Burgos

It is true confession time. For those of you who made pledges of money per mile of walking, you now have 15 miles less to pay. We decided to take a bus to Burgos, avoiding the hills and the long and dusty path through the industrial suburbs of the city. Truus's back and Nora's feet needed a rest, and I also felt the need for a break before tackling the Meseta. We spoke with pilgrims who made the walk. (Many take the bus through this section, and there is talk of creating an alternate route it is so bad.) They all agreed it was grueling and exhausting.
So we are in the big city, experiencing "normal life" for a while. The Spanish lifestyle is so different. Even in the city, shops promptly close for siesta from 2:00 to 5:00. After that the streets slowly come awake again and by 8:00 the streets and plazas are teeming with teenagers, mothers and children, old women dressed elegantly, old men having lively conversations, the bars and restaurants full of chattering friends and families. It is the place to meet and relax together late into the night.
We went to visit the cathedral, and spent several hours there. It is under major renovation and the costs must be enormous, even as it was when first being built. The photo is of Santiago Matamoros, St. James the Moor Slayer. You can see some Moors under the foot of his horse. He always seemed to appear in battles where the Spaniards were winning in the reconquest of Spain from the Moors. This is how he became the patron saint of Spain. Interesting thing is, the reign of the Moors in Spain was a golden era of tolerance and a flowering of science and the arts.

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