Arrived: Hontanas 2:45pm
Total hours: 7
Total kms: 31
Accumulated kms: 1062.3
Weather: Overcast
We were keen to have some kind of traditional Spanish breakfast at a bar in Burgos this morning (read: chocolate y churros, fried batter dipped in chocolate), as there was no kitchen in the albergue, but being a Sunday the restaurants and bars near us were all closed, so munching some nuts and cheese I headed off into a spectacularly dull walk.
A few times now I've likened the distance I'm walking to the distance between Sydney and Adelaide, and today was one of those days where it actually felt like that was exactly where I was walking. Flat, open, dried-out plains stretching in every direction and with very little to stimulate the mind.
But I put it to good use and meditated as much as I could, for which these surrounds are particularly conducive to. I also met a Swede called Bo today, a very interesting character. He plans to retire in three years and move to one of the poorest regions he can find in Europe for six months of the year (for the remainder he will stay in Sweden). He is thinking of Portugal as he has lived there and likes it, but is also open to the idea of Romania. He wants to go somewhere that is so poor, government has little control over the daily lives of people, and he can farm his own food and alcohol and live off his little patch of land unhindered by anyone. He's a very interesting guy who has lived in Sweden, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Iceland, maybe Russia and other places, and speaks at least four languages that I've counted fluently. He and another Swede called Jonas, unconnected, and Filipe are the only ones here at the albergue tonight. Apparently there was an Australian girl in Burgos last night with us, but I didn't meet her (it was a huge place with numerous floors). She has apparently stayed there an extra day so I'll be unlikely to meet her now with the miles I'm putting in each day.
They turned the heating off here tonight to save money, but Filipe found the fuse box and turned it back on. It's getting colder and colder and I'm thinking I may even need to buy some extra clothes. I'll stick it out as long as I can though, I only have a couple more weeks to go, and I can still probably wear a couple more things than I am!
Hontanas, buried in the ground in the middle of long, flat plains.
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