21km (299.31km)
Wednesday 6th April

Agés is a quaint place; there are many houses but there is only a population of 23, so very much a ghost town, but it still managed to have a friendly feeling about it. I left as the sun came up and had breakfast at another little village, Atapuerca. Without my glasses on I managed to order a pain au chocolat which surely was meant for a hungry family of six to share – I did share (a wee bit). Over the morning I had a few stops for tapas, omelette and coffee as everywhere looked so inviting – it would have been rude not to try them all 😊. All was well until I left the last village, Orbanja. My trusty guide book described the next stretch from there to Burgos as the least pleasant on the whole Camino and for once the author had it right, but I’d go further and say it was horrible and dangerous, walking along busy roads and through industrial areas. Burgos was therefore unexpectedly beautiful and cosmopolitan, a very welcome sight. I did my sightseeing by the sun, as in I only saw the sights that were in the sunny streets. I did a tour of the cathedral, special rates with the pilgrim passport, but lasted basically as long as I could rush round without simply bolting for the door immediately, it was just too cold! It is the largest cathedral that I’ve ever seen – I reckon you could look round it for a week and still not do it justice, I have to say I found it all a bit too gaudy and ostentatious. I had dinner with the pilgrims who are having a rest day tomorrow before heading back to my €30 4* Hotel – I have a sneaking suspicion that the hotel owners have drawn on at least three of those stars as there was nothing luxurious about it; no internet and everything very run down. That said it was quiet, warm and I didn’t have to queue for the showers.