STAGE FIFTEEN: Burgos to Hontanas

This Maesta is such a different critter, it took awhile to get out of Burgos but almost instantly you hit the wheat colored area known as the maesta. Some have called this boring but I see great beauty in it and it is not as flat as I imagined. Today was a great day of walking for me, I didn't start till noon way past the starting time for pilgrims, I safely returned the clothes to the store had my last meal in Burgos and was off. I was so focused today with my walking on a mission to catch up sometime and determined to do so, I really enjoyed the peace of this walk. I passed two pilgrims on foot and saw only a handful of pilgrims on bikes. I passed on gentleman right outside of Burgos I only said, "Buen Camino"" and passed on by barely even glancing his way (not to pilgrim like). Our paths would cross again about two hours later when I was walking the wrong way out of a town, he was sitting at a fountain with his shoes off tending to his feet, I hoped he understood English when I asked if he had seen any way markers. He did, pointed me in the right direction and we proceeded to walk together for a bit. He was G from Northern Italy and was on a tight schedule but was ready to stop font the night. Nice guy who is having to catch a bus periodically to make his schedule. The other pilgrim I saw was like stumbling upon two men and a bike in the desert, a thin very sun darkened Spaniard over his bike and a tall, blond who I suspect was from Norway or there abouts. I think the bike was just finished , maybe a punctured tire...I asked if they needed any help (very pilgrim) and with that the pilgrim on foot and I were just about to start walking together I suspect when he brought out his damn walking poles and starting clacking around in what could have been the most peaceful of walks. I hate these walking sticks when people don't apply the rubber tips and leave us all to listen to this clinking and clacking down the street. It is awful...most carry them and it is proper to have tips. Anyway it took five seconds of that noise and I was off in the most impressive stride. I pulled up at what would be the normal leg for this trip, I just wanted food it was about four and pilgrims routinely would be done at this point. The town was on overflow mode, everything full but they were opening some place on floors for overflow. This is seen in the summer months but rumor is we have record breaking numbers out here,not normal for September. The one place to eat was not serving till dinners one at seven. Even more reason not to be tempted to stay. I saw my little buddy W from Canada, he is over his tummy bug but still feeling sick he was do kind to give me a banana and offered up a granola bar...I gladly took the banana. A table of older Canadian men took pictures of my wineglass hanging off my backpack (this starts a lot of conversation). I headed out having no idea where I would end up or even if I would get a bed but I was at an enormous peace about it, I was ready to walk tell nine pm or so. I got a cheap phone option here that is buy the phone for twenty five dollars and then you get 1 cent a minute to the states. I had a talk with Steve but the wind was so powerful it was real difficult to hear. He was checking his map and coaching me of what was ahead. As the sun was just going down and the moon was already hung I the sky my feet really started to ache, I told Steve something was telling me to go on...he said Hontanas was before me and I entertained just getting food there and going on. I never saw the TV show KUNG FU but the image of that actor walking in the desert is all I imaged today, it is exactly how I felt. Nowhere as far as I could see was any town that was being referenced on the map and then with one step a church steeple almost appeared to be coming out of the ground, each step revel waved more , and there was a precious town with a thin alley going thru it, colorful banners overhead and I knew this would be my stopping point. I stopped in the auberge and it was dinner time in the back rooms but two young recent college grads from Germany had a bottle of wine in their hands and were just ordering a pizza each escaping the pilgrim menu being served in the dining hall. I just remember their sweet smiles and both asked me to come and join them for wine, I ordered my pizza and spent the evening with them. These gals were awesome and I felt an instant bond...seems they have formed a group, and after dinner the group came and gathered at our small table and I realized what I was being called to walk further for. There is a really cool Irish priest in the group, a funny older Irish woman who was telling me if I walk with them I would need to 1. Not snore, 2. Walk fast and 3. Maybe have some kind of an initiation. I joked ," like kissing a toothless Shepard?????". I lucked out to get a room that slept eight but only two of us were in there. A very considerate older guy from Poland was already in bed when I arrived, I didn't know till the morning that he was on a bike. He spoke no English but was a great room mate.