that it was already late Vasi decides to postpone the visit to the doctor so we make a short visit to the cathedral and stock up on food and rest at the hotel (no albergues are open). 

We sleep very badly, I don't know if due to tiredness or heat, at some point in the night a storm breaks out loudly over the city, I am horrified at the thought that we will have to go through the rain, but it was not like that, a beautiful day you starts tomorrow!

Day 5 - 29.06.2020

It's dark, we leave Najerra early in the morning, but we somehow manage to get lost, on the way out of the village there is a detour to Azofra and we were convinced, although we had looked before we left on maps, that we don't need to enter the village. Of course we came to cover a few kilometers before we found out we took a little detour. The stage is quite easy, with dirt and gravel roads and in some places the roads have been asphalted or paved.

We were not bothered by those extra miles we made, because it was a blessing to see whole fields of vineyards, although cereal crops began to gradually replace them. We were quite calm, although we hadn't seen the distinctive signs of the Way for some time, we started looking on the internet where we really were, the problem was the bad signal. In order to return to the route, we take the direction of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and finally we arrive, without too much effort.

It's nice to see people on the road, even though it wasn't very busy, that greet us or even stop to talk to us, an encouraging and uplifting feeling that warmed your heart and made you feel that you are not alone anymore. In Santo Domingo de la Calzada hostels are closed and we did not find pensions under 50 euros (we decided that would be the budget), so we went on.

We reach Redecilla del Camino, here only one hostel owner answers the phone. Albergue Essentia, a place where jokes are on the menu, you feel at home, music and goodwill blend perfectly with home-cooked food.

Bad quality pic of high quality company

With a lighter soul and full stomachs we rest until the next day ...

Day 4 - 28.06.2020

 We leave Logroño around 6:30 am. The exit route from the city passes through a beautiful park, a pity that part of the alleys werein construction and we could not see it in all its splendor, although we managed to meet a little friend, whose picture I'm gonna leave lower, so you can enjoy it too. The park hosts a biological research station that studies the ecosystem around Lake Grajera which we thought was really cool.

Route

little friend

    Onwards the road passes through wide valleys, fields full of vineyards and sprinkled with a multitude of bodegas, too bad they were closed and we could not taste some wine, gentle hills, culminating in two more steep climbs: El Alto de la Grajera and El Alto de San Anton.

Born on the Way

Born on the Way

Born on the Way

    The only inconvenience of this stage, if you let me put it this way, is the presence of the A12 motorway, which accompanies us on many parts of the route.

    We arrived safely in Najera, since the morning we looked for accommodation during the short breaks we made, the only private hostel open in Najera, did not want to give us beds in the common albergue,  only in a private room due to restrictions Covid-19. We hardly managed to climb the 26 steps to the so-called room, the room had no bathroom, and the shared bathrooms were impassable: narrow doors and even narrower showers so in these conditions we appeal to a high level of hygiene: wet wipes. We eat cold canned  lentils, from the only open store  (it was Sunday and we had lost the count of days and thus ran out of food) and potato tortilla from a nearby bar, because we can not use the kitchen to heat them, another safety measure Covid -19.

    

    But of course we are happy and grateful to have a place to sleep. Ah, yes I forgot to tell you we were the only pilgrims in the albergue. Another day ends...