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Great place to swim would be Ocean Beach before you leave the coast to go inland. We had a great time, great waves:) We did exit this area where the book says and then you end up along come cliffs overlooking the ocean. We didn't exit that area where the book says, we continued along the Sunset Cliffs Blvd to enjoy the overlooks and then navigated our way inland to our hotel. Lots of available eateries at OB. We ate at Bravo Mexican Food and it was okay. We're getting unseasonably hot, humid weather....that's been a bit of a challenge. Loved the A/C in the hotel!

Save big bucks, take the bus, 993, from the airport.  Only 1 bus exchange gets you to LA Jolla to begin one of the sections. Only $5 total if you're under 60.

SLO CSF FOUNDER MARGIE HURD WALKS THROUGH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO CELEBRATE AND REFLECT ON RETIREMENT                        

Hurd explained, “To get my head wrapped around retirement, I decided an Inn to Inn trek through the towns of my childhood would help.  The trip was inspired by a Sunset Magazine article from last fall which highlighted the books by Tom Courtney.  They are par t of a Walkabout California series he wrote.  I took the train from Grover Beach to LA then walked for 52 miles over 7 days with a small backpack and stayed in hotels and ate in restaurants.  It was decadent hiking.  Below is a recap.

Defining moment- “I stopped to rest on a bench between Marina Del Rey and Manhattan Beach.  A man asked where I was going.  I told him about the journey.  Over time, I realized he was a little crazy, so I excused myself and resumed walking.  He followed me on his bike and asked if he could have some of my almonds.  I thought to myself ‘I’m not going to get away from this guy!’ I gave him some almonds and continued walking.  He yelled this advice at my departing silhouette ‘Go find yourself!’

M ost surreal-“I was nervous about hiking between Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes -- it was the first 13 mile day.  I went to check out and showed the hotel clerk the guide book and mentioned what I was doing.  He became excited and said he would give me a free cab ride all the way to Palos Verdes. He had all these vouchers from a cab company.  And because of his enthusiasm, I felt I couldn’t turn him down.  When the cab driver arrived, the clerk ran back into the hotel, came out with a $20 bill and said, ‘And here’s the tip!’.  I spent the next half hour riding to Palos Verdes discussing the Bhagavad Gita with the Indian cab driver. I was checked into my room at the Terrenea Resort (picktured above) by 8:30am”

TMI (too much information) Moment- “I decided to walk around Ports of Call in San Pedro.  It was 8am and raining so the place was empty.  I was always worried about hydration and so drank lots of water.  This mindfulness of hydration meant I was always on the lookout for rest rooms.  I saw two porta potties in front of a closed shop and went inside one.  I locked the door and then heard this clang, clang, clangiddy sound outside.  The next thing I knew, the forks of a forklift slid under my porta pottie and started to lift it.  I yelled, ‘I’M IN HERE!’ The man operating the hand trolley fork lift apologized profusely as I escaped.

Most Frightening experience- One day, it rained so much my jacket couldn’t keep up, and I was drenched.  I was walking remote hiking trails in Palos Verdes. These trails were high on cliffs and had railings with signs warning you not to cross them.  The day was dark and grey, heavy with thunderheads.  There was no one around.  Then, I spied a couple and asked them for the quickest way to a road—I was cold and decided to bus the remaining miles to San Pedro.  They told me where to go and left.  It didn’t take me long  to realize that this trail had a 100 foot drop to the cove below, only a four foot wide trail,  slippery, wet adobe soil, and no protective railing.  A chain link fence separated me from civilization and defined the other edge of the trail.  I clutched it the whole way feeling waves of vertigo, cursing any Bougainvillea which grew in it and hampered my grip, and fighting panic each time I slid in the clay soil toward the cliff’s edge. It felt like an eternity in Hades.

