Camino: Breezing around Santiago de Compostela

08/06/19
It was strange to wake up with no alarm set & to know exactly where I would lay my head at the end of the day. It was also impossible not to walk.

So what to do? Take a walking tour, of course. This gave us the opportunity to learn the lay of the land, investigate Santiago's many Prazas (as they are called in Galicia), learn a bit of the rich architectural heritage of this fine city & see where all the fun cafes were. We also took advantage of a Cathedral Museum tour that gave us a glimpse into this historic building & even walk its outer balconies overlooking the square.

My favorite stop was, of course, the city's market. This sprawling permanent market not only houses hundreds of vendors for produce, cheese, meat, fish, wine & bread but also offers a dining hall where you can enjoy informal dining on the market's fresh items- one shop will even cook your newly-purchased fish for a few Euros. I was even able to find O'Cebreiro cheese & honey to bring back as a gift for Jeff.

It was also a pleasure to have dinner that didn't start before 6pm!  

Camino: Leon

21/05/19
We've made our way into the vibrant city of Leon where we've planned a day to rest & enjoy

Yes, we have matching Camino shirts!

the city from our cute apartment in the Barrio Humedo (wet area) full of fun sidewalk cafes and small town squares. Much of the city builds around the Leon cathedral. Well known for its exceptional stained glass, the cathedral was almost victim to an ill-fated & poorly executed restoration attempt. Luckily this beauty survived.

Leon also serves as Laura's last stop on the Camino & my friend Betty will join in here for a final leg of the journey into Santiago de Compostela. Small enough that you can continually happen into pals but also try new & different cuisine & shops, an extra day in Leon was a treat after a blur of daily hotel changes. Around every corner are pilgrim statues, parks, monuments, palaces and even a Gaudi-designed office building.

I'm a junkie for town markets & Leon didn't disappoint. It's farmers' market was full of mouth-watering fruit & veggies as well as trucks featuring what else- JAMON (ham). We also visited the permanent meat & fish market. These markets usually leave me quietly asking, "What do you think that is?" at some of the scarier items.

Leon (population 130,000)

A wee bit of wine was consumed

A night of laughter & selfies using my toes

Sophisticated rooftop bar

Camino: San Juan de Ortega to Burgos

12/05/19
Note to self: Do not get cavalier & miss the turnoff to the parklike side path that avoids miles of concrete jungle into town. 

Mark & I were chatting the entire hike today & enjoying the sites- sheepherders & their flocks, hilltop crosses & carefully navigating rocky terrain in strong winds when we realized we had missed a turnoff & were faced with a long trek through the industrial edges of Burgos. No backtracking on the Camino!

I was particularly excited to make it into this wonderful city as my pal, Laura, was joining me for the coming week. True to form, Laura was already at a cafe in the central square at the cathedral, sunglasses in place & vino tinto in hand, when we trudged into the town square. As more & more pals pulled in, we waylaid chairs to form a large group enjoying beverages. She fit right in with our grubby pilgrim selves.

We spent a rest day in Burgos, enjoying our fun & central apartment, the many restaurants & its enormous grand cathedral. We did learn that GoogleTranslate is also undependable when attempting laundry- as witnessed by my white shirt that is now a muddy grey. My husband, always the optimist, suggested I could pretend it was a new shirt!

Unfortunately we fought through a few health issues but were quickly on the mend and ready to hit the road as planned. We did however learn that no pilgrim stamps were provided at the local hospital.
28k to Burgos (population 180,000)

The Burgos cathedral is known for its size & splendor