April 23

Zero days are best spent with quiet wandering. Burgos is a beautiful old city particularly when clouded in early morning mist. Shoes in the mud rack, so I strolled in socks and sandals which among trekkers is perfectly fashionable. The old city is massive stone gates, squares, all circling the cathedral whose many spires just showed themselves in the early fog. Along the river are sculpted evergreens looking like Edward Scissorhands found employment here, and a magnificent two-story carousel. Spent the morning in a coffee shop catching up on email and writing about Whitehead only to walk out into the bright sun and a crowd of Saturday saunterers. In the square by the cathedral I stopped to watch a pack of four-year olds kicking a mini soccer ball around. Of course they start early here. Just before noon I visited the cathedral. Today, for the first time in history, they were having a beatification in Burgos, the five martires de burgaleses. My rusty Spanish did little to further my understanding of their martyrdom but I’m fairly certain it had something to do with the Spanish civil war. It was a fascinating and solemn event befitting its setting. Late afternoon was Spanish league soccer on the TV and listening to battling brass bands as they moved with their entourage from one square and venue to the next. All in all a satisfying, productive, and physically lazy day.

T. Hugh Crawford