Walking day 11:
24.5 kilometers
33,150 steps

After a day of mostly walking near or by the N-120 major highway, today was a welcome break from that highway. The first half of the day was close to the N-120, but across fields and out of earshot of the actual highway. The second half was in a forest, an while the N-120 is close, we could not hear or see it at all. Then we arrived in San Juan De Ortega, a small town of population 23, made up of a cafe/bar, an albergue in an old monastery, a church, and a hotel. That is basically the whole town. Tom and Julie walked on another 11 kilometers to Cardeñuela Riopico. They want to get to Burgos early and catch a bus to Bilbao for a day of visiting the Guggenheim Museum. They plan is to stay in Bilbo overnight and rejoin the Camino the next day back in Burgos. I expect to see them up the road a piece.

We left Belorado, crossed a bridge right by Highway N-120, and then we were out in the fields.

Here is the view only about a kilometer up the path from the bridge:

We’re out in the fields, away from the highway noise, and walking along in the brisk morning.

After about two hours and 10 or 11 kilometers, we passed through a truck stop town of Villafranca de Montes de Oca, then by a church, and up a very, very steep climb about 100 meters long. Whew! Then the path continues fairly steeply uphill for another 200 or 300 meters and then voila! we are in the forest. The first part of the forest is mostly oak trees.

Later the forest transitions to pine trees. The forest continues for about another 11 kilometers.

The path is not all flat through the forest. Here we can see a long downhill section and the uphill section after crossing a small creek.

Some of the uphill is rather rocky. It is over ground like this that I wish I were back in my hiking boots, but my left heel is healing slowly, and I’m not going to risk making it worse by returning to my boots yet.

More than half way through the forest we got to a rest area where a food vendor is always parked, and there are these interesting tree carvings, reminiscent of totem poles from North American natives.

And the forest continued. This last, long part is very flat.

We get to this old waymarker, and see that there are only 2 kilometers to go to San Juan de Ortega.

This is practically all of San Juan de Ortega. The bar/cafe is on the far left, the albergue (formerly a monastery) in the middle, and part of the church on the right. Here is a view of the front of the church:

I am now in the smallest town along the Camino, San Juan de Ortega, with a population of 23. My worry is that the problems with my feet are not improving very fast, possibly not fast enough for me to continue. My Keen sandals are not meant for walking a long, rocky hike, and it is causing my feet some pain. I cannot go back to my hiking boots yet because of the large blister on my left heel.  So tomorrow I shall get to Burgos and re-evaluate.

Next: Walking into Burgos