Ah, León! Big city today. I made it in and found my albergue by 11:30, and once I was cleaned up and heading out, I came out of the albergue to see Ed and. Marty heading up the street! They had walked a lot farther yesterday, so they made it into town a lot earlier. But they were staying at the same place. I had sort of thought I’d be walking around León all on my own, so it was nice to find friends.
We went to a café for a lovely lunch – the kind where you actually have a waiter serve you at your seats. That’s lots of class for pilgrims! It was also fascinating to people watch, as we were sitting on the terrace. Many pilgrims were following the way right beside us, and we saw some more friends as they came into town. Of course, once we finished lunch and were going to head to the cathedral, everyone started closing up for siesta. Ugh. I know I just said yesterday that siesta is growing on me, but I wasn’t expecting it in a big city!
So we went to our albergue and took our siestas. Actual naps, people! That’s what pilgrims do! (Marty and Ed said they had an American in their room who is just starting her pilgrimage; she was sort of looking around like, what on earth is happening?!)
At 4:00, we went to tour the cathedral. It is a gorgeous piece of gothic architecture filled with light filtering through hundreds of panes of stained glass. Beautiful! Burgos’ cathedral felt excessive; this one was elegant in its simplicity.
After ice cream and shopping, we made our decisions for supper. And now have to wait until 8:30 for the place we want to go to open. That’s right – 8:30. It’s a different life here, people! So some more nice relaxing is in order. Ahh.
I have a pilgrim friend who is now a day ahead of me. We are Facebook friends and she gave me some walking and albergue advice today. It’s nice to have an idea of what lies ahead – that’s normally so rare! I barely even glance at the next day’s walk in the guidebook. It is really life lived one day at a time here!

Yesterday was a long, long, long and hot 31 kilometres. I set out later than I had intended, and the day got hot quite early. We made it to Sahagún, which had several interesting churches and ruins to check out, including a church made of adobe bricks! But none of the cafés were open, so we actually ended up leaving town with no food. I stopped to eat an orange and drink some water, and then ran into some friends after another hour of so of walking. We finally made it into a town another hour and a half later, and collapsed into chairs at the first bar we found. After a 30 minute rest, Marty and I decided we did want to push on to the town our guidebook recommended , because a break always makes you feel like you’re all right. I would not have walked on without someone else going, honestly, because I was concerned that if I should be overcome by heat exhaustion, being alone would be dumb. So I’m glad I was kind of thinking about safety, but maybe really being concerned would have meant not walking any further!
There was just nothing on these open stretches of the path, although thankfully someone planted trees probably about 15 years ago, so they’re starting to provide some shade. We also had a lovely breeze, and that helped. About halfway, Marty and I really wanted to sit down. There was no where to do that but the path itself, which is the dustiest imaginable. By that time, our legs were covered in dust anyway, and wen arms and faces felt gritty from sunscreen, sweat, and blowing dust.
While we were taking our short break, a big group of cyclists passed us. I don’t think they were doing the Camino, because they were all dressed identically and had a support truck with them. They were very much amused by us just sitting there, and yelled various things our way.
When we arrived in town, I was just done. I have a whole new appreciation for the Israelites wandering in the desert and all the dumb stuff that they do. It’s so easy for us to read the whole story and think that they are so ungrateful, especially after having just seen God do amazing things in liberating them from slavery. But let me tell you, when you have to walk in ridiculous heat, it’s hard to be grateful. It’s hard to remember your blessings. And I even know I’ll be done after 40 days, forget the Israelites’ 40 years! There story really is my story: I forget, and complain, and maybe even wonder if God knows what he’s doing or really has a plan here.
Of course, a rest and then food and fellowship with some great people make for a change in attitude and some perspective again. Today’s walk was so similar, though – 14 kilometres before the first town, and I was sweating before I even got out of bed. But when I found myself slipping near complaining as my mindset, I decided to choose joy as my attitude. This is not easy stuff!
As I was walking along, as fast as I could because, let’s face it, I just wanted walking to be done for the day and there was “nothing to see”, I began to wonder why I was rushing. I was thinking again about destination mindset versus journey mindset. It was like the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “Can you learn to appreciate, even here, what I’m doing?” Slowing down the first time was easy, but I had to consciously remind myself to look around and pay attention and not speed up. But I noticed something: there was a plethora of wildflowers along either side of the path. I had not noticed them at all while I was rushing. For reasons too long to tell here and now (maybe another time), flowers have been a special sign to my heart of God’s love for me. I had been so preoccupied with “getting there” that I had just been blind to what was all around me.
So my last few kilometres into town were just a delight. I then found an albergue on the edge of town called The Garden of the Camino, which has a big lawn area with flowers all around and lots and lots of shade. After availing myself of the washing machine (yay! actual clean clothes today!) I sat out in the shade with some new friends. We kept pulling tables together as more pilgrims arrived and joined us – people from Denmark, Austria, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Romania, and even a girl from Brampton! Really a quintessential Camino afternoon. Some of these people were actually just taking a rest and are pushing on now, hoping to get to the next town and then beyond León tomorrow. I am off to explore the town now and see what’s here! I have to say, I was not a fan of the siesta time when I first arrived in Spain, but it’s growing on me. A relaxed several hours to just hang out with friends, enjoy a beer or wine, talk, and not have to do anything. Perfect!

