Day XII: Burgos -> Hontanas; 20.1mi.

🛏:Juan de Yepes Albergue; 8€.

I woke up feeling much better today. It’s incredible what a good nights sleep (and whatever combination of emergenC, ibeuprofen, dayquil / nyquil, etc. I concocted) can do.

🍴:

The majority of my favorite memories from this trip have been around a table of food. The community this trek cultivates is still magic to me. Maybe it’s something about knowing that you and everyone around you saw the same terrain that day by using their own two legs as transportation.

We stopped for lunch at what quickly turned into my favorite cafe yet (La Fuente, Rabé de las Calzadas). We walked in and instantly noticed the entire wall was covered in notes, international money and memorabilia from all over the entire world. Upon sitting down, the owner approached us and eagerly asked where we were from, “Colorado; USA,” we responded. I walked past him in the hallway a few minutes later and he excitedly pointed out the spot where notes from two fellow Coloradoans were – he clearly knew this wall like the back of his hand, it was his pride and joy. My friend brought along a handful of Colorado postcards and we instantly knew he was a worthy recipient. We presented the Rocky Mountain postcard to him, and after signing it per his request, he went directly to his wall and spent the next several minutes meticulously rearranging his masterpiece. It was the effort I put into my bedroom walls in high school, times a million. After incredible food and service, we were ready to get back on the trail, but before we left he proudly drug us over to the wall so we could see where all three Colorado notes were displayed together (see photo below).

For dinner, we opted in for the community dinner at our albergue. I was surrounded by three Germans and a man from Latvia. The man from Latvia was surprised I knew about Latvia, let alone had been to it. We had a great talk. The Germans, one of which I had walked several miles with a few days back, politely stifled laughter as I attempted to speak to them in German and listened to me reminisce about my childhood trips to Germany, including the “spaghetti eis” (a dessert that looks like a plate of spaghetti) my sister and I were obsessed with when we visited Germany in our childhood. And then there was the paella .. I don’t have words, just check out that photo (above). Oh, and three of the twelve people at our table were in their seventies.

🎒:

Mat Kearney has never not been my favorite. I could spend hours talking about his lyrics and the seasons of life I’ve been guided through aided significantly by his music. I got to see him live (for the fourth time) a few weeks before this trip and justified snagging this sweatshirt because I’d “use it on my trip.” Here I am. I’ve exclusively reserved it as my post-shower cozy clothing and I look forward to putting it on every evening. He helps the miles pass by, too ..

🎧:

” .. this is my renaissance, this is my one response, this is the way I say I love you .. this is my broken heart, this my bleeding start, this is the way I’ve come to know you. This is my winding road, this is my way back home, this is the narrow door you know that I will walk through ..” (Renaissance)