Step by Step on The Way of Saint James
From Burgos to Tardajos
23 May 2018
Stage 13 – Km. 11
This morning, planning to stay in Burgos, I take it relatively easy. I still have to leave the accommodation, so I need to clear out my bunk. Once my backpack is packed, I leave it in the luggage area near the entrance and then head across the street to the bar for breakfast.
Having satisfied my early morning appetite, I’m ready to take a sightseeing tour of the city. Together with a few friends, I reach the nearby Arco de Santa Maria, a monument counted among the most iconic in Burgos. It is one of the twelve gates that provided access to the medieval city, connecting the bridge of the same name over the Arlanzón River with the cathedral square.
Weather-wise, today is not as nice as yesterday: it’s drizzling, and the temperature is rather cool. It’s half past eight, and the air still hasn’t warmed up. I feel a bit cold since I wore light clothing this morning. The hostel has already closed for morning cleaning and will reopen at noon; therefore, before then, I can’t get anything warmer from my backpack to wear.
In the meantime, I meet Juanì, who tells me that there are already people queueing outside the nearby Divina Pastora hostel, where we plan to sleep tonight. Since the hostel only has sixteen beds, we think it’s best to rush over and secure our spot at the entrance while we wait for it to open at noon.
Like good Italians, we create a small list with the names of those present and tape it to the hostel door. This way, anyone arriving after us can add their name at the bottom of the list. Even though there are still more than two hours until it opens, we stay in the area to ensure we keep our “priority spot.” While waiting, we settle inside the bar opposite, from where we can keep an eye on the situation.
Since we’re there, we take the opportunity for a second breakfast, and I order my almost-daily tortilla, this time accompanied by some hot tea. Being indoors also helps us escape the cold.
At exactly noon, the manager of the Divina Pastora hostel arrives. She ignores the list, rips it up, and tells us that the hostel does not accept people who have already stayed in the city for a night. This is the rule unless you have a medical certificate prescribing rest for a few days.
At this point, we have no choice but to go retrieve our backpacks and start looking for another place to sleep. Unfortunately, we find no alternatives, so by 12:30, we have no option but to leave the city. Given the late hour, we decide to head to Tardajos. Just eleven kilometers away, it’s the first village after Burgos with a hostel.
Leaving the city, there’s still a large urban park to cross, and since it’s lunchtime, we decide to stop and eat the supplies we have in our backpacks.
At 14:00, we exit the park, passing in front of the Ermita de San Amaro Peregrino. From here, we can consider ourselves outside Burgos. After a brief suburban stretch, the rural landscape begins again.
All in all, walking today’s stage of nearly eleven kilometers, which takes us to Tardajos, proves useful in slightly shortening the next two stages, which are approximately thirty-two and thirty-five kilometers long, respectively.
Leaving Burgos, we leave the drizzle behind. The temperature rises, and although the sky remains quite milky, it becomes brighter and less threatening.
By 16:00, we arrive at the small municipal hostel in Tardajos. Although the building is basic, it is well maintained by the couple managing it on behalf of the local administration. Despite the hostel’s limited capacity of just eighteen beds, we have no trouble finding a spot. Tardajos is not a very popular stop for pilgrims since it’s so close to Burgos.
During our afternoon stroll, we discover a fairly dilapidated village. Many houses are abandoned, and most have faded and weathered “For Sale” signs that have probably been hanging there for years, waiting for a buyer. It’s clear that the history of this place has been at a standstill for quite some time.
The desolation is heightened by the lack of people. The streets are empty, except for two elderly women who slowly cross the wide central square and, shortly afterward, disappear down a side street, as if swallowed by nothingness.
– What if they weren’t real and were actually ghosts? –
– Who knows! –
Both of the village’s markets are closed; to buy something to eat for tomorrow, we find only a small “panaderia” open, which fortunately has the essentials. We buy bread, cold cuts, and some pastries for breakfast.
Before finishing our brief tour of Tardajos, we take an external look at the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, built in Gothic style in the 13th century. The church stands on a small hill in the oldest part of the village, and its thick walls give it the appearance of a fortress.
For dinner, there isn’t much choice, so we head to the Hotel La Casa de Beli, located at the village entrance.
The “pilgrim’s menu” here costs 10 euros. This time, I start with a sopa castillana, follow it with bull ragù as the main course, and finish with a good cheesecake.
| © Aldo Lardizzone 2020 |  |
CREATIVE COMMONS |