Lessons Learned- It takes a whole southern California region to keep this traveler from getting lost. The guide book was not always clear to this traveler, so I met a lot of helpful strangers. Traveling by car, one is insulated from strangers.  Traveling by foot, one encounters them all the time.  Only your skin and theirs separates the two of you.  You experience more of humanity in these brief encounters; their “stranger(ness) goes away. They are just fellow human beings whom you meet, if only for five minutes. And they are locals who know the area. One 15 year old boy, in a hoodie, and with ear buds, made sure I departed the San Pedro bus at Harbor Boulevard.

And lastly, be open to the transition to retirement—don’t resist change and know it is an organic process.

When will this book be available? I plan on walking from Mexico border to Laguna Beach and I'm sure this book will help me route it out. Thanks, Janene

This one day, 23.8 mile “bridge hike” connects two multi-day walkabouts. There are no inns or restaurants, but the inn-to-inn hiker is rewarded with the longest stretch of accessible uninterrupted, undeveloped shoreline for over 200 miles. Hike miles of plateau between coastal mountains and the sea. Walk through Camp Pendleton where you will experience an active Marine Corps base at two miles an hour. This is a challenging hike. Be sure to bring your driver’s license. They will check it as you enter Camp Pendleton. Visit the Walkabout Shop page to purchase a guide to hiking from San Clemente to Oceanside.

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
- Margaret Atwood, Bluebeard’s Egg

This easy three day, 23.5 mile walkabout starts on the beautiful island of Santa Catalina. Enjoy the slow pace of island life. Explore Catalina’s shoreline by kayak, and hike its rugged mountains. Then take the ferry to Long Beach and hike three days to Newport Beach, strolling on classic Southern California surfing and swimming beaches. Along the way, sample the delights of interesting seaside towns – good food, fun bars, live
music, and unique inns. Click here to purchase the Santa Catalina to Newport Beach inn to inn vacation guide.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on
arriving.”
- Lao-tzu, Tao Te Ching

This moderate three-day, 38 mile adventure hikes a Pacific shoreline that varies from wide Southern California swimming beaches, to paths along coastal bluffs, to boulder hopping under steep cliffs where few hikers venture. It passes through sections of deep urban development as well as untouched wilderness where your only company will be sea mammals and shore birds. Along the way you’ll visit delightful beach towns, a luxurious resort, and the beautiful island of Santa Catalina. Click here to purchase the Santa Monica to Santa Catalina guide.

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the
mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and
teach some of us more than we can ever learn from
books.”
- John Lubbock, The Use of Life

There’s nothing better than exploring the gorgeous Yosemite area than by hiking through it to get closer to nature and the spectacular surroundings. With guided Wawona hiking tours from the Redwoods in Yosemite, you’ll be able to learn about area wildlife, history, riparian meadows and natural habitats.

These guide tours are easy to moderate in difficulty with moderate elevation gains, allowing them to be enjoyed by any hiker in good physical shape. They average in length between two and four hours. These hikes include:

Wawona Meadow Loop. Moderate in difficulty, this hike covers 3-1/2 miles in about 2 ½ hours. The meeting point for this hike will be at the trailhead, adjacent to the Wawona Hotel.

Wawona Historic Swinging Bridge. This is a moderate two-mile hike that will last about two hours. The meeting point for this hike is the Redwoods in Yosemite registration meeting and events center.

You can also take in a combined tour that will include both the Meadow Loop and Swinging Bridge. Contact the Redwoods for more information about these guided hikes.

Other Guided Hikes

There are also many other guide hikes throughout Yosemite that you can enjoy, including those conducted by National Park Service rangers. These are multi-day hikes that will take you through areas such as Merced Lake, May Lake, Sunrise, and Vogelsang. During your hiking adventure, you’ll be provided with meals and lodging, as well as guide service.

The Guided Half Dome hike is very popular; so popular in fact that the NPS uses a permit system for getting to the Half Dome. You can apply for a permit directly through the NPS, or many guide services can provide assistance.

