Burgos to Leon

It is time to say goodbye to the little city of Burgos. Both Savanna and I really like this place. We have decided to skip the walk across the Mesita and jump to Leon. The Mesita is a flat plateau that is covered in miles and miles of grain fields. From most accounts that I have read it is described as hot and flat with long walks between overnight spots. Most of the daily walks look to be over 30 kilometers which is really not that far but with my bum ankle it seems that 23 kilometers is pretty much the max right now. We met some fun people here and made some new friends but it is time for these pilgrims to move on.

Our plan is to skip the walk across the Mesita and use the extra days we gained by doing so on the other end. Our original plan was once we get to Santiago to catch a bus for a day trip to Finisterre where the land ends and the ocean begins. Now we plan to just use the extra days to hike down to the coast. This plan will give my ankle a bit of a break and the hiking should be a lot more scenic than the Mesita.

We bought tickets yesterday for a bus trip from Burgos to Leon. We strapped on our packs and walked the 1 ½ miles down to the city center where the bus station is. The Spanish bus system takes a bit of time to figure out. Crowds of people milling in, around and outside of the building with multiple buses coming and going, loading and unloading continuously. At first glance it looks like a couple of guys in uniform trying to herd a bunch of cats with some heavy machinery thrown in to keep everyone on their toes.

We found our designated bus area and the bus arrived 30 minutes late.

Once we were loaded up it was a nice trip through all of the villages along the Mesita. Not a bad way to travel once you get the hang of it. The fields were all very green due to the large amount of rain they have had this year. It reminded me of driving across Kansas. Fields as far as you can see and very flat. 

We made it into Leon around 2 PM and hired a taxi to haul us across this very large city to our hotel that sets right on the Camino but on the other side of town. Since it was so late in the afternoon we opted to just kick back and rest today. We tried to get something to eat but like in most places in Spain, no food was being served until 7 PM and that is only because we are near the Camino. Pilgrims eat early but the locals do not eat their evening meal until much later. So back to our room and the protein bars we try to keep stashed for emergencies.

We watched Davy Crockett, American Pickers and Sponge Bob in Spanish to kill time while waiting to eat supper. Talking Spanish didn’t affect Davy Crockett’s aim one bit and the guys on American Pickers seem to be much better negotiators for stuff in Spanish. I didn’t even know Sponge Bob could talk Spanish, much less Patrick!

At the appointed time we made our way to a place called Paul’s Tabern and ordered a Hamburgeso.

We figured we would not get to adventurous tonight with our eating and it sounded like Hamburger. What we got was a round loaf of bread about 8 inches in diameter for a bun, sliced open, with a thin hamburger patty and vegetables on it.

They did give us mustard, mayo and ketchup which is a first. Usually ketchup is not available although fried potatoes, Patatas Fritas, (definitely don't order French Fries), is a mainstay. It was not bad but we ended up only eating a bit of the bread and the insides. Too much bread is no bueno for these pilgrims!

We made our way back to our room and are calling it a night. Tomorrow we are going to get a ride about a mile or two to the old downtown area of Leon and tour the cathedral. Until tomorrow, Buen Camino!