Dear Mum, family and friends

Walking down the main street of Hornillos del Camino gives an eerie feeling of being in a western film-set. I'm expecting cowboys to clatter by any minute. We're on the Meseta now and the landscape and the houses are a matching adobe colour.

A majestic sunrise moved us out of Burgos along alfalfa fields and then through harvested fields. I read that wheat is grown in good soil and barley and rye in poorer soil. I couldn't tell the difference but loved the golden colour. Sometimes our path was red, other times golden and then film-set adobe.

There are a lot more pilgrims on the path. They're from North America, Australia, England, Ireland, Belgium, lots from Germany, France..... They're all ages and mostly friendly. Some are doing a week's walk, others have as long as it takes.

Tonight we had dinner with a Polish couple who have ridden from Poland. It's their 39th wedding anniversary and they're fulfilling the woman's 30 year dream. They're shipping their bikes home from Santiago and hope to go on to Fatima.

Last night we visited Burgos Cathedral in it's Castilian glory. It's an agglomeration of 11th -16th century architectural triumphs. A self-guiding audio took us through the various chapels, most built by bishops as burial sites for themselves and their families. Everywhere magnificent artworks, sculptures, staircases, arches and domes dazzled. Every kind of painting, carving, sculpting and moulding was represented. Luscious altar pieces of carved resin and gold abounded. Every angel and saint had a home. One chapel was decorated in the style of 'fear of empty spaces' - and true enough there wasn't room for a mosquito to land.

We have more meseta walking tomorrow. The grocery-store-man stamped my credential today - 469kms to Santiago! 

 Love to you all. I'm taking you with me.