Day 15 - Burgos to Burgos (wait day)

     We spent one more day in Burgos.  We stopped at the bike shop as they opened this morning, and they unfortunately had only one bike to rent (for me), but said that one sized for Jana would be arriving in the afternoon (return delivery from León).  So we did a lot of prep-work today.

    In the Streaming-Series "The English" (with Blake Lively) - the main character has a wagon breakdown, and is describing to her Native savior how she needs all of her stuff from the wagon.  He responds "The difference between what you want and what you need is what you can pack on a horse."
    We packed up everything we did not need prior to León (3-4 days) and went to the post-office and mailed it ahead (to León).  For flexibility on this leg (and not relying on shipping through this segment, since hostel reservations are difficult/impossible to plan), we need to be able to fit everything in either our backpacks, or our bicycle alforjas (saddle-bags). 
    [Another tribute to HS teacher Sr. Morales for teaching us what turned out to be a very useful work 'alforjas' in poem: "jaca negra, luna roja, y aceituneis en mi alforjas" (from the poem Cordoba by Frederico Garcia Lorca: black mare, red moon, and olives in my saddle-bags; if you are familiar with the poem, I am hoping that we fare better than the protagonist).]

    If all goes well, we will pick up our luggage in León, likely make some adds/subtractions, based on what we learn over the next 4 days, and ship that bag all the way to Santiago.

    After the post-office, we went for the full tour of the Cathedral, and I very much promise to bore you with some of the photos.  There is so much detail in so many rooms/chapels/sepulchers/etc, I suffered sensory overload, and only remember a few specific nuggets.  But I do have a lot of pictures for those folks who are Art History Majors (although I have included only a small number of them).
    I think the major themes are - it was built over a Roman Church from the 1100s.  Construction of the current Cathedral started about 13th century through 17th century, and has been in continuous renovation since.  A number of Bishops and Kings and Royalty commissioned famous artists/architects, who achieved immortality because we are still speaking of them.  And a lot of them are buried here.  There are also a few items related to El Cid.

    After changing hotels again, we got an early dinner, and went back to the bike-shop.  No bike.  The delivery truck did not come.  When is it coming?  I will call and find out.  Uh, maybe 20 min.
    Clark tries out a bike (already there).  Seems to work, and he still remembers how to use pedals and can balance some. 
    20 minutes later, a delivery truck arrives with a dozen bikes.  One is the size/style that will suit Jana.  She tries out the bike.  Seems to work, and she still remembers how to use pedals and how to balance some.

    Tomorrow.  9AM.  With our stuff.  We will fill our alforjas, strap our backpacks behind the seats, and attempt about 60 km to the recommended location for 3 days to León.  At which point we will either return the bikes, or extend, depending on how this goes, and how much walking Jana wants to do.  And we will again have to figure out luggage (or mail more stuff). 
    Regardless, our Camino progress restarts tomorrow.  Photos/birding-updates might be a little more spotty since we will be riding bikes rather than walking.

WEEK 2 STATISTICS (one day late):
        260km completed (walked) - 35% complete
        493km remaining
        80 new (to us) bird species identified

        Almost 200km to León.  Should be covered in about 3-4 days by bicycle.

    

    Some photos:

    This is a high-school across the street from the bike-shop (Secondary School Cardenal López de Mendoza); we saw all the kids entering before the starting bell.  This building was built as art/religion school - from 1537 to 1579, and devoted fully to high-school starting in 1847.  This high-school was built more than 200 years before the writing of the US Constitution.  

    Topiary along the riverfront:

    Some photos of the church for Art History Majors (expand photos for amazing details - especially some of the ceiling shots):

    Then there are the clockmaker automatons that have hands and mouths that move as they strike the bells at the top of each hour.

    And at the top of the next hour (VIDEO):

    There are so many other spectacular views/images, but also some disturbing ones.  The Choir Room had carvings/paintings on all of the seats.  If you zoom on the one open chair...

    Or this cherub at the doorway in the same room:

    Or zoom in on the bars that separate the choir from the adjacent room, the details are not just design, but there are unique semi-demonic faces up and down each of the bars.

    And so many carvings:

    And painted plasters:

    And Relics:

    I thought this one was interesting, especially for one Discworld-y detail (though it is the back of 8 turtles, rather than on the back of 4 elephants on a single turtle):

    And El Cid, and his Cofre:

    And the library vault, where the spines on the books are >3ft high:

    After leaving the Cathedral, and going back to the River, a maybe last look at the gate into Burgos Cathedral District:

    Today went from blue skies to storms pretty rapidly.  Form our early dinner location:

    And a (more distant) view of the Cathedral from our abode tonight, nearby to the bike shop:

    If all goes well, tomorrow should be sunny again in Burgos (before the storms come back here Sunday/Monday), and the update will hopefully be with Burgos 50km in the rear-view mirror.