Backpacking Adventures for Beginners

There’s even backpacking trips for the novices. There are two-day guided trips that will introduce you to the basics of backpacking and wilderness use. These trips include all the equipment you’ll need including tent, sleeping bag, and backpack. You’ll also enjoy meals in the great outdoors.

Whether you are an experienced hiker or just a beginner, you’ll find many hikes and trails that will let you experience all the natural beauty offered by Yosemite National Park. Of course, don’t forget to bring the camera to record all the beautiful sites that you’ll be experiencing.

Hi,

This past weekend, Memorial Weekend, my husband and I did the Mt. Tam Circumabulation Inn to Inn.  Fantastic.

One quick comment, on the hike from Stinson Beach to Olmea, we encountered some difficulty on the final 1.5 miles.  The distinct trail is no longer and after wandering up a hill following the fence, we found a crag outlayer. We turned around and proceeded down the highway into Olmea.  Fortunately we stayed at the Point Reyes Seashore Lodge which is located at the bottome of the hill.  

Another find is The Valley Inn in Woodacre, CA.  The restaurant next to it Two Birds is fantastic.  We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner there and every meal was top-notched.

There is a string of resorts down the eastern Sierra.  Lee Vining to June Lake to Mammoth Lakes to Convict Lake for example.   Walkabout, have you considered finding a route over there?  Or, do trail (not direct enough) and lodging (booked a year in advance or several-night minimums) limitations make that route unrealistic for now?

The Santa Monica Mountains soar to the sky.  The wild beauty of the Pacific and its shoreline fills the senses.  Hike rocky shores below steep cliffs, unpopulated secluded beaches, and popular Southern California strands on this 3-day, 32-mile Walkabout. 

Start this Walkabout at Leo Carrillo State Beach near the Ventura/L.A. County line.  Day 1 (7.9 miles) hikes a series of state and county beaches separated by rocky points that may require some bouldering or a hike along the bluffs.  Except for the forces of erosion and a few human staircases, this protected shoreline has remained unchanged since this land was Chumash.

Flocks of shorebirds stop on their migration along the Pacific Flyway.  Pelican, gulls, and shore birds feed in the bountiful waters.  Harbor seals and sea lions rest on rocky outcroppings.  A school of dolphins may glide by, just beyond the surf, black dorsal fins cresting with each breath.

End the first day at Zuma County Beach.  Take a swim, and enjoy the people-watching.  Then check into the Malibu Country Inn, a refurbished classic 1950s style SoCal motel.  Your room may have a private deck and even a fireplace.

Day 2 (11.4 miles) hikes to Malibu.  Leaving Zuma, you ascend Pt. Dume, a towering ancient volcanic cone, 200 feet high, rising abruptly at the ocean’s edge.  A state nature preserve, this is a great place to pause and watch for gray whales as they migrate between warm Baja mating and calving lagoons and the rich feeding waters of the arctic sea.

There are challenging stretches when you will need to leave the shore to hike coastal bluffs or through the neighborhoods.  Our guide describes when to set out so you can hike around rocky points at low tide.  Round Malibu Point and stroll Surfrider Beach.  Explore the preserved coastal wetlands of Malibu Lagoon.  Pelicans, cormorants, ducks, coots, and night herons relax in the calm waters.

Set out on the graceful arc of Carbon Beach on Day 3 (12.4 miles).  Hike shore and sidewalk before reaching expansive state Beaches – Will Rogers and Santa Monica.  The Ferris wheel on Santa Monica Pier comes into view.  Hike along the water’s edge or stroll the South Bay Bicycle Trail.  Either way is a celebration of Southern California beach life – surfing, volleyball, swimming, sunbathing, Frisbees, rollerblading, kites, bikes, and dogs  End your day in Santa Monica.  Check out the tacky pleasures of the pier and the plentiful bars and restaurants on Third Street Promenade.

Enjoy fun inns and great dining.  This shoreline is wild, challenging, and beautiful - a treasure of bountiful sea life, rugged coastline, exquisite beaches and towering mountains.  Leave the car behind, and take a Walkabout on the Malibu Coast.

