Day 14 San Juan de Ortega to Burgos

April. 27, 2016. Wednesday.     16.2 miles.We took a bus most of the way to Burgos. Fitbit has 6.5 miles recorded, but the day is not over yet.

We left a quiet little village in the mounts where there isn’t even a tienda (shop for groceries) into a big city. We had heard from other pilgrims that it was a dangerous boring walk along the highway so my Camino family and I (Mary Kelly and Sophie) had made a plan the night before to take a bus to Burgos, not walk at all. We (or me) got the directions and knew we had to walk 3 km to a little town and catch a bus at about 10am. Plenty of time. 

Cows along the road

We left the monastery at 8 am this morning and got to the little town of Ages before 9. Problem is that it was the wrong town. I was in charge of the directions. Oops – there were plenty of people around to ask and we got 3 or 4 different directions in a couple languages on where to find the bus. We decided on one set of of directions  and started walking in what felt like the opposite direction of the Camino. While we were walking we saw two deer across the field running faster than I had ever seen deer run. 

Mary sort of flagged a car down – sort of kidding? Anyhow they stopped and asked if we needed help. There were two Norwegian tourists and a Spaniard in a tiny European car. Finally some good English with some good communication. I must have been limping because they asked if they could take me to the bus stop and the other two could walk. They said it was too far to walk. But I would not go without Mary and Sophie.  I said I was OK (and I was-they imagined me limping) that we had to stay together. So . . . . . . They said they would take all of us. We didn’t think we could fit in the car, but as we are trying to pile things in the teenie tiny toy looking car, the driver said -No another complication – I left my computer back at the other town. The Spaniard gets out of the car and walks with us while they go back and get in the computer. Ten minutes later the. Norwegians are back and now the4 of us get in the back seat, is like the fish and the loaves of bread in reverse. There was room for only one backpack in the trunk so 4 people and two backpacks squeezed in and we were laughing so hard the Norwegians in the front video’d us. We said so many thanks when they dropped us off at a bus stop along the highway. It looked like the bus stop required you to call, which I did – but I got voice mail and left a message where we were and where we needed to go (In Spanish). While I am on the phone Mary gives a government worker the eye-in a big truck, like we need help. He goes into the town and does what he has to do and then come back and opens his door and Sophie tells him in Spanish we need to go to Burgos. How could this happen? Three pilgrims off the Camino so well taken care of by the Spanish government worker (Miguel – I think gardner by the looks of his tools). We laughed and laughed. Sophie in the front seat, Mary and I in the back seat with our backpacks – laughing and thanking God for His help and protection. Sophie did most of the talking, our driver, Miguel knew no English. He asked us where we were from and when he heard USA he said “Oh! Obama” I couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. He drove us probably 10 or 12 miles into the large city of Burgos and with his truck got us close to the large gothic cathedral that was close to the albergue. We wanted to go into the church and thank God for his protection this morning but it cost 7 E so instead we went into a side spot that was free and thanked Him. Every day is filled with wonderful moments-today was indeed special with strangers helping us (pilgrims),  laughter and unexpected joys. 

Norwegian tourists that gave3 pilgrims a ride to the bus stop

Miguel and his truck that magically carpeted us to Burgos-Mary waves good bye

The came right after Miguel drove off

Beautiful gothic Cathedral de Santa Maria XVIII

Inside the portion where we prayed

                                                       

Tomorrow we will goto either Hornillos de Camino  – 13.0 miles or San Bol  16 1//2 miles