Total ascent today = 1148 feet
Cumulative distance = 167.3 miles
Last night's hotel was quickly enveloped in fog as we headed up into and ultimately over and down the other side of the Montes de Oca (Goose Mountains). For the first time in a few days, we were surrounded by the quiet sounds of nature. We climbed through trees with fern undergrowth.
We saw our first caballo on the Camino trail.
After about two hours of a steady uphill climb, we reached an overlook.
Not much to see due to fog, so we continued on. When we reached the top, the fog was beginning to lift. A further climb and we came to a memorial for soldiers of the Spanish Civil War.
And one to another fallen pilgrim.
The path dropped and then climbed straight up again.
The next few hours we slowly descended to the next town on a wide forestry track. We saw a lot of white butterflies...
...and this little guy
At first we thought he was dead, but he moved when David flipped him over.
Eventually we dropped down to San Juan de Ortega. It is a historical parish hostel that pilgrims have used since medieval times. We knew something was up when we saw a crane and what looked like a new stone walkway.
The whole "village" consists of an 12th C monastary under reconstruction, a church, the albergue and small cafe to feed the pilgrims.
The church, dedicated to San Nicolas de Barri (who saved San Juan from drowning), had some interesting artifacts.
In the crypt is a fine stonework, Romanesque sepulcher with an effigy of San Juan, but he's not in there.
This is one of those times I wish we had something better than an iPhone camera.
We had a late lunch in the cafe before hitting the road again. Literally. We spent most of the afternoon walking few miles on a country road into Atapuerca.
Atapuerca is where the earliest human remains were discovered in Europe. The archaeological dig is ongoing and is providing information on community life dating back 900,000 years. They've confirmed our ancestors were cannibals :)
The day had been long and hot, so we looked forward to getting to our room for the night. We came up on the backside and were a little concerned.
The front looked a little better.
Inside it is a neat and tidy for a historical building. I got a chuckle out of the door height.
They had hot showers and good food and wine for dinner, so we went to bed as happy pilgrims.
So glad that Dave flipped the lizard!
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