Day 13: Puente Duero to Valladolid

Date	Jun 21
Today's Distance:	9 miles / 15 km
Route and Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	149 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1549 miles
Lodging:	Hotel Enara @ $ 40
Total Lodging:	$ 336
Buses / Trains:
Total Buses / Trains:	$ 23
Food:	$ 15
Total Food:	$ 211

Meaningful Moment

Deb and I visited the house where Cervantes wrote Don Quixote. It was an amazing feeling to be standing in the place, presumably at the desk where this great author wrote one of the classics of fiction.

Even though I figured the docent couldn't answer the question precisely, I had to ask if this was where he wrote. When she told me that this was in fact the place (his home) where he wrote Don Quixote, it was a very emotional moment to realize where I was standing and for how long he was at work on this amazing piece of literature.  Solo by virtue of walking the Camino Madrid, I had this experience. 

So even though time marches on, it is possible for the traveler to visit places of great significance and, so to speak, stand in the footsteps of giants.

Random Thought of the Day

Valladolid is an amazing city. Deb and I checked out some really cool places that normally one would not consider interesting. But we both tremendously enjoyed the house of Cervantes and later in the afternoon, the museum of modern art.

Had two great on the street meals and a nice drinking experience.

For lunch we had tapas at some bar near the hotel .

For dinner, we followed the recommendation of the hotel clerk to visit a particular plaza area where we would find lots of places to eat. We did and it was very enjoyable .

And then on the way back to the hotel, we passed two different plazas with ongoing music and crowds of people gathering in the streets to enjoy the atmosphere.

On the Road / Notable memories

Short 9 mile hike day today just to get from our stopover last night to the center of Valladolid, the largest city in Castile y Leon. 

Got to the hotel but it was too soon to check in. However they let us leave our bags and we were able to go get lunch and check out the house were Cervantes lived and wrote Don Quixote.

	Rio  Duero Third time I've crossed this river: Via de la Plata, Camino Portuguese and El Camino Madrid
	Courtyard of the Cervantes museum
	The patio
	Living room and desk
	The Man of La Mancha battles giants
	The Museum of modern art is in a former clustered Abbey.
	One of many wonderful plazas full of people and evening street life.
	Chuchería A candy store
	Local music