Burgos, Spain

Our first hiking day was lovely! We had scattered showers, and nippy temps so wore my merino wool shirt all day. It didn’t rain hard enough for the rain coat, but I did add my pack cover. The way was mostly flat or rolling hills and green fields. At times, it was muddy and the mud was clay. We started out at 8:20 am, just after coffee and croissant. We had our fruit and packed a lunch. Although my pack was heavier than I would have liked, it wasn’t uncomfortable. My feet held up quite well We stopped for lunch at Rabes de Calzada, where we thought we would stay but since it was an easy walk we decided to push on. It was just a bit of a climb to get over the hill. We reached Hornillos at 2, right before the storm broke. As luck would have it, we nearly got the last bed in town. It’s a double in the attic dorm room at Casa de la Abuela. We are shoehorned in with three Frenchwomen and the two kiwi chicas from the laundromat. The last lady to arrive is an Aussie, and they added a bed for her. We were fortunate to get here. It’s a sweet family with a passel of children. They made us a basic pilgrim meal, and now we are tucked in listening to the rain. All showered, fresh clothes, what more could we want?