Day 16 - Burgos to Boadilla (try to find THAT on the map)

     OK - We are moving again.  We stopped at the bike shop at 8:45, in prep for their 9AM opening.  We got the bikes.  We got the instructions.  We packed all our stuff in the Alforjes (saddle-bags) - and it fit!  We have not ridden bikes in 20 years.  We are invincible!

    It doesn't matter that it is an eBike (mountain-bike).  Super-steep off-road terrain still requires strength and endurance.  And these are not the same muscles as when walking.  But we persisted, and after about 7 hours, rolled into Boadilla, some 60+ km from Burgos.  Made up a day on the walkers (30km is a looong walking day).  Finished with still quite a bit of charge on the bikes (being recharged right now).

    The Meseta is famously the 'boring' part of the Camino, but we did not find that.  Lots of wildflowers and birds - and close attention to terrain.  The Meseta is famously flat.  It may be flat-ter, but there certainly are hills, including a monster that really tested what we could accomplish.  The Meseta is also famously hot - that part is true.  Uphill was hot, but downhill we generated enough of our own breeze to be comfortable.

    So, with weary thighs, tired shoulders, sore necks (each of our bikes is a bit too big), and some hand blisters, we are thrilled.  About 9km before Boadilla, we stopped at an Abbey for a breather, and Jana struck up a conversation with one of the walkers resting there.  He heard we were going to Boadilla, and had just cancelled his reservations for 2 (his girlfriend/wife did not want to go any further that day), so they both contacted the Alburgue, and the Alburgue manager agreed to transfer the reservation.
    Turns out, two of the other Alburgues in town are closed (holiday?) for today, so once again, the Camino provided for us.  Two beds in the upstairs room (the last two of the 20 for the 'large' room).
    We checked-in, got our bike batteries charging, took showers, washed our laundry and put it on the line, and still had 15 minutes before the 7PM communal meal.

    Tomorrow, I'm sure, will be another challenge.  65km planned. 

    Less birding.  Can't look at my phone or linger a gaze at a tree while pedaling on a rocky trail.  But still identified 33 species (no new ones today) - though we heard a number of new ones.  Photos were also more opportunistic - but I'm not sure there were less.

    More story will come with the photos.  It was an eventful day:

    A last look from our most recent hotel room, where you can see both the cathedral, and above that, the castle on the hill (under reconstruction):

    We get BIKES!  And if you look carefully, you can see my extra layer of sun protection on my cheeks coming in.

        Street-lamps are different in Spain, and are strung over the roads.  This one has a Wood Pigeon on it:

Poppies!:

    Coming into our first town (Tardajos) - See those windmills?  Not a one of them was moving.  No wind.

    A spooky fountain in Rabe de las Clazadas - zoom in.  Lots of faces:

    This church was the highlight of our ride today.  At the far end of Rabe.  At this unassuming monastery, much smaller than the one at the town center, we were waved in by a pair of nuns, who gave us amulets and gave us each a benediction for a safe Camino.  Also a couple of wall inscriptions:

    Looking into the next valley after a long climb, and a landmark at the same viewpoint:

    More silent, stationary windmills.  It is always striking how large these things are:

    Stopped at Hornillos del Camino to pick up some water at this fountain.  With interesting decoration.

    A black kite:

    Jana rocking her bike:

    This was the style of road for most of our day.  Sometimes better, sometimes worse:

    A Northern Wheater:

    We ate lunch at Hontanas a shade before 2PM (when siesta might lock us out of another lunch opportunity).  We both got the vegetable paella.

    A Eurasian Griffon (a type of vulture):

    We passed this remnant of a tower.  On the map, it says something along the lines of "Remnant of a Tower"

    Some very nice wildflowers today:

    A climb into Castrojeriz (the castle on the hill on the left; the town church on the right).  We did not go ALL the way up, but it was close:

    See that white line on the hill in the background?  That is STEEP.  And up and up and up.  Outside of plain endurance, this was the real challenge of the day:

    About half-way up, and nearing the 75% stage (where I still had some view of the same valley below).  If I remember correctly, there was a sign that said 20% grade.

    We stopped at this rest area at the top (bench and shade).  For a while.  Took a number of photos at the start of the plateau here (before an equivalently steep downhill on the other side):

    A Corn Bunting:

    A beautiful Red Admiral Butterfly (first on thistle, then on the wall):

    And one more view to the valley below:

    A Eurasian Linnet sipping from a flower:

    At the prophetic Monastery (where Jana got our reservations figured out), the trees were snowing fluff on us.

    And the Monastery itself, with our hero one of the folks on the left:

    Passing our of the Burgos Province (green sign on road), and into Valencia (stone marker).  Still smiling!

    The photo is not spectacular, but the scene was.  There were about a dozen Bee-Eaters swooping over this hill.  This image captured two of them, though I guess you will have to trust me:

    We had to share the road with some tractors (zoom in down the road).  4 of them at different points.  All faster than us.  And they take the whole road.  We are not quite so nimble on our bikes as we are on our feet.

    Made it!  Town square:

    Our communal dinner (we were on the front left corner).  There were about 2x this many people eating outside

    That's all for now.  We are happy to be moving again, and overcoming any additional obstacles that may present themselves!  Until tomorrow!