Jumping Ahead!
October 5, 2013
Ahh! Logrono! Logrona marks the end of the first and shortest section of our hike. We have divided our walk into three stages. From here, we plan to jump ahead and hike the 100 km to Santiago and then stage 3, we hope, will be the 90 km onward to Finsterre.
Luck was not with us this time as we entered the hostel operated by the Albergue Association. We had some difficulties with bed assignments but we were happy to receive individually wrapped disposable bedding. Incidentally, bedding has varied extremely. Some facilities offer blankets, others do not. Some beds are made, others are not. There have been a few places I am so happy to have my own pillowcase and even one where I wish I had my own sheet but, truthfully, most are clean and nice enough. Some provide meals, some provide internet and laundry. You never know, really, until you get there although the guide book is a good indicator. OK. Back to now……..lots of little 4-bed cubicles. Ideal? Right? Yep, EXCEPT we got the one room that is the passage way to all the others. Lots of unusual people here and that is all I will say about that except the man sleeping next to me was a rather large, ok, blubbery-fat guy, with little clothing, and a loud snore. It was a night for the silicone earplugs. And Yep, bathroom downstairs! Not our favorite, but we can make the best of it for one night.
The town itself is spectacular. It is bigger than other places we have been. One of the town areas offers tapas bars and more tapas bars. Tapas, small servings of traditional Spanish dishes, are great and provide just the right amount of food. The Peregrino Menu is more expensive and often times offers too much food. We think, at least, that the Peregrino menu is prepared hastily for the overnight visitors and the tapas are there for the locals that they hope to entice back time and time again. Rey and Shelly LOVE all the tapas and we enjoy watching them. Unfortunately for George and I, we aren’t big bread or big meat eaters and we strongly dislike prosciutto. The tapas in Spain, not other places we’ve visited, seem to rely heavily on bread and prosciutto but that hasn’t stopped us too much. There is an omelet like dish made with eggs and potatoes that we find quite tasty along with the shrimp tapas and the occasional vegetable dishes.
The next morning begins with a two-hour bus ride to Burgos! We plan a free day here before beginning section two of our hike. Friends Chris and Jim shared with us how much they enjoyed this city and we were not disappointed. The tourist information desk gave us some inexpensive options to the albergues. We slept at Pension Pena where Loli, the nice owner, helped us with so much. For 27 Euros we had a private room (first time since Paris) with a shared bath. It was right in the center of things, too. The information desk also cleared up our confusion about bus tickets. We were unable to buy bus tickets to our next destination and left the bus station quite frustrated. Turns out that train is the way to go!
We checked in our pension, left our bags there, purchased our train tickets and spent the rest of the day exploring. The 13th Century Cathedral de Santa Maria is the centerpiece of the city and one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have seen! We walked around back where the crowds were few. We separated and did our own things through lots of the day. Shelly and Rey took in a lot of the tapas bars and quaint streets, the markets, and more while George and I spent more time people-watching in the plazas. I think we all found some time for a siesta at the pension while all the shops were closed from 3 – 5. We had to do laundry without the help of a washer or dryer but once again Loli came to the rescue and provided a place for us to hang our clothes. It was freezing at night! We walked restaurant to restaurant and were unable to secure a table anywhere. Finally, we chose a lively tapas bar where we ordered a few tapas and a glass of wine. George and I felt really old as we had to bow out and find a quieter and less crowded place. We found a perfect little place near our pension, Casa Orjeta , where we had great fish and chicken dishes. The wine, served a ceramic pitcher, was beautiful. When we ordered more wine, the server misunderstood, opened the gift shop just for us and brought us a pitcher. Of course, we bought it. You know, I do collect ceramic pitchers as I travel, but somehow, I don’t think we’ll be putting this in our backpack.
Before the 11:00 am trip to the train station, George and I decided to get tickets and tour the cathedral. Shelly and Rey decided to eat breakfast near the hotel and forego the church visit. Our peregrino passports afforded us ½ price entry. However, we couldn’t take in our bag and we only had 20 minutes. George decided to wait for me at the plaza café while I did a quick tour. I must say that the first 15 minutes was enchanting. I, with my limited appreciation of fine art, found this to be inspiring and beautiful. After 15 minutes, I made my way back to the front of the huge edificio and low and behold the gates were locked, no one would open it for me, and the gentlemen kept pointing his finger in the direction of the self-guided tour. After a moment of panic, as I envisioned myself being locked in the cathedral forever with no way out, and me causing the other three to miss the train, I devised a plan. At first, I walked very quickly and then realized that I was a long way from the exit door because after five minutes of brisk walking I was at exhibit # 15 and I had seen through an open chapel a # 38. I broke into a jog and I seemed to go forever. I jogged by art masterpieces, statues, right by the remains of El Cid, through the monuments and the well-appointed museums. The art lovers gawked at me in disbelief as I darted past them. When I finally exited about 10 minutes later than scheduled, I noticed a few stares and some concerned expressions as if to ask, “Why is she running out of the church?”. I thought I’d better slow down so as not to make someone think I had planted a bomb so I coolly took out my sunglasses to put on my sweaty face and went to meet George at the café where he was pleasantly enjoyed his second cup of coffee. I asked for a cold glass of water, which I did not receive, before we returned to the pension and then by taxi to the train station as we move on to the beginning of Stage two. Burgos, we hope to meet again and next time I will do right by the Cathedral!
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