Day 10
Santo Domingo de la Calzada –> Belorado (22.4 km/14 miles)
Day 11
Belorado –> Agés (28 km/17 miles)
I didn’t sleep too well on Wednesday night going into Thursday. Not only was I given the top bunk, but I could hear the church bells ringing in the hour several times throughout the night. On top of that, several people’s alarm clocks were going off at 5 AM to ensure they got a head start.
Our party included two French people, an Australian, and an Irish girl. Two people bursted out ahead, while one of the French people lagged behind. We all reunited in Grañón to eat at a food truck that served a good breakfast and lemonade.
We continued on for a while, surrounded by wheat fields for miles and miles. There were a few small towns along the way, but we’ve deemed them as zombie towns because there is never anyone around. At one point, we left the La Rioja region and entered Castilla y León. Unfortunately, the landscape didn’t change.
We arrived in Belorado shortly before 1 PM. We settled for a cheap albergue that had a pool. It was a small pool, but it was nice to soak my legs and get tan. There wasn’t much to do or see in Belorado; another ghost town.
Originally, we planned to leave rather early this morning since we planned on doing extra kilometers past the suggested stop. Yet, at 6:15, everyone was still asleep. We scrambled to get ready. There wasn’t anything to eat in town, so we were forced to wait 5 kilometers for the next town.
The Australian was cruising ahead, in need of several cups of coffee. The Irish girl was also speeding ahead, in need of a chocolate croissant. I was straggling behind. I’m pretty sure we knocked out the 5 kilometers in about 40 minutes or less. However, when we arrived in that town, nothing was open. We had to wait another 2 km to find something.
At that next town, we got our tortillas and chocolate and coffee. We probably spent too much time there, but everyone was in a much better mood after that. The scenery continued to be dominated by the wheat fields and near nothingness. At Villafranca de Oca, we stopped for a second breakfast, preparing for the difficult climb ahead.
Refreshed, we ascending the seemingly unending hill. Luckily, a good part of it was shaded. Unluckily, we were flapping our arms in the air, batting away all the insects that dared enter our personal space. Eventually, it flattened out and everyone was happier.
Although the morning started out rather chilly, the sun was out in full force. We were sweating profusely. Some teenage boys provided an “oasis”, providing drinks and food for a donation. We stopped and rested for a bit before finishing the final 8 kilometers.
My calves were clenched. I had (well as of writing, still have) a knot in my calves. We carried on, talking about whatever, from superpowers to time travel, to help pass the time. The suggested stop of San Juan de Ortega came and went in about a minute. Then, we pushed on for the final 3 kilometers to our stop.
Some parts were shaded, some not. We had to cross some grates on the ground that made us scared we’ll fall through the holes. Finally, we could see our destination. It wasn’t big, but it was cute, although it’s still a “zombie town”.
Everyone was quite tired, hungry, and cranky today. The showers were so cold we could hear the guys complaining about it from their bathroom, too. Food was eaten, naps were taken, Netflix was watched.
Fortunately for us, tomorrow’s trip into Burgos will be shorter and relaxing. I think Burgos will be a good time.