Trasa: Castañares-Burgos – Rabé de la Calzada
Dystans: 23 km (Razem 248,5 km)

As St. Paul says in my favorite biblical fragment from the Letter to the Philippians (Phl 4, 12-13):

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

The above is one of my life mottos. With an attitude like that regarding well-being one can experience life in a very wide spectrum. You can follow the unknown such as a walking pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Such a flexibility is helpful. After all, we can never be fully sure what lies ahead in life.

Yesterday, after many days of sleeping in the conditions many of you would not tolerate, along with Henry we had a treat by staying at a hotel on the outskirts of Burgos. It was a bit forced by the circumstances. After exhausting all the other hostel accommodation options along the way we were left with this one. Though I paid as much for this place as I have paid for the other nine places combined it was worth it.

Having my own room, my own bathroom, fast internet, good food. What a luxury! I almost forgot about all of that.

After a good breakfast, though in my case a fasting one because of Ash Wednesday, we left for downtown Burgos. I wanted to make it for the 10 am Ash Wendesday Mass, so our pace was pretty good. We had some 7,5 km to covery first through some wild paths, which soon enough became a bit more taken care of along the river Arlanzón.

Though being only #37 in size in Spain, Burgos is definitely a city worth visting. There are a handful of places worthy of your attention here including the magnificent Cathedral.

After the Holy Mass I could not find Henry around the church. Perhaps he went sightseeing. I assumed we would meet sooner or later on the way, though it was not certain. I am glad I told him roughly where I was planning to get that day. Believe it or not, we still have not exchanged contact data with each other. I guess it is about time. After all there are close to 300 k people bearing the first name Wojciech in Poland. It would not be easy to find me. By the way, there is only one guy by the name of Strzeżysław according to forum. gazeta.pl. I do not think you, the non-Polish speakers, could even attempt to prounance it.

Entry into Burgos old town. Film

After some sightseeing and fasting lunch I left the city on my own. The trail was not well marked I must say. I had to ask the locals a few time about the directions out of the city. Perhaps my today’s meditation about „I am recalculating …” lowerd my state of alertness?

After reaching that last town before so-called Meseta (more about that tomorrow) I zeroed in on an albergue I had called earlier today. It was open yet seemed empty. After calling the owner she appeared a few minutes later and … Henry went out of the room just before her. He must not have heard me enter the hostel. Again it is just the two of us in a hostel.

Entry into Rabé de la Calzada. Movie

Our hostel has a nice name Liberanos Domine, i.e. Lord, set us free. The owner gave both us little medalions with the image of Virgin Mary. A nice gesture, don’t you think?

Congregation. Film

Meditation IX. I am recalculating and you believe.

Repent and believe in the gospel

Mk 1, 15

This is probably the most frequently uttered sentence today in the whole world on the occassion of sprinkling Christians’ heads with ash on Ash Wednesday.

Repenting brings a GPS assositation in my head. Every time I take a wrong path in my life God says … I am recalculating.

How many times does He/She have to say it to us? This metaphor brings another thought of getting back on the right track, to who I really am. So it is time to remove all illusions about myself. Perhaps not all at once. The evil spirit likes to throw insurmountable challenges our way to discourage us along the way.