Day 11 - Belorado to San Juan de Ortega - 14.85

Aaaaaaahhhh. Today was a perfect day. I departed at 6am and the trail was fairly empty. For some reason I remember this happening last Monday too. Maybe Mondays are the pilgrim "sleep in" day and no one has told me! It seemed much warmer than the last few mornings where I was initially chilly in my shorts and t-shirt.

After leaving Belorado close to the highway and a few more wonderful murals, the trail moved away toward the fields. You could still hear and see the road, but it was far off. At one point I walked by a field of cows - I heard the bells around their necks first and then my headlamp caught their eyes staring at me! After two rather minuscule towns that didn't even have a coffee shop, we went through Villafranca Ortiz de Oca - a hilltop town as we started our ascent into the mountains. It was overcast today, which was really enjoyable after a few days in the hot sun. I am not really bothered by the sun as long as I have sunscreen, but there are people that are usually covered up like mummies. One small problem as we made our way up to the top was gnats! I saw people swatting them, waving walking sticks or hand towels (my choice), and I even saw some people pull off parts of a pine branch and stick it in their top backpack strap to cover their face! I was curious if this was effective. By the time we walked across the top, it was cool, very breezy and the gnats were gone. Just a beautiful trail full of various pine and wildflowers.

There was a memorial along the way in memory of over 300 people shot during the Spanish Civil War, and there were some picnic tables nearby where I chose to take a break. A little further down the road was a real treat, so I share this video. Make sure to have the volume on so you can hear the music!

This man has created a little pilgrim oasis with his art. He has music playing, sells snacks, and gives out smiles for free. I got a coffee which he told me was exceptional! He explained he uses a very good brand and the ratio is usually 1 part coffee to 2 parts water but he does 1 to 1 and then triple filters it. He also said, with a grand gesture and flurry of his arms, that it was "a MAN's coffee!" As well as painting the logs, he also paints scallop shells, so I bought one of those. It was all donation.

Spanish Civil War Memorial

The remainder was a gradual descent into San Juan de Ortega (pop. 20 - yes, you read that correctly - 20!). I'm pretty sure I've met them all too! There are about 5 things in this little town. My hotel and an albergue, both with accompanying cafes, and a church. There is nothing at all that sells replenishment. An interesting fact about the church is that it was constructed in such a way that at each equinox, the sun's rays strike the Virgin Mary in the scene of the Annunciation. That will actually occur on Friday, September 23rd!! I will miss that twice yearly occurrence by 1 1/2 weeks!

My hotel across from the church

The "rains in Spain" did fall today around 3pm, and now we have lots of nice wind. Tomorrow it is on to the "big city" of Burgos. I will actually take my first rest day there. I plan to find a laundromat to do some REAL washing and see all that the beautiful city has to offer.