The Malibu Coast Walkabout is one of the multi-day hikes found in “Walkabout Malibu to Mexico: Hiking Inn-to-Inn on the southern California Coast.”  It can also be purchased as an individual guide.

Hi - Any recommendations regarding this hike? How difficult is it? We're planning to do it in two weeks.

Thanks! Katie

The American River starts high in the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. It winds and crashes through deep canyons down to the foothills where it eventually is tamed to form Folsom Lake. Released again, it flows wide and powerful to meet the Sacramento River. The discovery of gold on the American in 1848 brought a stampede of thousands to mine its banks and create a new California.

This 66-mile, four-day walkabout starts in the foothill town of Auburn and descends downstream, along the river. (The first two days of this walkabout make for a fun weekend inn-to-inn hike.) Along the way you will visit a country B&B, inns on the river bank, and a luxurious resort and spa. Hike back in time through the old towns of Auburn, Folsom, and Sacramento and enjoy saloons, a brew pub, live music, and some excellent restaurants. Walk in the footsteps of the pioneers, hiking inn-to-inn through the Sierra foothills along the American River.

We are rapidly descending into the spring and we are leaving our snowy region far
behind; everything is getting green; butterflies are swarming; numerous bugs are
creeping out, wakened from their winter’s sleep, and the forest flowers are coming
into bloom.
      ~ John C. Fremont, March 1, 1844 journal entry along the American River

$6.99

Visit the Walkabout store to learn more about this and other guides to hiking from inn-to-inn through the wilds of California.

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.
        ~Henry Miller

The guidebooks warn of the fierce weather in Galicia.  Storms blow in from the Atlantic bringing wind, cold, rain, and snow.  But, the weather for us, in late October, is ideal for hiking - crisp, cool mornings; warm, sunny afternoons.  In fact, I had only taken my rain jacket out twice during the six week pilgrimage because of slight drizzle.  Now, with the short autumn days, the leaves of oaks, maples, and chestnuts are turning yellow and orange.

We hike on narrow trails cut deep through the dense woods, sometimes fifteen feet below the forest floor.  Walls along the paths may be constructed of ancient stones or they may be solid earth held in place by deep roots.  It seems the route has been worn down by the foootsteps of millions of pilgrims over 13 centuries, the boots of Roman legions before that, and the tracks of Celts going back to the iron age and the 8th century B.C.

Two days out from Santiago, it started to rain.  We welcomed it, enjoying a chance to wear our rain gear and hike in the wet woodlands, stopping in village cafes to warm up with hot chocolate.  Approaching Santiago on the final day, a rainbow appeared, ärco iris.¨

We entered Santiago, passed by dozens of aged churches, entered the old city, checked into a hotel, and visited the pilgrim office.  The officials inspected our ¨credential del peregrino,¨ the document that every pilgrim carries.  Hostals, albergues, cafes, bars, and churches along the route stamp the pilgrim´s passport.  This verifies that the pilgirm has made the journey.  We were issued a scroll, a compostela, written in Latin.  Our names - Adelaidem (Heidi) and Thomam.

There are several pilgrimage routes that all end in Santiago.  A pilgrim must hike the final 100km or bike the last 200 in order to receive the compostela.  The officials told us that it is now the slow season and only 150 pilgirms a day finish the journey.  During the summer, the number swells to 1,500.  Over the first ten months of 2011, 170,000 peregrinos completed their pilgrimage!

The next day we entered the grand catherdral for the pilgrims mass.  It was the most fun I have ever had in church.  The knave of the massive structure is formed by 14 five storey Romanesque arches, but the decor is very Baroque.  Brightly painted wooden carvings of angels, cherubs blowing trumpets, and warriors on charging steeds with lances raised, support organ pipes stretching 30 feet to the ceiling.  Behind the altar, 20 foot high angels, guilded in gold, hold up a platform with giant maidens and Roman soldiers.  St. James, Santiago, is shown in his many forms: a simple pilgrim, the Moor Slayer on horseback with sword raised, and in the center - seated on a throne bedecked with gold and jewels.

