It was a long ass drive to Madrid and so to break things up we thought we would stop off on the way and explore a different place not many people would go to. After some research online we settled on a place called Burgos. Unsure of what to expect we didn’t have high hopes but it didn’t matter to us we just saw it as a stop off. It turns out this was probably one of our favourite places!
We pulled up outside the university not the best spot but it didn’t matter to us. We wanted to stretch our legs. We looked up what t do of an evening and decided a nice first stop would be the castle atop the highest hill to overlook the city. As wed driven in we drove by a square, I was bustling with people an huge stage was set up and light glared through the darkness. But anyway we had still decided to go up the hill and see an overview of the place, this hill was soooooooo much steeper than we had anticipated and will our bikes in tow it really pushed our bodies and was surprisingly nice after being cooped up in the car for a few hours. As we arrived at the top the sun had completely set and darkness was illuminated by the city lights below. There was a carpark there which was empty so we thought why not camp here instead it seemed a lot more peaceful than the busy streets we overlooked and anyway being secluded in some ways does make you feel more secure and less like an absolute weirdo living in a van. Even from the top of the hill we could hear the booming music from the square and the flashing lights of the fiesta, it was like it was calling our name and so we went to investigate. Locking up the bikes we strolled around the pedestrian streets lined with bustling tapas bars. The locals were out in force and well and truly celebrating. I wonder if the city was like this any other night? It was pretty late so eating in somewhere could be difficult (read back to hangry Ellena in Bilbao – you understand the struggle is real!) and so I had a superb brainwave – lets get takeaway pizza and eat it in the van! I didn’t expect to get much but we came across this tiny takeout place and was completely surprised. It was a proper authentic style pizzeria you know the ones with real bases hand needed not the frozen ones well that is what they served! Greedily we ordered and stocked up my bike basket before riding along the river towards the van. When we’d pulled up at our new spot and filled our bellies we decided why not stay another day? The beauty of our journey is flexibility so we made the most of it and decided not to rush off but spend the morning exploring why Burgos had to offer in the daylight.
After revisiting the stunning view form the castle view top once we’d woken up we left our bikes at the van (I was not dragging it up that hill again!) and headed to the cathedral.It was so much bigger than I imagined. The architecture was a stunning collection of gargoyles and statues exquisitely carved yet worn over time. We ended up back on the streets we walked the night before, so different in the day it seemed like one half had shut and a whole new half had opened up. We stopped at an artisan bakery for a spot of brunch and using the wifi set a plan into motion.
Joshua was desperate to go on a friends stag do but understandably didn’t want me to be alone in the van or somewhere unsafe. The party was in Lisbon but we were so far away and planning on heading to Madrid next so we came to an agreement. We would both head to Madrid where I would check into a hotel and relax in luxury (kerching!) and Joshua would drive the van to Lisbon and crash with the boys. It was only for a couple of nights and to be honest I was beyond excited for a pool, wifi, air con and a shower!! So all set up and booked we get back on the road excited for an unexpected adventure.
