San Juan de Ortega - The Camino of My Dreams

Church of Santa Maria, Belorado
Notice the storks in their nests on the tower.

I woke up in a chilly Belorado:  39 degrees.  But it was different.  There was no rain in the forecast.  In fact there was not a cloud to be found.  So I packed my rain jacket and kept my pack cover off as well.

Warmest day so far and still snow is in the mountains.

I set out from the albergue at 6:55.  It was a little later than planed.  I quickly met up with the Spaniards who have “Rocky,” the dog I showed you the other day.  It was chilly especially as the sun was only beginning to climb.  But then we began to climb as well.  The mountains of Oca were before us.  We would climb in total 450 meters and at times descend as much as 100 meters and then go back up again.

Outside of the village of Espinosa

It was rigorous but it was done on a beautiful day.  With the climb, many pilgrims, myself included, removed coats and sweatshirts.  A good number prepared by the favorable forecast had set out in shorts.  The sun climbed in the sky beckoning us to climb the mountains and when we did we were rewarded with delightful weather to walk some of the level stretches.

For a bit I walked with a man from Seattle, Hal.  He’s probably in his mid sixties and is an avid hiker all over the world.  He was sharing with me his secret to getting fed at night in the albergues (I think I mentioned that I have my big meal around 2PM and just an orange at night).  Hal can’t cook.  So he buys a few bottles of wine at maybe $2 a bottle and then hangs out in the kitchen.  He shares his wine and others share their food.  With my limited cooking skills, I’ll have to try that in the future.

The Gentlemen from Ravenna.

I left Hal and managed climbing and (even worse) descending the mountains on my own.  After some beautiful scenery and a well deserved rest.  I joined one of the Italians from Ravenna and a Spanish man as we walked the last hour or so into San Juan de Ortega.  He had a pretty lively conversation in Italian, Spanish and English about weather, food and wine.  It was lively because the two both thought their food or wine was the best.  The weather was just about what we endured and how different today was.   About noon upon entering San Juan (which has 20 inhabitants!) you see a square with the church where San Juan is buried, an albergue where we stay and a bar where we eat.  It was beautiful with the centuries old buildings on one-side and pick-nick tables in front of a stream on the other.  Many of the tables by the bar and under the trees were beginning to fill.  So the two men invited me for a few beers as we wound up or conversation and began new ones as other we knew rounded past the church into the square to join us.

The facade of the Church of San Juan de Ortega.

After a bit the two continued with a group that included our mascot, Rocky” for the next village 4K away.  But I was content to be with San Juan and this lovely setting.  After I got my bed I went to the bar for lunch and had the opportunity to dine with two lovely sisters, twins in fact, Chelsea and Amanda from Northern Virginia.  They had graduated from Virginia Tech less than a month ago (one with a degree in biology and one with a degree in political science) and here they were in Northern Spain.  I had met them earlier in the rain and mud back leaving Roncesvalles for Zubri but no one was in a chatty mood back then.  After a decent meal for a bar, we headed for sun or shade as one wished.  Mindful that Mass and Pilgrims’ Blessing is “early” at 6PM.

The tomb of San Juan.

This is how I imagined the Camino to be.  Now that the weather is cooperating I hope people will be in a better place to enjoy themselves.  Tomorrow I hope to get an early start on the 17-mile stretch and 100-meter climb to Burgos.  Burgos is one of the places I will stay two days.  Many others and myself have hotel reservations since you cannot stay two nights in an albergue.

Ah, a real hotel!  Ah, the Camino of my dreams!