7.00pm Just a quick update as we´ve only just reached Burgos and are about to go out for dinner. We´re going to have a rest day tomorrow and I´ll get some time to do the update then. First impressions are that it is a beautiful city and there just happens to be a big festival this weekend in rememberence of El Cid. Well it would be rude not to help our Spanish friends celebrate wouldn´t it ? .
We set out a bit later than usual from Atapuerca owing to the fact that none of us had slept a wink. I was allocated one of 6 bunks in a room that was already occupied by a couple from Bath , a lady from Idaho and two very big Californian guys who both apologised in advance as they were aware they both snored loudly. That proved to be an understatement.
A couple of guys I had hooked up with that day cooked pasta and shared it with us and we continued chatting in kitchen. I went off to bed and the others stayed up talking for a while. The Californian guys were both asleep and snoring to beat the band. One of them had an incredibly loud snore on inhalation that was followed by a loud sighing cum groaning sound on exhalation. It quickly became obvious he also had a problem with flatulence. The others I left chatting in the kitchen were in fits of laughter when a particularly loud episode of flatulence reached their earshot. They were also tickled by the fact that I was stuck in the midst of all this.
We set out around 8.00am and I walked all day with Omar who is from Barcelona , Martin from Hannover and Jolanta. Omar has great English and we spent a long time discussing a wide range of subjects including the legacy of the Spanish Civil War , the differences between the Catalan region and the rest of Spain and Spanish football. At lunch Omar introduced me to ” Empanada ” , a Spanish pastry with filling , that was absolutely delicious. He ordered a light red wine that had been chilled to go with this and we set off again at around 3.00pm in fine fettle.
We reached Burgos around 6.30pm and booked ourselves into the Refugio behind the amazing Gothic Cathedral. On the counter was the birdcage containing the Parrot belonging to the guy with the Shetland Pony . We were delighted to hear that there was a festival on this weekend with an ” El Cid ” and medieval theme. A gang of us went out for Tapas and a couple of beers before the 10.00pm Refugio curfew. There were loads of people out on the streets and a couple of musicians started playing Irish music , which was the cue for Ian to do a bit of Irish dancing . He was good at it too as he told us he was an All Ireland Champion as a teenager.
Good news , the Japanese contortionist is no longer blanking me.
iwouldwalk500mls 
Greetings from one of the Irish contingent, Burgos and a festival well what more could a pilgrim want….
Hi Anne , good to see you found the blog. Still loving the Camino experience. Burgos had been great and it’s hard to leave today. Feet and body holding out well so far.
Hi Danny,
Well a week back now and I’m greatly missing the Camino. I’m finding it very hard to settle back and wishing I was still there! I have finally got around to reading your blog properly and it’s great to be kept up to date with where you’re at – great photos also. I’m also being hugely entertained by Ross O’Carroll Kelly of the West and his antics in Co. Sligo. Well you seem to be getting on extremely well without “the Irish/Nottingham girls” and finding plenty of other interesting company along the way. I laughed when I saw Gail’s statement about the wine fountain, I think that may be a bit of an understatement, we may never have left that place if we had found it. Nice to see also that you treated yourself to a night at The Parador, I reckon you truly deserved it by that stage. Enjoy the festival and your next few weeks and take care.
Buen camino.
Thanks Catherine . All well , had a great stay in In Burgos and just about to pull out. I’ll post a few photos later. Like you I think It’s going to be hard to adjust when all this is over.
Let’s not talk about cross-Channel soccer this Saturday. The slump continues.
Best laugh of the weekend has been provided by the fact that the quiz show which is the antidote to University Challenge now has its own Irish version. Yes – I’m talking about Family Fortunes – and over here it’s presented by Mincing Alan from gaytime TV, who soon looked like he wished he’d never accepted the contract.
I am sure that the producers rigged this first showing by asking some questions which were bound to draw cringeworthy answers. The first question was “name a part of the body which has three letters”. Easy one to start us off. There’s the main limbs and a few facial features, and The Meehans from Limerick did manage “arm” and got control of the board. As we eagerly waited for the bravest contestants to mutter “bum” and “tit”, we were alarmed to hear the second Meehan’s proud answer. “Knee” she said.
Next intellectual question was, “name something you can smell but can’t see”. The Meehans dove in again with “perfume”. Nice one. They also managed “gas”, and we started to titter and cringe …. but the Meehans could go no further. So it was over to the Mahers from Dublin to STEAL. “What can you smell but not see?” asks mincin’ Alan again. Old Jimmy Maher had no problem. “Yer fart”, he says. Then up the line we went. Fart – a fart – a fart, they all say. Alan gives the Maher captain the choice, “You can have a fart or give us a different smell”. “No, Alan, I’ll have to have a fart.”
“Okay, let’s see if your fart is up there”. Bingo. Second most popular answer. “And your fart has won you a bonus prize – a four star hotel weekend break in Sligo town”. I just wish Alan had thrown in “complete with colonic irrigation spa treatment”.
The Mahers didn’t make it to the Big Money finale, but Alan waved them off saying that he loved their farts. The Friday night debut show was so good they repeated on Sat evening at prime time, up against Prem League soccer on RTE. It was no contest.
Ged , yet again you’ve got me in stitches. I hope you’re keeping all this stuff as I think it deserves a wider audience .
Danny so pleased its going well. The blog is gaining in popularity with many followers that have never met either you or Ged !!! Ged should be working for the Irish tourist board, especially as I have now managed to arrange a coach tour of the said area with special excursions to the hostelries and a session with the local genealogy expert. You can forget your commission. Sport summary. Latics gave as good as they got yesterday drawing 2 each against a strong Everton. Wanderers went down, rovers drew again. All sorts being linked with the job at Ewood. With your new found international experience, it could be you, especially if you bump into into the global advisor on the camino. Windies beat Sri Lanka in t20 World Cup final. United just thumped Newcastle on toonside. Keep it up fella. I’m off to jersey on Thursday to familiarise myself with golf. Probably wont take you up on your offer of borrowing your clubs, preferring to take my Lee Trevino sombrero collection. Might auction them off once the course has beaten me early on Thursday afternoon.
Thanks Gary , glad to hear the blog is proving popular. Ged’s stories have given a lot of fellow Pilgrims´s a great laugh too. Thanks for the footie updates , godd result for the Latics.
Hi Doc, went for our flu jabs this morning and picked up your blog address – at last. Was at the surgery at 11.15 as per gauleiter and trotted off back to the laptop in time for 11.30 access to blog. Now 12.53 precisely and am trying to stop laughing. What a great time you’re having, if I was allowed to be envious I would be. Will be following you closely from now on.
When you get to Mansilla de Ls Mulas make a note if los viejos are still ‘doing a German’ on the town’s fountain by sitting around on the low wall and monopolising the life giving stuff. Since last I saw them they will have put on a few years so you might get some more stuff for another ‘a paper’, say, on aspects of geriatrics. They’d be turned 100 now I suppose.
Hi Michael and Mavis , good to hear you got the blog address , I meant to give it to you before I left but was mad busy that week. As you can see , like yourself Michael , I’m loving The Camino. It’s going to take a while to stop looking for the yellow arrows and the scallop shells when I get home : ) .