Hotel Tudanca Miranda Miranda de Ebro

... and screaming. At one point, as we were getting ready to go into the cathedral, a bunch of protesters went running down the street followed by hoardes of cops. It was enough to wake all of us up.

Apparently there was a bombing in Burgos 2 months ago, so there were cops and security everywhere.

Overall...a pretty cool city. I'm glad I'm not living there though. It seems a little too crazy for me.

... the guy whose party it was, had hired a magician. That was pretty cool. When you see those guys on TV, there's always the possibility of TV tricks, but when you're sitting 15 feet away from the magician, he has to be pretty good, and he was! The night ended with my karaoking "Born in the USA". Very appropriate. Luckily, no one was really paying any attention to me. Sunday was, literally translated, the Day of the Women ...

... move on from and not dwell on or share, and instead focus on now being happy. It is sometimes hard for me to imagine the times when i was sad back then, they seem so foreign and uncomprehensible. At the same time, however, i do think there are some unresolved issues that i may have to address more directly.

Regardless, i went to bed around 1030 in the giant shed, planning on sleeping in a bit later the next day...

... was also indescribable and i walked very very quickly to try and make it to Hornillos as quickly as possible.

The hostal was full, in the traditional sense, but they had opened the deportive next door and had matresses and little beds for pilgrims.... kind of felt like a refugee camp, but i was grateful. Some people around me are less positive... more on that later. FUn night at dinner with tim and an older german couple... more on the later! Out of internet time!!

... has started bleeding profusely despite improvement. My sock was rather soaked in blood, but again, did not hurt and only looked grusome. I spent some time reuniting with some of the groups and meeting some new people.

The germans and damon went out to get supermarket food, and i was frustrated as i really wanted to go out and experience some good spanish food. The small villages have very modest food provisions, and the meals they prepare there are not ...

... them, Klaus and Andreas has spent a few hours stopping at a RedCross medical station, due to intense leg pain. They had recieved treatment and supplies, and seemed in good spirits. Ruth, Kyoon and I went to mass and then we all enjoyed some garlic soup from the hospitalero... delicious! Funny moment when the hospitalero (pilgrim hostel workers) accidently sent his clay bowl sparing through the air while talking to me.

After soup, we sat outside the bar and had ...

Today was a very easy walking day, i think partlybecause yesterday was a short 13 miles, so i wasble to rest my legs. However,i am feeling rather strange emotionally...more time needed to figure this out. Tomorrow will be a very varied terrain, lots of hills and valleys.

Thank you so muchto everyone who has emailed me!! It is so great to end the day by hearing from you!!!

much love from Belorado... buen camino

... officer by blowing him up in his car. When we travelled through the Basque region we saw many signs of the ongoing political struggle taking place. In a number of places signs - spray painted in english read - "This is not Spain." and "Tourist! This is Basque country not Spain."

We stayed tonight at our first Casa Rural. These are like small bed and breakfasts with bedrooms and a common space. Very nice rooms and shower.

... around, in the bar, smoking a cigarette and either drinking their coffee or waiting for it. We decided to Ray a few cookies, load up the bikes and ride figuring that we would run into someplace else on our way out of town. No luck! Of course, our ride started with a 4k uphill climb. About and hour later, we got to the next village. No luck so we rode on. Another hour passed and none of the villages we rode through had anything open that might serve food or even a ...

... AND money for many of the smaller communities located on the Camino. The Camino represents the first widespread example of globalization, of cultures influencing one another, of how the rest of European civilzation breached the Pyrenees and brought its influence into Spain. Especially tonight. I wanted to try to make Castrojeriz, but the rain and the mud and just being sad-ass soaked ruled that out, so I remembered the rule that Jorge Martínez, a six ...