Day 3 of the Camino

Stage 3 – Navarrete – Castañares

Today started with breakfast at 7. We had a great choice: scrambled eggs, different breads, cheese, various types of pork, yogurt, fruit, muesli, orange juice and coffee for those who need that to get going. We rolled out in good time and made our first wrong turn after a photo op at the entrance to the hotel.

Once we were back on N120 we motored along even though the first stretch was on a freeway. The road was fairly flat as we went through the prairie. There was quite a bit of traffic and we had to take it single file.

We stopped in St Dimingo de Calzada for a grocery store. After bonking yesterday I needed to do better with the nutrition. Since my computer was no longer working, Terri Lynn told me every hour that it was time to eat. It was nice to have some bananas and apples to add to my diet of cereal bars. I also picked up some Band-Aids which I needed because my off-the-bike-shoes were giving me blisters. Sheri’s allegries were acting up so she stopped at the pharmacy. We also filled our water bottles and got another sello.

We followed Arthur’s advice and took a detour to avoid a big hill. That took us off the main road and we basically had the road to ourselves. Maybe one car passed us. The only other vehicles were tractors pulling wagons of wheat. The purpose was to avoid a steep climb but we also found some beautiful scenery.

I was not able to get a picture of my favorite image of the trip. Shortly after I stopped to take a picture of wheat harvest, I saw two deer bounding across the field through the wheat. I guess the deer crossing signs and private hunting reserves were for real.

Before getting back on the main road we stopped at San Juan de Ortega, another church in the middle of no where. This one also had a place for pilgrims to stay and a café or two where they could eat. Someone suggested that we keep track of the number of churches we saw. Every village had at least one so that would have been an impossible task.

The last 15 kms were a gradual down hill (the French call that a descending false flat) and we faced our first serious head wind of the trip. Our hotel was just outside of Burgos in Castanares and was right on the main road we came in on. Our bikes were kept in a classy extra dining room.

Once we were showered Sheri, Karin and I got something to drink and sat outside with ice on our various injuries. My knee was swollen from 2 falls yesterday. Sheri’s old knee injury was acting up and Karin’s tendons in her ankles were letting her know they were there.

We were determined to get some pasta and Burgos is a big enough city that it had three Italian restaurants. We called a taxi and the driver told us that we were in Spain so we shouldn’t be looking for Italian food. Even I understood Karin’s response, “We need pasta!!!” Restaurant # 1 was closed for vacation. Restaurant # 2 didn’t start serving until 9:30. Restaurant # 3 was open and serving. An added bonus was that it was in the city center so we got to see that besides the tour we had already had during our taxi ride. The food was great and none of us went to bed hungry. As an added bonus the taxi driver for the return trip showed us the best way through town the next morning.

Vital stats for the day:
112 kms
17.2 average speed
6h30 riding time
2375 m climbed
9 hours - total time start to finish

The route for the day: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/spain/navarrete/597629841