Lots of farmland
Camino January 2026
Monday January 12, 2026
Granon to Vilafranca – 17 miles
I once again started walking about 30 minutes before sunrise. You can see without a headlamp. The group I have mentioned is now 9 people. They all started out on their own. There is one guy who is on his 62nd Camino and is fluent in Spanish who is coordinating where they all stay. It is kind of interesting. The guy from London doesn’t even know where he is walking to sometimes. I saw him half way through today and he said he needed to double check with the group text to see where they were staying. I met two more of the group today. A guy from Germany who I actually met in Zubiri on day two and a young woman from China who I said hello to yesterday. I think there is only one of them that I do not know. Anyway, I chat with them on the path during the day, but am not looking to join a group. For me a group of 3 is plenty big.
Today was another great day for walking. Temperatures were in the mid 40s and partly cloudy all day. There was some wind mid day, but no big deal. I think I am the only pilgrim in town. The group is 4 miles back. The only bar in town closed at 4:30. The little market is closed for the winter, so I bought food in the town of Belarado, 7 miles back, and carried it here. That is one of the added challenges of a winter walk, you have to figure out food and lodging. In summer both are available every few miles.
Winter weather is scheduled to return in a few days.
Tuesday January 13, 2026
Villafranca to Cardenuela Riopico – 15.2 miles
I started the day 4 miles ahead of the group. They are headed to Atepuerca (about 14 miles for them) and I continued another 4 miles over a hill to Cardenuela Riopico. There is no lodging available between Atepuerca and Burgos, so when I was done walking at 15 miles, I called a cab for a ride the 9 miles into town. Tomorrow I will cab back and continue walking through Burgos an additional 6 miles, so another 15 mile day. From Burgos to the next lodging is 25 miles, so I will have to walk 19. Sort of confusing. (There is one Albergue at 12 miles that will probably open for the group.) By doing a couple bigger mile days, I will get a day ahead of them. We shall see what lays ahead. For the first time ever in my international travels I feel a couple of the members judge me negatively for being an American. It is really amazing it hasn’t ever been an issue before now.
I knew today would be a quiet walk, no pilgrims. The morning was a beautiful walk through a forest. The trail is actually quite muddy in places, even though we have not had rain in a couple of days. The day started with a gradual climb, so I warmed up quickly. Temperatures were in the 30s with a light breeze, another great day for walking. You will see in the pictures that the trail goes right through horse and cattle pastures. The animals keep their distance so it is not a problem. After going through the town of Ages, there is a road walk. Over the years they have been building trails beside the road, so you do not walk on the car’s blacktop. Today’s first road walk was about a mile. Ten years ago it was over 2 miles in this stretch.
I ended the day with another mile plus on a road. My first mile plus tomorrow will also be road walking.
As soon as I arrived in town, I went out to get something to eat. It was 3:15. Too late, most places had closed their kitchens. They will reopen tonight at 7 or 8. I did find one place open and ordered beef cheeks. It is popular here in Spain. It typically is served like a stew. It tastes like pot roast. I am not a big fan of the Spanish beef, but this is typically very tender.
Burgos is a very active city. There were lots of people out and about and drinking on the outdoor patios. By 4PM it was raining and 40 degrees. No one seems to care, they just where a rain coat or carry an umbrella.
I went to the 7:30 mass at the main cathedral. The service is in a small side chapel, but it was full. It was all locals except for 2 Asians, who were probably also pilgrims. I missed them after the mass. Maybe I will see them “down the road”. The cathedral typically has 3 masses a day.
I am in a nice hotel, a benefit of being in a city. I upgraded to a cathedral view, so it is $80 per night. They heat the rooms 24 hours a day, so everything was warm where I walked in the room. Burgos is basically on a hill. Everything is stairs, very few ramps. Being right next to the cathedral there is very limited car access. Taxis can travel inside the barrier, but you still have to go down 1 ½ flights of stairs to a landing, then up 4 steps to get to the lobby. A couple from Holland had just gotten out of a taxi with two bags, the husband was using a walker, so I grabbed their suitcases and brought them to the lobby for them. Burgos is a tough city to get around with a physical limitation.
The lobby area of the hotel is floor 0. The conference area is lower, floors -1 and -2. I don’t think I have ever seen a clock in a hotel room here in Spain. The nicer hotels have little fridges, but they are full of items for sale. Only once have I seen a coffee maker in a room (Tres Reyes in Pamplona). Breakfast is never included. Places that offer breakfast buffets are typically $15. In the nice hotels you need to put a room card into a slot for the electricity to work in the room.
Wednesday January 14, 2026
Cardenuela Riopico to Rabe de las Calzadas – 17.5 miles
Today started by going to the hotel receptionist and requesting a taxi for the ride back 9 miles to Cardenuela Riopico. All went smoothly and I was walking by 8:08, still dark, but I could see well enough. The road walk was actually over 2 miles before I took an alternate route around the Burgos airport so I could walk along the river in to town. My goal was to walk the 9 miles and stop for a pizza at my favorite Burgos restaurant. I had just missed the 3:30 cut off yesterday. The path around the airport is a dirt road. I saw one local out walking his dog. A little over 4 miles in you cross the N120, the road we have paralleled since Roncesvalles, and entered a Burgos city park. We normally follow bike paths for the first part, but everything was very wet and muddy, so I stayed on a sidewalk. Soon enough you can walk on grass and dirt paths and eventually as you get closer to the city center there are lots of people about. It was misty and about 40 all morning.
I arrived at my favorite restaurant at 11. Trouble is they open at noon. OK, plan B, there is a bakery around the corner that sells cinnamon rolls that I saw while walking around after the mass last night. Jackpot. And they have the real Spanish hot chocolate. Normally I get a Cola Cao, which is a chocolate powder you put in hot milk. The hot chocolate is like a hot runny pudding. They normally sell it with churros. Now I have to catch a cab 8.5 miles forward and walk back before the 3:30 closing time. No problem, I made it at 3:05 and enjoyed a barbeque pizza, a mixed salad and a hot out of the oven roll. The walk this afternoon was pretty boring. I did see 2 pilgrims moving forward. Tomorrow I will taxi forward to the same spot I started this afternoon and continue forward. I am walking 5 “extra” miles, so I will be a full day ahead of the typical schedule.
Travel is the perfect catalyst for tolerance and acceptance. – Author unknown
Gary and Elizabeth's Adventures 