Yesterday was a 13 mile relatively flat walk from Burgos to Hornillos. What should have been an easier day was made difficult by the discomfort my hiking boots are causing me.

I have the Altra Timps Hikers, and while they are great boots in many regards (wide toe box, very cushioned sole, grippy treads), they are also constructed with a rigid heel cup for added stability. In the space of 3 weeks, this has gone from not problematic, to mild discomfort, to painful pushing on my heel bones, to now altering my gait and limiting my speed. I’ve used 2 different types of insoles to adjust the height of where my heels were hitting, even splicing both types together to try to get some relief. By the end of yesterday, I knew I needed to replace these boots with something that had a less rigid heel.

Two issues: I’m in little villages in the middle of nowhere with a large city (Burgos) 13 miles behind me, and the next one (possibly Carrión de los Condes) several days ahead. Secondly, it’s Sunday, and Spain pretty much is closed on Sundays. But, I saw that the Decathlon store in Burgos, (a major sporting goods retailer) was open Sunday. So, this morning I made the decision to go BACKWARDS to Burgos, figuring I’d buy my shoes, taxi back to where I left off and still get about 10 kms today. I wait outside the store for an hour and a half until the promised opening time of 10:00. And….nothing. They never opened, despite the posted sign promising otherwise. This happens with regularity in Spain. They take chill to a whole new level here.

So. I’m staying here (Burgos) tonight, hitting up a shoe store in the morning, taxiing back to where I left off and planning a short day of walking tomorrow. That way I’m not missing any parts of the trail. It’ll put me a day and a half behind where I’d like to be, so I will have to make that up over the next couple weeks.

Adaptability and flexibility are the lessons of the day.

Some pics from yesterday…