Camino Wander #3: Day 36

Leon

To be honest, I don’t even know if this is day 36 - the days seem to be blending together. But let’s just say it is.

I’m sitting on the bed in my hotel room staring up at the clouds. The window is open and I can hear the patrons in the bar downstairs. It’s almost 9 o’clock. You’d think that there was a party and it was aSaturday night, but that’s life in Spain in the evenings. It’s always like this more so in the cities but even in the villages things are still happening until 9-10-11 o’clock.

I’m not even sure what to write today. It’s been pretty uneventful. I got breakfast. Went to the pharmacy, which is actually an experience here. You approach the counter and tell them what you want. You don’t want the shelves and find it within the shop. Everything that you need is behind the counter and they will help you find the right thing for what you need. When I first arrived in Pamplona, I described the that I was having and they gave me some medicine that knocked the crud out within a day or two. I’ve never had such an immediate relief with cold medicine. Any time I’ve had an issue, I don’t hesitate to go to a pharmacy. They are brilliant here.

I also went to the supermarket. Replenish my snack supply for the trail. Went to the bank. Went to the post office where I sent a a couple of things home that I won’t need now, and they weighed half a kilo! That should help with the backpack.

When I stopped for a little indulgence of hot chocolate and churros, I sat outside and people watched for an hour.

The streets are filled with a mix of people.

Pilgrims, hobbling around in loose clothing and flip flop/thongs/sandals, with their crossover bags holding all the valuables.

Business people, heading to lunch meetings in their 80s-throwback business suits and kitten heels or, for the men, pinstriped suits and slicked back hair.

Tourists, wearing jeans, sparkly sneakers, and blazers with gold buttons, finished off with an abundance of gold jewellery.

And then there are the locals, dashing somewhere in an array of workout gear. I’ve never seen people move so fast in my life. Or maybe it’s an illusion since my brain is slowed down.

I can’t say any group blends with another. They are all pretty distinct, but the tourists are quick to give a downward look to the tired, grungy pilgrims walking past, as if they would catch a disease if they were to walk too close to them. To be fair, they may catch the Camino cold.

Seems that is my burden at the moment. I started off this morning with a sore ear and it has progressed since. It seems that another cold is on the horizon. I’m doing everything to battle it, but if it is a cold, I can pinpoint exactly which albergue where I caught it. It was filled with germy pilgrims that didn’t cover their mouth when they coughed up their lungs. Ahhhh… the Camino. The Camino cold seems inevitable, no matter how much fresh orange juice I consume.

It has been rather nice to rest in Leon. I’ve stayed here twice before, but have not had a positive experience on previous visits. I may have broken the cycle. Let’s hope so anyway… although my time here is not yet over.

I had hoped to explore inside the cathedral during this visit. I’ve missed it the previous two times, but it seemsI’m destined not to. This time, it’s by choice. I went in today and discovered that the entry fee was SEVEN euros and, with the exchange rate, that’s outrageous. There wasn’t even a pilgrim discount, which most cathedrals offer, if they do charge a price. When I looked in my purse to pay, I realised I had about four euros, all in change. I saw it as a sign. So I walked out, looked up and thought about the insanely long essay I wrote about this cathedral in year 11/12, and figured I can always google it online if I want to see inside. Besides, I took a lovely photo of it last night from the outside. I’m satisfied with that. The Catholic Church can rip off someone else. It won’t be me this time. Mostly I wanted to light a candle but there are plenty of churches where I can do that.

Tomorrow I will move on to Astorga. I would normally walk there, taking about three days, but after changing my plans I cannot find accommodation for two stops. Plus, I have heard reports of wild lavender so I’m not going to risk it. I will need to slow down once I teach there, because I still have reservations moving forward, one of which is O Cebreiro, which took me months to secure. I’m not missing that one.

Steps: 6,938 steps

Distance: 4.7 km (yes, it counts, even on ‘rest’ days!)

Feeling: Ready to move on.