Day 19
I wore my fleece jacket for the first time while hiking and my versatile sarong was an ideal scarf. Temps were forecasted to drop significantly to 49F / 9C and they were spot-on. I was grateful to be moving to keep warm.
I heard dance music when I left the albergue and thought it must have been a radio left on – or maybe in one of the vehicles along the main street. Much to my surprise – it was 4.5 km away at an all-night teen dance party in the next town. It was just dispersing when I passed by there at 6 AM. I was so glad I hadn’t pushed myself yesterday to do another 4.5 km!
This morning I was only 12 km from Leon. But since it’s such a huge city that, once there, it takes at least an hour to make it to the cathedral area.
I found a lovely cafe in the sun (to warm me up) and had First Coffee with some sort of flaky pastry that had been dipped in chocolate. Fabulous! I do love that walking so much burns a lot of fat and calories- treats like these are guilt free.
I’ve been to Leon before. Particularly in the older portion – it’s got a lot of character and is a good place to stroll. Maybe if I had someone to explore it with or something in particular I was looking for it would have been more appealing stay. They’re known for their tapas bars in the evening – but the idea of hanging out all day to pay to eat when my appetite hasn’t been very big – wasn’t very inviting.
I tried to visit the cathedral but there was an admission fee – at least at the entrance I’d found. That, combined with an older gentleman begging at the entrance, seemed a bit too ironic. I made my choice then picked up my pack and kept walking.
A little further was San Isidoro, a large, beautiful gothic church definitely worth a visit. No fee required.
My original thought was to stop at Virgen del Camino – about 8 km beyond Leon. When I got there I realized the highway went right through it. It was loud, hot, and featureless. So I kept walking.
Shortly after the town’s edge the trail splits. One option is to stay with the highway. And the other is to head to the quiet backroads. Was definitely feeling the second option was for me.
Gorgeous rustic landscape. Dusty roads. I reached the second town after only 4 km. I probably could have kept going – but the songbirds in the green valley told me to stay. There were a couple options for accommodations and I chose the more earthy ‘mom & pop’ version – not the one associated with a hotel chain. The cat and dog in the courtyard next to the hammocks indicated that I’d chosen correctly.
The hostess handed me an actual linen sheet and pillowcase for my bunk instead of the disposable paper ones most places have (which is why I bring my own pillowcase).
There’s no hot water in the shower – but that’s a first world issue. It’s my first cold shower this Camino. But I kept telling myself it was no where near as cold as the Victorian pond my friend Meg swims in in London. Truly. She does so for sport and never complains.
The songbirds were right. It’s a peaceful little town. Very quiet. Huge improvement over the sound of the highway. And it’s made me rethink my next few days. I really enjoy being about 12 km ahead of the traditional stage end. I think if I keep this up I’ll be able to shave a day off of my Camino to use at the end to relax. I’ll also have the benefit of stopping in less-busy towns and enjoy frequenting places that might not see as many visitors. Tonight’s 13€ for a bottom bunk and I’m currently the only one in the room. After laundry was done and on the line, I had a very solid siesta.
More later…
If you’d like more information about my walk for charity:water, please follow this link. Thank you!
https://www.charitywater.org/marilyn-peterson/marilyn-s-camino-for-water
Keeping walking past the obvious that first presents itself and finding something more worthwhile seems to be a repeating theme here. Wondering how I can apply that to my own life. Trust you got all your laundry from the line at your last stop and you are not still in a tank top, sports shorts and flip flops.