Day 3: Burgos throws a party

Today we say adios to Madrid and start our trek north. A taxi to the airport car rental company then half an hour of waiting and paperwork and we were ready to head out of the city in our Fiat 500 convertible. Tiny car, no roof. That’s how we roll. And we were rolling with no sunscreen because it turns out that was left behind in the hotel in Madrid. 😖

But we persevere! A quick stop along the road (where my kindergarten Spanish proved mildly useful) and we were back on the Autovía Norte. We arrived in Burgos just before 14.00 and proceeded to experience Google maps hell. Our hotel is in the middle of the old city so the driving directions were a bit inscrutable. The now annoying vocal cues kept telling us to turn onto what looked like a pedestrian plaza. Given our history with foreign traffic violations, we were loathe to take that turn. After five spins separate attempts involving lots of traffic and a large roundabout we took the plunge.

Guess what? There was an access road through the plaza! But the plaza and the road were PACKED with people. We spotted another car trying to plow through the crowd so we made a convoy. The revellers were all dressed in purple and white, enjoying mas bebidas, and cheering as we honked our horn at their insistence. We eventually made it to the hotel where we learned that this weekend started the festival of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and that it would be one big street party. 🎉

Once checked on, we joined the party! There were THOUSANDS of people milling about the streets in the hot sun. We eventually found a spot to eat at a place called Flor de Scotia – yup, a Scottish themed pub with Brewdog on tap and all. We wandered the old town marvelling at the number of marching bands also parading through the old city.

Eventually we needed a break from the heat and the people so it was time for the main attraction- the Burgos Cathedral. Eight hundred years of church history with both gothic and baroque architecture, it is a massive structure that is firmly embedded in the city and dominates the landscape. (For those playing along at home, the stained glass obsession got its first feeding!)

After ogling the gilt and statuaries while enjoying the cool interior, it was time to venture back out to the town. The crowds had thinned considerably and we decided it was time for siesta. Back to the hotel for some kip and a showers to freshen up. Then we joined the now enormous throng of people who had returned for the party. There were bands playing at various stages in squares and even in car parks. They often battled with the marching horns that would pass by. People were everywhere , dancing and singing. Kids filled squirt guns from local foundations and battled it out while mom and dad enjoyed caña and calimocho (a mix of red wine and cola- very yummy!)

We also indulged in some beverages while enjoying a performance by Nacho Pistachio before finally looking for something to eat. The massive crowd made this challenging but we eventually snagged a table just before 10pm to enjoy dinner and people watching. Frank tried the local delicacy Morcilla – a kind of blood sausage- and some Spanish BBQ ribs. Both were deemed tasty. I opted for a salad which was also delicious. Thousands of people were still milling about the streets; young people (read:those under 30) were toting plastic shopping bars with boxes of vino tinto and bottles of cola. At some point my crowd tolerance was breached and we decided to call it a day. We made it back to the hotel just shy of midnight.

Highlights for the day: