Today, the pilgrim travels from Belorado to St. Juan de Ortega.

The journey takes us through the villages of Tosantos, Villafranca and onto St. Juan de Ortega. It is an uphill climb rising to 1,150M - Alto Carnero.

There is a variety of terrain and unlike yesterday a glorious 90% on paths and earthen tracks. From the suburbs of Belorado the path continues parallel to the N-120 along level open countryside but with some shade provided by hedgerow and woodland.

Half way along this stage, at Villafranca Montes de Oca, the path climbs through these 'mountains' (high point at just over 1,000m) with its cover of oak and then pine before dropping down to the remote pilgrim village of St. John of the Nettle Saar Juan de Ortega a disciple of Santo Domingo.

Here, far from the distraction and speed of the modern world we find a slower pace and time, perhaps, to contemplate the inner journey.

Espinosa del Camino - a sleepy village and we pass along its short main street onto an earth track up a short rise at the top of which Villafranca becomes visible.



We continue down the other side passing the 9th century ruins of Monasterio de San Felices de Oca with its distinctive Mozarabic horseshoe arch.

Count Diego Porcelos, founder of Burgos, is buried below these ruins. We pass his statue on the way into the city.

The track now takes a wide sweep to avoid the main road that we have to join for a dangerous 900m slog to cross the rio Oca and enter Villafranca de Montes de Oca.

Villafranca de Montes de Oca - The untidy approach, with its truck stop for vehicles using the Puerto de la Pedraja, belies the historic roots of this town that welcomed pilgrims as early as the 9th century.

This is one of several Villafrancas along the way that became home to Franks arriving as pilgrims and returning as artisans thus giving these towns their familiar appellation.

The village is located at the foot of the Montcs de Oca, formerly a wild unpopulated area and notorious for the bandits that roamed its slopes preying on pilgrims.

Of note are the Church of Santiago (rebuilt several times and housing an unusual shell baptismal font and several images of the Saint) and the pilgrim Hospice of Saint Anthony the Abbot Hospital de San Antonio Abad.

This handsome building was sometimes referred to as the Queen's Hospice, as witnessed by the royal coat of arms that adorn the entrance gate.



Today, the town straddles the noisy N-120 which cuts its way through the Pedraja pass and runs broadly parallel to the camino until the latter strikes off to the remote village of San Juan de Ortega.

Fuente de Mojapan - Moisten Bread Fountain. From here we have the shade offered by oak woods and later on the pine forests that accompany us all the way to San Juan de Ortega.

Monumento de los Caidos - A stark monument to the fallen during the Spanish Civil War. From here we descend steeply to a footbridge over the Peroja stream nrroYo Peroja before climbing up the other side and dropping down again.

Ermita de la Valdefuentes - adjacent to the main road, this tiny chapel and its cool spring water offer refreshment before the final isolated passage through the pine forest and heather covered moorland.

Here we climb to the highest point of today's route at 1,050m before descending gently to San Juan de Ortega - our destination for today.