Burgos II

I stayed in Burgos today to see the sights, and because my schedule allowed a rest day. Of course I still had to be out of the hostel by 8 am according to pilgrim rules, so had to find another place for tonight. I just found a pilgrim's pension - almost like a hotel, beds, not bunks, with sheets and towels, but sharing the room with 3 other guys, and a little more expensive.
Then I went out exploring. At St Lesmes I came in on the middle of Mass, so stayed and received Communion to begin this new week, month, and part of the Camino.
Several other churches were locked or closed, but I did climb up to the top of the Hill on which Burgos is built to see the ruins of the old Castle, Fort, and city walls. Couldn't get in, but probably just as impressive walking along the outside and seeing the views from up there. History seems to say that they needed those walls and defenses, and the last occupiers then blew up the place as they were fleeing.
Finally I made it to the cathedral. Man has it got some bling also. I had visited 10th and 11th century cathedrals in France, while this has ancient roots, a lot of it is from the 15th and 16th centuries. Those years really made a difference. This is so much more fancy and refined, with  Renaissance tendencies, and all those rococo altarpieces. They evidently had done a lot of restoration work in the past decades, so it looked to be in pretty good shape. The guide says there are 21 side chapels! That means at least 63 altars (though I didn't count) as every chapel has multiple altars and tombs and monuments. It's just amazing. What I didn't particularly like was how it was broken up into smaller chapels. There was not that sense of largeness, even though it is like the third largest gothic cathedral in Spain. There isn't even a main aisle, as what we would consider the nave, is blocked off for the choir section. I guess that served the liturgy when there were the canons to chant the liturgies, but now you couldn't even have a procession from the main door to the main altar. It's quite unique!  Then there was the cloister, two stories, now enclosed with stained glass, and a museum, and displays and artwork. It probably took me a couple of hours to go through the first time and then went back later again just to be there and try to obsorb a little more. Then I went back for the pilgrim's Mass at 7:30. Pilgrims are called forward at the end of Mass for a special pilgrim's blessing. And there were quite a few of us.
Back at the pension they don't seem to have sold the other beds, so I have the room to myself.
Did I mention that the sun was shining today! Seems to have reached 65 degrees today, a lot better than the 45 degrees we've been having.
I wish you all God's blessings this night.