You can read all the books, watch all the videos, read all the posts, and scour all the websites. But there are a million things you just can’t know until you’re here. We call this “boots on the ground” in the business world.

Like, how hard is today’s climb going to be? Which things in my pack are absolutely essential, and which things could I possibly leave behind? Can I climb the spindly ladder to the top bunk in the dark? How do I sleep in a small room with 19, or 29, or more other (often noisy) adults?

There were a couple of minor setbacks, but the local advice I got for getting to Burgos from last night’s hotel turned out to be excellent.

You speak Spanish, she said (kindly). Just ask someone which way to go at the fork in the road.

There was no one to ask, but I somehow found the right fork off of the highway path and along the river path into Burgos.

I found my hotel, on the same square as the cathedral, but it was too early to check in. So I dropped off my backpack and walked around the city a little.

Just in time for the rain to come. Fortunately I grabbed my raincoat before I checked my backpack in. My gear has held up pretty well—I will no doubt have entire days of hiking in the rain in the coming weeks.

Tomorrow I’ll visit the cathedral and the new Museum of Human Evolution. A refreshing juxtaposition that the people of this very traditional religious community seem to embrace.