The bishop, wearing a miter, led the mass with a supporting cast of eight priest wearing white vestments and the red cross of Santiago.  A nun with the voice of an angel led us in song.

A giant incense burner, the botofumeiro, hung from a pulley at the ceiling by thick rope.  At the conclusion of the ceremony, a cluster of robed churchmen pulled on the rope in unison while one of their members gave it great shoves.  It swung back and forth across the long transept in a grand arc.  These guys have one the best jobs in Christendom.  The sweet smell of incense filled the catherdral.  Then, the pilgrims milled around greeting friends they made along the trail.

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela teaches many lessons.  This is a topic of intense interest for pilgrims along the trail.  One cannot walk the Camino and be unchanged.  I think I will be processing what I have learned for many months, but here are a few lessons.  Solitude, community, and empathy.  The pilgrim walks alone - long days for hundreds of miles at two miles an hour with endles hours of contemplation, but the shared experience and quest creates a deep community and caring for your fellow pilgrim.  There is great joy in the simplicity of the pilgrim´s life.  You are carrying all your possessions, and you don´t want to add any more.  So, the pilgrim is divorced from the market economy.  She is single-tasking, rising in the morning and walking with only a few decisions to make - where to spend the night and to eat.  There is clarity of the day´s purpose and accomplishment.  What a change from our modern lifestyle.  What a wonderful gift.

Buen Camino!

Leaving the plains of north-central Spain, the pilgrim climbs and decends through the mountains of eastern Leon and into Galicia.  As each day passes and the Atlantic Coast draws nearer,  the terrain becomes more lush and verdant.  Ascending out of Rabanal for 1,000 feet, we reached the highest peak on the Camino, Cruz de Ferr, at 4,938 feet.  The trail passes through dense forests of oak, eucalyptus, birch, chestnut, and pine. Climbing out of Villafranca, the trail ascends 1,200 feet, drops 1,000, and then climbs another 2,300 feet to OĆebreiro, entering Galicia, the final state on Camino Frances.

Small farms replace the large grain fields of the maseta, and the Camino passes through a dozen small villages each day. Barns and fields are alive with sheep, cattle, hogs, and chickens.  Farmers sheppard their flocks from field to barn and back through the villageś main cobblestone street while the chickens free range the town.  Small pastures are lined with stone walls, and virtually all structures are made of stone.  The roofs of houses and churches are now black  slate, a change from the red tile roofs since the start of the Camino.

Descending into the deep valley of Rio Oribio, we visited the colossal and magnificent Benedictine monastery of Samos, one of the oldest in Spain, dating back to the 6th century.  We toured the large cloisters and gardens, the ornate 18th century church, and a small shrine room housing St. Benedictś femur and a chalice with a thorn from Christś crown.  Today the massive monastery houses only 15 monks with just two novices trying to join the ranks.

We stay in lovely, modest pensiones and hostals in farming hamlets.  At night, pilgims gather in the one or two restaurants in the village to dine on Galician cuisine - fried octopus seasoned with paprika, fresh shrimp, pork, cheeses, pastries, and local wines.

After 100 mles of hiking since Leon, Heidiś blisters could no longer be denied.  She had bandaged them and soldiered on, hoping they would cure themselves, but they persisted.  We decided to stop at a clinic in Triacastela.  After a 15 minute wait, the doctor poked her head out of her office, invited Heidi in, drained and treated the blisters, and wrote the names of the bandages and medicines Heidi would need.  They both emerged from the doctorś office laughing at the challenges of communicating with limited Spanish and English.  No charge, of course.  The American medical system has so much to learn.

Next, on to Santiago.

