Cause for celebration

I realized after my last post that I have not been doing a very good job of relating where I actually am at any given moment. Today I find myself in Burgos, a very large city by camino standards. We also happen to be staying in a very nice albuergue. The albuergues (hostels specifically for pilgrims) vary greatly in their comfort levels and offering from spare rooms kept by old couples (more common in France) to government-funded hotels made albuergues, like the one we are in tonight. Never knowing what one will find at the end of a day´s hike teaches one to appreciate whatever blessings do happen to be waiting. Today those blessings are ample.
Today is also a happy day because we have been reunited with some of our earliest friends from the camino. Due to injuries, different paces, varied itineraries and any number of other factors, there is no assurance that I will be walking with a particular person for long. Thus it is a joyous occasion when we are reunited with old friends. Tonight we are going to celebrate by taking dinner at a local restaurant. This is not an every night affair. More often than night, it´s preferable to buy groceries ourselves and cook in the alburgue. Sometimes the decision is made for us, as a small town may not have a restaurant or grocery (or either on occasion). At any rate, tonight we celebrate, and I do not doubt that there will be many such celebrations in the weeks ahead. We tend to find ourselves in the midst of old friends more often than mere chance would seem to have it.
As we continue to make our way across Spain, I am evermore amazed at the plethora of beautiful things and places. A couple nights ago I found myself walking through an old monestary founded by a local don after receiving a vision of the Blessed Virgin. Walking through the enshrined cave where the vision occurred and the garden designed to recall the Garden of Eden, I was simply overcome with awe for the place in which I stood. Passing such places is a common affair on the camino. In nearly every village one can find such old churches, some dating back as far as the 13th or 12th centuries. Such places coupled with the constant greetings of ¨Buen camino¨ serves as a constant reminder that I am walking a holy route, even if not all pilgrims are here for religious reasons.
I´ve got a little time before mass, so I am going to spend some time walking the streets of Burgos, enjoying the symphony of an old yet bustling city in the waning hours of the day. I hope everyone reading this can enjoy a bit of the peace I´m enjoying right now.