Back in that good wifi! Last night I would have written about our evening in Belorado. We went to mass and they had a special Pilgrim Blessing afterwards. The priest was very funny and asked our family and the large extended family from Madrid to sing songs from our regions--we could only come up with Amazing Grace. There was a woman in the Madrid group who has a brother in law in Raleigh--she translated for us. After all that we went to dinner and had hamburguesas and fries--yum! Great night's sleep in our room with just the 3 of us!

Yesterday morning we left Belorado in a cold fog, walked some with our Dutch women friends, and we all stopped at a gas station for coffee--most everything was closed due to the national holiday of All Saints Day. It ended up being a long day because there was no open place to stay between 8 miles and 17 miles--so we went long...28 km up and over a big mountain to a small village called Agés. We stayed at an albergue with folks from Japan, Austrailia, Hawaii, Spain, France, Brazil, and some other countries. Everyone was so tired most were asleep by 8:30.

So...we were up early, and after a coffee next door, were on the road by 7:45--our earliest! We walked up a mountain called Atapuerca, where human remains from 900,000 (yes, I got the 0's right) years ago were found. Then through several villages, and on to Burgos--a large city which seemed to take forever to get to the center. Today's stage was 24 km (about 15 miles). We met up with a funny Spanish guy named Jonathan (we actually met him first last week on the Hill of Forgiveness) who said he was walking for his Mom who died last year and had always wanted to walk the Camino. I decided we needed a little pampering and found a hotel (with a bathtub!!) for us for the night. It is right beside the Burgos Cathedral, which we toured this afternoon. I have been in a good many cathedrals, but this one was as big and ornate and beautiful as any I've seen! Many different chapels and styles from Gothic to Rococo, dating from the 1200's. Then--we went out on the town! The Endes do tapas! We found several streets with tapas bars and, just like Rick Steves suggests, we ordered tapas and drinks from each--great food and great fun! Clare taught John how to drink from a porrón--a skill she learned this summer in Spain--a bottle with a long skinney spout that you hold away from your lips and pour into your mouth! Tomorrow we've decided to rent bikes and ride for a few days along the flat part of the Camino called the Meseta--and we'll knock out a few kilometers and get off of our aching feet for a few days!