Day 9: Azofra to Belorado

 Departed Azofra at 7 am. It was cold, but the sky was clear, and there was an amazing sunrise. Met a nice German lady at breakfast.

It was going to be a long 37 km slog.

At around 10 km, we passed a golf club that looked operational, but nearby there were a few hundred houses that appeared pretty derelict — almost like a ghost town.

My legs were feeling it when I stopped for breakfast after 15 km. Met a cyclist who was really taking it easy.  He was only starting his day and had set off three days earlier than me from SJPdP.  I asked if he had been spending more days in the bigger cities.

I also met Pascal again, and the German lady whose name I, unfortunately, can’t remember. The landscape changed from forests to crops. At one point, I even saw a micro glider overhead.  Had a huge salad for lunch in Grañón. About 5 km further on, we encountered the development of a major new road that dominated the Camino for the next 7–9 km. I stopped at a bar, but they had no electricity, so no coffee — just a lemonade and an orange. Met four Irish ladies doing a week on the Camino; this was their third time doing a segment. From the bar to the accommodation was another 5 km. That was the longest 5 km yet, as my legs dragged on a stony path under the hot sun.

When we checked in, all hell had broken loose because of the electricity outage; the owner didn’t know exactly how many people were booked in. Thankfully, I had my email confirmation to show her.  About 1 hour 30 minutes after I arrived, Mark and Ron turned up — they had covered 41 km. OMG!

The albergue was excellent, although it went from just two people in the room last night to close to 18 tonight. I booked in for dinner, and the food was excellent.

Church in Gañon

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Tomorrow, I’m heading to Atapuerca — 30 km.