Camino Wander #3: Day 35

San Nicholas del Real Camino To Leon

I have made the halfway mark on the Camino. It seems like it's taken me forever to get here.

Before I left my albergue yesterday morning, I thanked the (Italian) albergue owner for restoring my faith in the Camino spirit. As a pilgrim, her albergue was geared toward making our stay comfortable. The food was not the standard pilgrim’s menu, including Italian hazelnut gelato for dessert - I would have an extra day just for that gelato - but the beds were comfortable, there was plenty of toilet paper, there was room in the showers to change, it had a lovely bar, great coffee, amazing dinner, and outdoor space and rest.

And Daniela (owner) told me there was a bus to Leon - that left just before 1pm, rather than staying around Sahagun (a very sad, tired looking town) until 6pm for the train. Brilliant!

So, I put on my pack and off I walked - it was still cool, there were a few rolling hills, and I saw wild forget-me-nots and rosemary as I walked from the incredible albergue - I would not forget Daniela anytime soon!

I got to Sahagun, got my halfway certificate from the monastery (originally built in the 1300’s!)- it was beautiful and quiet and peaceful. They even had a library with some books that made me question who the books were for (although I did not find ‘The Thorn Birds’- 🤣). With my certificate tucked away, I headed to the bus station.

As the bus made its way to Leon, some 60 kilometres, I saw what I would have been walking would three days of pure hell. It was long, straight, barely shaded path and I saw pilgrim after pilgrim looking like the walking dead. I have never been so happy to be in an air-conditioned bus heading to my destination.

As I stepped off the bus in Leon, I saw a man that looked very familiar. I approached him and asked, “excuse me, are you Bruce from the Blue Mountains?”

It was! I've met Bruce from the Blue Mountain Camino group at least once, maybe twice. He is an elderly man who paints beautifully, and to see him in Spain was a complete shock. It took him a moment after we began chatting, but he remembered me. His explanation for doing another Camino is that he has a brown box waiting for him at home, but he's not ready to be in that brown box just yet, so he's going to keep walking away from it. That’s how he put it.

I was busting for the toilet, so I excused myself and off I went, making my way toward the hotel. What happened next felt bizarre, yet I know this happens all the time. It feels strange to me though because I haven’t seen people I know for at least a week - most people I have talked with for more than. Buen Camino are way ahead of me. Two people I met on day one - probably more - have already made it to Santiago.

As I stood at reception, I heard: “hey it's Tara!” and when I turned around, there's were a UK couple- Steve and Cecilia - I met at dinner in Boadilla. Absolutely lovely couple - and funny!

While I was checking in, I also booked time in the pool. They have a thermal pool in the hotel - one reason I booked this hotel. Cecilia asked what time I had booked - “5.30”, I said, and laughed and said that was their booked time too.

“Meet you there!” Cecelia said.

“Bring the bubbles,” said Steve.

I had a shower and had some time between then and the pool. so I went on the hunt for a late lunch. I ran into Ulf from Holland - looking lost - so he joined me (I met Ulf in Castrojerez). We sat for a couple of hours, and were eventually joined by Philippa from Australia. A couple of wines later, along with an incredible goat cheese and walnut salad and a little gnocchi puttanesca to follow, I announced my date with the pool, so off I went.

The pool felt good, but it wasn’t just Cecelia’s, Steve and I that had booked in for 5.30 - there were another five people booked in (!), including a guy from Queensland. The time in the pool wasn't as restorative as the pool in Hontanas. I’ll blame the constantly blabbering Spanish women, who had no idea of personal space for that, but it felt very nice on the muscles nonetheless.

After that I headed down to the bar and joined Steve, Cecelia and the Australian guy (Michael?) at 7 o'clock for a drink - and we ended up being the last ones in there at midnight - it was hilarity the entire night. Once they found out I was a writer, it was full-on, coming up with all kind of creative things that I could include in my Camino novel. They are all in favour of a murder on the Camino, one that involves a snorer.

So now I've has the start of a my rest - I slept until about 7, laid in bed until about 9, went off for breakfast to find bacon and eggs (because I've had a massive craving and cannot find any for the life of me) and walked into a cafe to find Tom. Tom is a a retired Scottish minister (like a priest) and he is the loveliest man - just a giggle fest! So I sat there for two hours and had breakfast with him and, you know, we both told each other our life stories which is how it is on the Camino.

I do hope to see Tom again, and I know I will probably see Cecilia and Steve-O again. I’ll probably see Ulf at some point too.

I'm going to take another rest day. It’s going to be errand day this morning, then I will sleep for as long as I can and lay horizontal for as long as I can and elevate my feet try and get back into the pool while I'm here. I had to move hotels today - I couldn’t book the rest of my time here at the last one, so I am hoping the pool is better - otherwise it’s rest, rest, rest before I tackle the test.

I want to give you the reality of what it's like with the Camino, but I’m happy to report that more and more people are sharing with me that they are finding this Camino amazing/ incredible … some have even said life-changing, so I'm taking faith in that. Maybe I had my moment on the Camino. Maybe this is just a research trip… and that’s fine. The people watching alone is worth it, and a good reminder of what it’s like here.

Steps: 17, 873 steps

Distance: 13.1 km

Feeling: Happy to have stopped a few days for true rest.

These people know how to make a pilgrim feel welcome