June 4 th ,
 Today I walked out at 5.30 am, it was dark but I new today.  I was going to burn up some road. Reached the next town as the sun came up, and ran into a few groggy pilgrims who had just woken and started to walk from that village

It was a good morning from the valley floor in which you find the town of Azofra, from here I walked on into Santo Domingo where I had a burger and fries for breakfast, sometime you gotta do what you gotta do.

A solitary pilgrim,  the long and winding road

Santo Domingo da la Calzada was to be the night stop at 20 km, but I moved on in an effort to make time. I was on my own now, everyone was staying in Domingo and didn't want to push on. They have a time constraint, and they need to make time, trouble is if they don't make it now while they are somewhat fresh, they will have to make up 4 days in the final weeks, and that's going to hurt.

This is the border stone marking the boundary of the Burgos Province/ Castille y Leon, and I am at the bottom of the chart where Im pointing. When I get to the top, I still have 100 miles to go. Looks a little intimidating when presented to me this way.

I pushed on through Milano town and on to Castildegado where I hoped to stay the night, but couldn't find an Albergue here to sleep in. 

castildegado
 I sat in the square awhile to ponder this disaster, and here comes speedy, blisters and all.  So time to push on.
We walked to the next village of Viloria de Rioja and found an Albergue that is famous for where the author Paulo Cohelo stays and is the patron representative. He wrote one of my most favorite books, The Alchemist
I love his books THE ALCHEMIST and the MANUSCRIPTS FOUND IN ACCRA, but the owners were a little snooty,  just because they know Paulo Cohelo?, i know Ron Heimler and John Kendal and I dont make a fuss over that, come to think of it, why would I. So we came to the Albergue Parada where we were greeted by an older Spanish hippy couple. 5 euros a night, dinner of Payella at 7.30 pm for a donation, beer in the fridge at a donation, and breakfast whenever you leave, a donation. I love this place.

Cody from Canada, Carlos from Italy,speedy, and Shane from Ireland.
Having a beer before dinner at the Albergue.

Tony making dinner in this very basic kitchen, was great

Dinner company was Italy, France, Spain and the USA, all speaking a different language, and all being understood

Not much of interest on the trail today, ate up 34 km and will do the same tomorrow to the town of San Juan de Ortega. But there we're some great spring blossoms along the way

On to the new day, feet's ready to rumble