Spain has deep Roman Catholic roots, going back, legend tells us, to Christ´s apostle, St. James, Santiago.  The pilgrim passes through perhaps a half a dozen village each day, almost all dominated by an ancient stone and wooden church.  We often stop to sit in the cool, dark sanctuaries for a moment of contemplation and to experience the beauty and devotion  represented by centuries old statues and paintings of the saints and Holy Family.  We have occasionally attended services in churches sparsely attended, and mostly by women fifty years or older.  Many services have no priest, just women reciting the rosary.

The large cities along the Camino have great catherdrals, dating back to the 13th century.  They are extraordinary, beautiful, colossal monuments glorifying the Church.  Built in an era when peasants lived in small one storey houses, the only large buildings one might ever see would be the catherdral, the castle of an aristocrat, or the bishop´s palace.  In Astorga, the grand, gothic catherdral and bishop´s palace, designed by the genius, Antoni Gaudi, at the end of the 19th century, stand side-by-side.  The palace is now a museum, and a portion of the catherdral houses another museum.  Both contain church treasures, room after room of gold and silver chalices, four- foot high prossesional crosses intricately crafted of silver and gold, the robes for priests and bishops sewn with pearls and golden thread.

We hiked out of Astorga, climbing the foothills of Las Montanas de Leon, for 14 miles to the beautiful village of Robanal del Camino.  Its stone houses stretched along the hamlet´s two streets.  That evening we attended a service with other pilgrims in the small romanesque church, one small chamber formed by three semi-circular arches, with wooden pews.  Two elderly monks transported us to another realm with an hour of Gregorian chanting in Latin.

It was the day of a national holiday honoring Spain´s military.  We moved on to a more secular celebration at an albergue.  As we entered the courtyard, village ladies handed us cups of thick, rich chocolate to drink.  The place was packed with pilgrims and villagers.  Wine and beer was flowing.  A three piece band with a fiddle, banjo, and drum struck up a tune and then played for three hours without pause, first Spanish love songs and then American folk music straight out of the Pete Seeger songbook.  A couple of two year old girls, one dressed as a princess, started a freestyle dance.  It wasn´t long before we all joined them.  Twenty something pilgrims and villagers were tossing back shots of a yellow brew that inspired them to spring and bound.  Then they placed their hands on the hips of the person in front of them and led us, dancing in a long line, joyously snaking through the bar and courtyard.  Later, we staggered to bed, sleeping off the evening´s religious experience, ready to continue our pilgrimage.

I entered the narow, winding streets of the old city of Leon.  It was the day of the festival of San Froilan y las cantaderas and a grand medieval faire filled the plazas with hundreds of booths selling roasted meats and octopus, pastries, sweets, jewerlry, soaps, perfumes, clothes, wood carvings, and tarot readings.  People were dressed in renaissance costumes.  There were jugglers, tumblers, and drum and recorder bands performing for the thousands of people crowding the streets.

My wife, Heidi, arrived at midnight after a journey of four flights and 32 hours from our home in the San Francisco Bay Area.  After 22 days and 300 miles of hiking solo, she would join me to hike the rest of the Camino.  I waited for her in the small plaza across from our hotel.  It was still hopping with celebrants spilling out of the bars that surround the square.

Our hotel, Hostal San Martin, is an aged stone and wood stucture with a twelve foot high, heavy wooden door, undoubtedly older than any building still standing back in the Bay Area.  Inside, it was modern and comfortable.  It seemed a metaphor for Spain, a very modern country that has perserved its ancient architecture and heritage for tourists and its citizens to relish.

We stayed in Leon for three nights, giving Heidi a chance to adjust to the new time zone and for me to rest.  We explored the city, walking the banks of Rio Bernesga, and visiting the extraordinary and ornate gothic catherdral, the fanciful Gaudi designed Casa de Botines, and the Convento de San Marcos - the former mother house of the order of the Knights of Santiago, dating back to the sixteenth century.  It is now a luxury hotel but preserved like an unguarded museum with a romanesque church, cloisters, gardens, and magnificent works of art.  We roamed its ancient corridors, opening doors and finding stone passageways and narrow stairways to explore, hoping we would remember how to find our way out.

