ola from burgos, the biggest city i have set foot in since i left l.a.  i had a chance to call both q. and my mom since there is a locutorio here, a business with lots of little phone booths/rooms where you can call overseas.  they both sounded wonderful and it was so nice to hear thier voices.  since they have both been commenting here on the blog, i kind of hear their voices each time i read one of their comments, but nothing beats the real thing! 

burgos is going to be my resting place for a couple of days so i can get a break from walking and let my left knee (tendon, to be exact) get a rest.  i went to the ambulatorio that the tourism bureau sent me to that sees pilgrims for free and had a consultation, completely in spanish, that resulted in my leg being snugly taped, and my being advised to rest a couple of days.  i knew they were going to say that, so i had already found a small pensione to stay at.  pilgrims cannot stay more than one night in the albeurges and refugios provided for us.  exceptions can be made for medical reasons, but if i am going to just be lying in bed i would prefer being alone in a room instead of in a big room full of bunk beds and people moving in and out all day.  so i have treated myself to this pensione which has provided me with towels.  TOWELS!!! real, cotton, white, clean towels!!!  more than one!  and i thought the bath mat last night was luxurious!  i am very excited to use them, although my leg now being taped will affect my shower-i am not supposed to take it off for several days (until it falls off on its own) and i am not to get it wet.  but i am determined not to let that get in my way of enjoying real towels!!!

the biggest deal about kicking back in burgos is that most likely my camino community will change.  many, if not most, of them will walk on, and i may never see them again.  this has been one of the most interesting aspects of this trip for me.  i really hate saying goodbye to people, yet i am having to watch people either walk away from me, or i am walking away from them all day long.  i feel a little like someone who is afraid of heights deciding to cure themselves of their fears by going skydiving.  it does make me more philosophical about saying goodbye-what is it really?  who am i saying goodbye to?  i said goodbye to kim and jenny in tosantos and haven´t seen them since, and i haven´t seen genevieve in days.  the cockney guys were getting back into form, and i think were planning to go up to 40 km per day.  but i still think of them each day, and still look around for them when i see pilgrims sitting by the side of the road eating or resting.  but i still think of them, and laugh over things we said or did:  jenny´s catch-all phrase to tease someone would be to say ´look at you in your fancy store-bought underwear´and once you know that phrase, you´d be surprised at how often it feels like the perfect thing to say!  (i´m serious, try it!)  mostly instead of feeling a sense of longing for the friends i´ve made that i haven´t seen i feel a sense of excitement for them.  i just know they are out there having adventures, meeting new people, and seeing the same beautiful, amazing sights that i am.  and something of them remains with me.  some way that my life has been touched by their light, laughter, caring...whatever part of them they were generous enough to share with me.  so in that sense, i hope that i can bring some of that home with me and have an easier time saying goodbye to people in the future.

oh, one last thing, about the food.  here in burgos, and i think throughout this region, the specialty is tapas.  the woman running the pensione told me about the best tapas restaurant right near the pensione.  i am looking forward to trying it, but maybe tomorrow.  my main staples have been bocadillos, which are sandwiches made on fresh bread (think of small loaves of french bread) and tortillas.  the sandwiches are usually meat and cheese.  every area has its own local cheese, made from the sheep and/or cow´s milk from that area (the ones that i spend much of my day looking at!).  it is deeeee-licious!  very light and tasty, and sliced paper thin for the bocadillo.  the cheese is the perfect accompaniament (that just doesn´t look right to me, but there is no one i can run this by...when kim and jenny and i all were on the computers together one night it was surprising how often we asked for help spelling words...i still have trouble coming up with english words sometimes) to salami.  again, sliced so very thin and just delicious.  add to that the fact that most of the bocadillos i consume are eaten al fresco, outdoors somewhere in the middle of a forest or on a hillside sitting with other friendly pilgrims.  in the morning, i have found the perfect beverage to drink:  tea with steamed milk.  the milk tastes so sweet, and it is so hot, it is just heaven!  i always try to walk a few kilometers before stopping for this treat, but it is also nice if the albeurge is serving breakfast they usually provide steamed milk along with the breads, jams and butter.  it was delightful to find that my favorite cookie that is no longer available in america is still sold here-marie lu´s whole wheat cookies.  delicious!  they are perfect to use as a spoon to eat yogurt with in the morning, again, along the trail.  the tortillas i mentioned are nothing like what is called a tortilla in l.a.  these are delicious, melt-in-your-mouth egg and potato pie, kind of like quiche only better.  i eat them almost every day, and they can be eaten hot in the cafe, or packed up to be eaten cold later along the camino.  either way, they´re a winner!

so, on that note, i am going to sign off and go find something to eat! 
thank you for all the good wishes that are putting the spring in my step each day.
peace and blessings-
a