Day 11: Sun and Shandies (Santo Domingo to Tosantos)

Clara Tarryn and I, broke from the pack this morning pretty much to escape Claudio's voyeuristic nature and incomprehensible questioning which was really rubbing the girls up the wrong way.

The walk was a strange one today as it mostly ran parallel to the main road and although lorry drivers regularly gave us encouraging honks and waves it did little to dissolve the bleak surrounds.

There were plenty of stops along the way though which did add interest. Granon was our first stop where we encountered a great cafe called Barbackana - it was a vintage ice cream truck next to a canopy filled with fairy lights and sun flowers adorning the white trestled walls. It looked brilliant.

Our sore feet eventually reached Belorado, the usual pilgrimage stop. Here there was a vast plaza with various trinket shops, restaurants and cafes. After order a goat's cheese and balsamic vinegar bochadillo from a woman with a plaster loosely hanging from her cheek we decided that we would travel the extra seven kilometres to Tosantos in order to spring board ourselves towards Burgos in another night's time so that we would have longer to explore them.

After walking on a gravel path that zig zagged through wheat and sun flower fields for another hour we arrived at Tosantos. After finding out albergue we realised that we had stumbled across a small slice of paradise. The owners, Carlos and Jessica, were fantastically helpful and had a delicate and kind disposition. They had made their home into an immaculate garden with sun loungers and pear trees surrounded by seperate dorms filled with bunk beds.

Listening to music and massaging my feet whilst sipping a lemon beer at regular intervals in the evening sun was fantastic.

Having played cards and undertaken some lengthy phone calls home we turned to our beds and prepared to walk to Ages tomorrow!