Burgos to San Bol. Distance 26.7 (16.6 mI / 17.7) to go 466 km

I did not get what has become a traditional early start today. My stay in a comfortable hotel room last night allowed me the luxury of opting in on a breakfast prior to the road. It was the typical hotel breakfast, everything cold except the toast. But I was able to have slices of ham and cheese, a hard boiled egg, a "cafe Americana longo" and two very tall glasses of very good orange juice!

First order of business, once I had my pack on my back, was to head back to the cathedral for a picture to which I was tipped off by Yogi.

Then two long blocks back to the hotel, take a left onto the Camino, then in two long blocks, I was back at the Cathedral! Wish I had known that the Camino ran directly behind the Cathedral, I could have taken the stairway up from the spot where I took the picture.

I carefully followed the markers and correctly worked my way out of town. The trail was pretty straight forward from there, through a combination University and hospital area, then into the countryside. 

We seem to have a difference of opinion

Before we knew it we were coming into Tardajos, 10.6 km down the trail. I mention "we" because I came upon Shelley from the Seattle area, walking very slowly and carefully. We had walked together briefly the other day, but today she was very deliberate in her motion. She said she had hurt her back yesterday so, after resting in a comfortable hotel overnight, she had decided to send her pack ahead to Hornillos del Camino. I could tell she was not enjoying this part of her Camino, and it gave me ample excuse to slow the pace, so I walked with her for awhile. Once we reached Tardajos we were both ready for breakfast and found a bar with a canopy out front, which worked well given that it had started to rain lightly. As we neared I recognized the group from yesterday morning just finishing up their breakfast. As I settled in and they departed, it began to rain much harder.

The rest of the morning I was in and out of my raincoat several times. With it on, the rain would stop and it was too hot. With it off, the temperature was much better but it was an open invitation to the clouds to begin to leak.

A couple miles down the road I walked through the town of Rabe de las Caldzadas, then headed out onto the Meseta. It was raining lightly (again), and as I walked I began to see the footprints of a century of peregrinos, coming to the surface of the road. They were everywhere, each one collecting a tiny bit of rain; not enough to wash it away but just enough to clearly define each and every one. It was mystical... for a minute or two.

When I rounded the bend I saw a long trail of pilgrims ahead of me, each wearing a different colored rain poncho. There were too many to count but they made a really great sight. I took a picture but it probably doesn't do the sighting justice.

As I was walking faster than most of them I eventually caught up. The first one that I passed was apparently the leader (as an ex-Scoutmaster, I know that the best way to lead a gaggle of boys is from behind). As I went by him I offered, "Buen Camino". He returned the greeting and explained that these people were a tour group from Germany (although some were Austrian). As I walked up through their ranks I offered most a "Buen Camino", and as I walked ahead I could hear many of them repeating it, questioning what they had heard. Apparently they had only been taught to respond with hola (hello). I assumed they were "hiking" the Camino but felt it odd that they had not been tutored in the standard Greeting de Peregrino.

One couple I walked with was Austrian. They explained that the tour group would let them walk certain sections, up to about 9 or 12 km. When they got to the end the bus would be waiting to take them to the next hotel. In this case they were staying tonight in Leon, about 170 km down the road (roughly 100 miles). Hey, that's cheating!

This gentleman told me he had gone to Indianapolis in 2005 for "formula one". Apparently all open wheel racing is "formula one" in his book!

We walked across the beginning of the Meseta for 8 km, then descended to civilization at Hornillos. 

First impression of the Meseta

There, at the edge of town, sat a shiny new bus, waiting to pick up about 40 faux Peregrinos!

The bar at which I chose to stop had a very poor selection of sandwiches (from my viewpoint), but they did have a WC! (Apparently a near International Standard, the WC designated which door hides the Water Closet, or banos, or bathroom. In a twist of irony, many Spanish are unaware what the WC abbreviates.)

It was still early, so I rolled out the guide book and found that the next albergue was in a small "town", San Bol, 5.7 km away. I've decided to see if I can stretch my days on the Meseta to lessen the evenings spent without access to the outside world. I know Alicia looks forward to talking to me via Video Chat, which is only possible when a WiFi source is available. If only she knew how much those calls help me to continue down the road...

So I did another 5.7 km, making a 17 mile day out of it. And I found San Bol. 

San Bol consists of this very small albergue. Period!

And I have no WiFi, or phone, or Strava, or e-mail, or text. I did however send a SPOT message to those on my list to let people know I'm okay. This is being written on my IPad, to be posted when WeeFee is again a reality.

Hang in there honey, and keep your left elbow bent!