Burgos - Rest Day

The big event today was a visit to the Cathdral of Saint Mary.  It's hard to describe the craftsmanship contained in this incredible building, and the cost of such a building today would surely total somewhere in the billion dollar range.  We got in for a special pilgrim's rate, and had to show our passports as proof.  In reality, the whole thing, with its multiple chapels, was too much to take in, and we were "churched out" in about an hour.  Anyway, here are some photos to give you some impressions of what we saw....and keep in mind that in the little we picture below all that glitters is in fact real gold.

Do you see Diane and Chris above?

And check out this pulpit in one of the chapels...a little different from my own!  

I especially liked the high ceilings with their different cupolas...

You can only imagine the echo and noise if we had after church coffee in these halls....

And I wonder if the room pictured below was for council meetings, or perhaps the dreaded Spanish Inquisition...

And pictured below is a way that a church could keep its pastor and wife forever - no thanks!!

I have several more photos, but you get the idea!

The other big deal today - for a pilgrim anyway - is that we had to replace Diane's hiking poles.  One of them broke yesterday, but we found an outdoors equipment store with some great deals and were able to buy her a new pair for only 13.80 euros (about $20).  We have discovered that especially on a long trek like Camino, with all of its steep ups and downs, a pair of hiking poles are your best friend - next to a pair of good shoes, of course!

And a nice little thing we experienced today: Diane and I were having a baguette lunch on a long bench in the cathedral square when an elderly man sat beside us and told us all sorts of stories we could not understand.  We nodded and smiled a lot, and then he offered each of us a fresh peach from his shopping bag!  They were delicious, and we did our best to compliment him on how much we were enjoying his country.  

This afternoon we are resting and reading in our hotel room.  We have a fairly nice view of the outskirts of the city...

It feels strange not to be going anywhere today, but with the longest day of walking yet awaiting us tomorrow, we know this day of rest is just what we need.  Looking back so far, we are amazed at how well we've done.  We've been spared any injuries or sickness, and have never gotten lost yet.  We are so grateful to God for each day we are able to enjoy and experience the Camino.  Oh, and we added to our list of nations yesterday: Belgium and Sweden. 

Until tomorrow - assuming I'll have the energy to write!