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: Ledigos to Bercianos del Real Camino

19/05/19
This was one of my favorite days on the Camino.
We purposefully planned a meandering day, waiting for our friend, Bill, to join us for breakfast #1 in Ledigo as we knew our crew would split off today. We then walked through small villages, enjoying a tasty breakfast #2 in tiny Bar #2. It is a joke on the Camino as pilgrims pile into the first bar/cafe they find in a town as they are eager for sustenance & a bathroom, often ignoring a superior and empty Bar #2. Today we went to bar #2 for my first taste of avocado on the Camino. I know, crazy talk.

We said so long to friends after touring the historic town of Sahagan to finish our long walk to Bercianos del Real Camino where a surprise awaited us. After touching goodbyes & hugs, Laura & I headed off for the remaining 10k only to find we were headed the wrong way. We had to slink right back past our crew admitting our poor sense of direction.

We had reserved a private room in a cute aubergue in Bercianos only to find we had been placed in a group room in top bunks- Laura's first introduction to aubergue stay. We practiced our quiet gear prep, quick showers & silent getaway at sunrise. Next, heading off to Mansilla de las Mulas on our way into the province & city of Leon.
30k to Bercianos (a whopping 1900 population) via Sahagan (population 200)

At adorable Bar #2

With pals Laura & Bill

So glad someone had the foresight & kindness to plant miles of trees

Camino: Carrion de los Condes to Ledigos

18/05/19
Welcome to the Meseta (plateau) with its endless flat views, fields of yellow flowers, gravel paths & minimal towns/bathrooms (priorities.) We happened into two unexpected food trucks (a gold mine.) We also encountered a series of cardio exercise machines in parks alongside the Camino. It seems like poor placement, doesn't it? There are also a series of hobbit houses built into the hillside. These are to store valuables like vino!

Our inn in Ledigos was one of my favorites. On the camino you have no sense of the date or day of the week until Sunday or Monday closures smack you in the face. This was Saturday night in Ledigos. Our In also served as the town's only bar and restaurant so we enjoyed the lively atmosphere, new folks and a spotless modern facility.
26k to Ledigos (population 80)

Why put cardio machines on the side of a 500 mile hiking path?

I could keep my wine collection here