At night, the people of Leon come to the old city to play.  We joined them at sidewalk tables of tapas bars and restaurants serving sumptous grilled trout, roast lamb, and local red wines.  Leon, with a population of 130,000 is the third largest city along Camino Frances after Pamplona and Burgos.  It is the last large city we will visit until we reach Santiago.  We departed rested and sated, eager to explore the mountains of Galicia and to hike the final 200 miles of el Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

After hiking the verdant foothills of the Pyrenese and through the lush vineyards of La Rioja, the Camino enters the meseta, flat tabletop land that covers 40% of Spain.  For the next 120 miles the pilgrim ascends long mesas and descends into broad valleys.  Wheat fields stretch for as far as the eye can see, now freshly harvested in early October.  Rivers, lined with cottonwoods, meander through the plain.  Small medieval villages along the rivers, break up the sameness of the terrains.

Like in so many developed countries, rural Spaniards are leaving the countryside for the cities.  This is especially true on the meseta.  The manager of the albergue in Caldadilla de la Cuesa told me that only four children live in the village. "It is sad," she said, "This would be such a great place to grow up."  In many villages, most people you meet are elderly, walking with canes.

They say that if a pilgrim makes it as far as Burgos, (180 miles) she should be alright physically for the rest of the journey, but the meseta plays with the pilgrim´s mind.  The first part is not exactly true. Pilgrims´feet are still breaking down after Burgos.  So many must interupt or end their journey because of blisters that won´t heal or painful, swollen ankle ligaments.  The meseta is cold and windy in the winter and brutally hot in the summer when most pilgrims make the journey.  The heat and seemingly endless monotony can drive the pilgrim to dispair.

Hiking the meseta in Autumn has been beautiful, every day has been sunny with temperatures in the high 70s.  Still the meseta is challenging.  For three days the trail was totally flat, not even a small hill in sight.  It was like hiking across North Dakota.  My emotions would quickly flip from, "Why did I ever want to take this long hike?" to feelings of euphoria to be so free and hiking such beautiful country.  Still, I look forward to reaching the big city ramble of Leon and the mountains of Galicia.

The ancient city of Burgos was founded in 884 as a defensive fortress for the Kingdom of Navarra against the Muslims to the south.  Today´s pilgrim hikes several kilometers through stark, modern Burgos before passing through 14th century walls, under Arco de Santa Maria, and into the magical old city.  Here the streets are narrow and winding, there are few cars, but the lanes are busy with foot traffic.  People crowd the shops and sidewalk cafes.

After 13 days of hiking and 180 miles, I decided to check into the Hotel Norte y Londres, a converted 16th century palace in the heart of the old city, and to stay in Burgos for an extra day.  What a delightful city!  The old quarter is on the north bank of Rio Arlanzon.  A grassy walkway runs along the river.

I spent an afternoon exploring the magnificent catherdral which dominates the skyline.  It started as a simple romanesque church, but in 1221, the saint, King Ferdinand III and Bishop Mauricio laid a cornerstone for a grand, gothic basilica.  It has been added to and remodeled every century since.  You can walk for hours through chaples with vaulted domed ceilings; elaborate scuptures of the lives and suffering of Christ and the saints; paintings by Spanish and Flemish masters; and the tombs of heros, bishops and benefactors.

El Cid is buried here.  His history as a soldier of fortune is a bit spotty, but he is generally regarded as an 11th century hero who liberated Valencia from Islam.  I have vague memories of the 1961 film starring Sophia Loren and Charlton Heston.  Do I remember correctly that in the movie El Cid died from a fatal wound, but they propped his body up on his horse, and he led his troops into the final decisive battle, his cold, dead fingers clenching his sword?  History tells us he actually died comfortably in his Valencia palace in 1099.

At night, the streets of the old city are bustling with revelers visiting tapas bars.  I joined them, then slept well, ready to return to the Camino de Santiago.