Day 56 / Agés - Burgos / 22.01 km

April 28, 2018

Day 56 / Agés - Burgos / 22.01 km

Today will be a short running day to Burgos where I will stay 2 nights. After waking up at 7 and packing I have breakfast in a nearby bar. It seems to be the only place where you can have breakfast in the village and the place is packed with pilgrims. The bar is managed by a couple, Rosita and Antonio. Rosita takes the orders and Antonio is responsible for preparing the beverages. Every beverage order is shouted by Rosita to Antonio : ANTONIO, UNO CAFE SOLO ! When the beverage is ready Antionio shouts back : ROSITA, UNO CAFE SOLO ! During my breakfast, café Americano and croissant, the ping-pong communication between Rosita and Antonio is a pleasure to follow.

I start running. The weather is sunny with a cloudporn sky. The path is on the road, where it will remain for almost the entire stage.

After 4 km I get if the road and start the only climb of today. The climb is steep with a lot of pebbles and leads to a small plateau. From the plateau Burgos is visible in thee distance. After a short descend the path continues to follow a road where it will stay until Burgos.

Today’s run is, except the climb, not a lot of fun. As mentioned the path is mainly road, 15 k before Burgos the path starts following a bigger road which first lead me around the Burgos aero port and afterwards passes for almost 10k a, industrial zone. I notice that a lot pilgrims are waiting at standing at a bus stop to avoid to need to walk through this industrial zone. After 10k the industrial buildings are replaced by apartments and offices until I reached the port of the old city centre.

I go to the hotel I booked. Normally check in is not before 14.30 and it’s only 12.00 but I’m lucky and a my room is available. I shower, change clothes, and go into the city for a walk and lunch. The streets are busy, a lot of bars, restaurants, old buildings,...I will not be bored this weekend as I plan to visit the Cathedral, the museum of human evolution, the Burgos museum, the Cartuja Miraflores,...

By accident I discover the Burgos military museum, which is free of entrance. The museum is managed by the army and is an ode to weapons, generals and Franco. It’s modern and has an impressive collection of firearms. There are more guards then visitors. Although all the firearms on display, the object which I found most interesting was a army medical toolbox which stood somewhat lonely between it’s employers.

After the army museum visit it was time for happier things to do : lunch. I settle myself in a pintxos bar, have a beer and some pintxos, most of them are super. Around 14.30 it’s time for a siesta.

I wake up around 17.00 and walk to the Burgos Cathedral. I spend the next 2 hours in the Cathedral, it’s one of the most beautiful Cathedral I have visited yet, and I have seen quite some. No surprise the Cathedral has been recognised by UNESCO as world heritage. The building is in pristine state and the architecture and art are impressive. The only consideration I make is that it has been build on the expense of a lot of people not only to glorify god but more often the clergy and nobility of the time. But anyway, only for the Cathedral Burgos is worthwhile a visit.

I leave the Cathedral around 19.30, way to early for dinner. I stroll around the streets and squares until pintxos bars begin to fill and dine on a huge number of pintxos. Around 21.00, early Spanish dinner time, I go to my hotel to sleep after some home communication.