El Burgo Ranero

Today...

It was short

Simple

Easy...  Well except the Camino path hasn't been maintained in years, but still easy.

Interesting, we got to walk thru a water pumping project construction zone. 

We left late, stopped for a really good breakfast, and still arrived in town early... Of course as far a days go this is a short one but we didn't want to go from short to damn long - There is no happy medium. 

Tomorrow we walk to Mansilla de las Mulas and take transportation to Leon where we have a zero day planned for Saturday.

And now, a continuation of yesterday's ramblings:

So here’s the thing, everybody loves to paint the Camino like it’s this magical postcard world, right? You get the Instagram shots with the perfect stone bridge, vineyards in the background, scallop shells dangling from packs, pilgrims smiling like they’ve just unlocked enlightenment. Movies do it too — everyone walking together, laughing, sipping wine, life transformed. And yeah, there is some of that. But most of it? That’s the highlight reel. That’s not the day-to-day.

The reality is blisters that feel like hot knives, feet that don’t want to take another step, sun that beats down on you in the Meseta until you start counting every telephone pole just to know you’re moving forward. You walk into a town and the last bed is gone. Boom. Now you’re walking another 5 km when your legs are already screaming. Showers that are basically dribbles, snorers that could rattle the roof off, laundry that never dries. And the routine — wake up, walk, shower, laundry, food, reset the pack, sleep. Over and over and over.

And the surprises? Not always good ones. Like when you confirm an albergue, feel good knowing you’ve got a bed, only to roll into town and find the hospitalero closed up yesterday for winter. No note, no warning, just gone. And now you’re dragging yourself, or worse, your kids, to the next town whether you’ve got the legs for it or not.

But — and here’s the important part — the Camino does have magic. It just isn’t free. That KAS Limón I keep talking about? It’s not magical soda. It’s the fact that you’ve earned it after walking 25 km in the heat. That pilgrim blessing in the chapel? It hits harder because your body’s worn out and somehow you’re still standing there in the moment. Running into Charlton again after days apart, or catching Hwa on the road like no time passed — that’s not luck, that’s the Camino giving you what you didn’t know you needed.

So why do I love it? Why, with all the slog and sweat and blisters, is it still under my skin like some itch I can’t stop scratching? Because life is simple out here. My entire world fits in a pack. I don’t need to juggle twenty things. It’s wake, walk, eat, sleep. That’s it. And it feels right.

Because the grind makes everything sweeter. The bed is softer, the shower hotter, the little meal in the little town feels like a feast.

Because every single day resets. No matter how bad yesterday was — and trust me, there are bad days — you wake up, lace up, and start over.

Because the people and the history and the random “Camino provides” moments are like nothing else.

And because of the freedom. Back home it’s alarms and appointments and rushing around. Out here, you can pivot on a dime, change your plans mid-step, and it’s all okay. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, even if it wasn’t in the plan an hour ago.

So no, it’s not the romantic postcard version that keeps pulling me back. It’s the dirt and the sweat and the grind. It’s the stripped-down life that somehow feels more real than anything back home.

And yeah, it sounds horrible when I lay it out like that — blisters, snorers, long hot stretches with no shade. Doesn’t sound like anybody’s dream vacation. But here’s the truth: it’s one of the most freeing and addictive things you can do in your life. And that’s why I keep coming back.

📊 Camino Stats – Thu Sept 25, 2025

Day: 22

Location: El Burgo Ranero

Distance today: ~19.5 km (Sahagún → El Burgo Ranero)

Cumulative walked: ~427 km

Remaining to Santiago (~770 km): ~343 km

% complete: ~55%

Avg so far: ~19.4 km/day

Needed avg to finish by Oct 13: ~19.6 km/day ✅