Having fun in Leon…

Just to prove the Romans were here! This huge Roman built wall still stands!

On the way back from the laundromat, we spotted this. Spain is sorry, as other countries are, that many things have been done away with that we wish were still here.

We got a kick out of seeing this store, a French chain, that we shopped nearly every week in Taiwan!

We never had this kind of selection!!!

We did tour around the city center quite a lot. In and out of the cathedral, lots of sidewalk cafes. When we were ready to leave town, the hotel lady gave us some advice on catching a city bus for part of the walk through an industrial section. We went to the bus stop suggested and the bus driver said no and explained in Spanish what we should do. We didn’t have a clue what she said! We went back to the cathedral area, missed the first Camino arrow, backtracked,got on right path and ended up at the correct bus stop. Surprisingly, a city bus went past and the driver was waving to us – it was the same driver we first went to and we think she was thrilled we got to the right place! But, of course, now any steps we were going to save were already surpassed by all the confusion. Life on the Camino.

It Did Rain…

The day started out just fine.

Janice, correctly, stopped to put on her pack cover and poncho. I, incorrectly, thought if we kept our heads down and forged ahead, we could beat the rain. Not a chance. It was just like an afternoon thunderstorm in Tennessee or any number of areas we have lived. It was not a high light but just part of the walk. My little umbrella tried valiantly to keep the small hail and water at bay but gave up, bending and breaking. But soon the storm moved on and the sunshine returned. Janice and I got separated for a short time and our hotel was not easy to find but we found each other and our room. We had another good dinner in Fromista.

It could Rain…

We made it to this fancy hotel in Castrojeriz just before the rain started. We didn’t know until the next morning that Bill Burke, the mountain climber stayed there also. As we were eating breakfast he walked up to say hello!

Beautiful hotel but need to constantly “mind your head.” We had a lovely dinner in a cafe just down the street.

Walking and Walking…

Leaving the city behind.
Signs like this will be easy to find but we will encounter a few places where you wonder.
But when you com to a fork in the road, you take it
It is a great morning for walking!
Sunflowers are a favorite crop in this part.
Old sign markers, walked past by many a pilgrim.
On the outskirts of Hornillas – enlarge and you can see the trail stretched out before us. We had seen this view in guide books and on the web and now we get to see in person!

Pilgrims Partaking in Paella and Palaver…

A great group dinner.
People from all over sharing, working toward the same goal and experiencing many of the same problems. A dinner not to be forgotten!!
Just off the patio was an area to wash clothes with clothes rack, sinks and a machine.
When our host saw our passports and our ages she gave each of us a lower bunk! How nice was this! And here the top bunk was higher than last night – the extra room makes a difference!