Today is an important day: halfway day!
It’s hard to know exactly how many days it will take to walk the entire Camino Francés, but if I stick to the plan, today is it. It’s also hard to be exactly certain of the number of kilometres left since every town seems to declare its own numbers and those are often different from the guidebook… but today we also crossed the halfway point of distance somewhere along the walk!
In some ways, a walk can still be hard. Today is a good example. We walked 17 km out of Carrión before coming to ANYTHING – no bathrooms, no vending machines, no water founts… not even a caravan truck coming to park along the path. There was no shade. It is ridiculously hot today, with not a cloud in the sky.
On the other hand, walking is in some ways the easiest thing to do. I don’t really need to coax my body into it; my body just knows what to do and my mind is free to think about whatever it wants. Even in the heat, and with pauses in the towns we eventually came to, we made it here in quite good time.
The days have a rhythm to them that is so familiar now. Get up early, pack and double check that you’re not forgetting anything, eat some fruit, head out. Stop at a café for breakfast (usually! not today!) and then walk some more. Arrive somewhere, find albergue, go get food before siesta starts, and then shower and relax. Eventually dinner, repack, bed. It’s a simple life, and there’s not a lot of wondering about how you’ll spend time. The one big difference between now and earlier in the trip is that earlier there was an extra step before get food and shower. That was “lie on the bed and recover until you can actually get up again”, at which point siesta meant all stores were closed! It’s nice to walk 30 km and be fine at the end of it!
My Brazilian friend Denize and I got some drinks to toast “la mitad”, the middle point of our walk. It’s lovely to sit in the garden of this albergue and just relax together, thinking back over all we’ve accomplished so far!

Okay, so I need to write a little about yesterday. The albergue was run by the most charming Augustinian nuns. They had the biggest servant hearts! There was tea served as we came in. They warmly asked each pilgrim how they were doing, and were genuinely interested in the answer. The nun who checked me in said she’s always concerned about pilgrims who have started in St Jean since we have come so far! I watched nuns tend to blistered feet and carefully clean and bandage wounds. Later they sang their evening vespers and then led a musical “encounter”, where they played guitar and led singing in a variety of languages. After mass there was a pilgrim blessing. The nuns spoke before we were blessed by the priests, and said that we were all looking for something, and that was Jesus, who walked with us. I was so delighted to hear them proclaim the gospel message so clearly in Spanish and English. We each had the opportunity to come up to have a priest lay his hands on us and pray for us, and then the nuns gave us each a paper star to remember that the light of Jesus goes with us and guides us.
After mass and blessing, we had a communal meal. We had each brought something to share – bread, wine, veggies, fruit – and the nuns cooked a big main dish for us. They served us with smiles and grace. Finally, they sent us to bed with a lovely song of blessing for our journey. (I don’t think there were many dry eyes in the room during that last song!)
My friend commented this morning that the nuns sure seemed happy and seemed to enjoy their work. Yes – that’s the light of Jesus shining through them! I thought.

And then there was the nighttime drama. Except for the night of my hotel stay, I have use my earplugs each night and slept very well. I don’t think I would hear an alarm ringing through my earplugs until everyone else in the room was awake, so last night I decided to forgo the earplugs and set an alarm. I often go to sleep before others, but last night’s late dinner meant everyone was going to sleep at the same time. There was a lot of banging and door opening and closing as some people REALLY took their time. Eventually I fell asleep. I awoke around 3:00, realizing that people were talking really loudly in the hall right outside our room with the bedroom door standing wide open. This made me irrationally angry, and I wanted to stomp over and tell them off. However, since I am not the kind of person who tells people off regularly, I seethed inside and hoped someone else would instead. Eventually I fell back asleep, although was awakened again as people loudly packed up and left (shining flashlights all around) at 4:30.
This morning when I got up, Ed said to me, “Marty said the ambulance was here last night.” Before I even thought about it, I replied, “Oh, that makes sense….” I’m not sure what my brain paid attention to while I was trying to sleep last night, but then I wanted to get the whole story to piece things together!
Apparently, a young Dutchman had started to feel sick during the night. He got up and went to the bathroom, and started vomiting so much he couldn’t do anything else. He was then too weak to do anything, and was just lying on the bedroom floor calling for help until someone came. (Marty said she actually heard him calling for a bit, and was feeling extremely guilty that she had done nothing, thinking that he was trying to leave early before the main door was unlocked!) Eventually Jaymie heard him, called the nuns and an ambulance, and thankfully could translate for him since he spoke no Spanish.
At that point, Jaymie said she kind of figured she was up, might as well leave anyway… until two other kids starting getting sick. There didn’t seem to be anything in common, they hadn’t eaten the same food in the day before, and the paramedic had told Jaymie he suspected a stomach bug and not heat exhaustion… Jaymie woke up several of her friends and said, “Time to leave now before we catch the epidemic! But nobody walks alone! You won’t be able to help yourself if you come down with it!”
Everyone who came down while I was eating breakfast with Marty and Ed was looking bleary-eyed and frustrated, but we all felt very sorry for the sick kids lying miserably in the hallway!
Thankfully most of us escaped and don’t seem to have gotten whatever was going around…
Of course this provided most of the pilgrim gossip along the way until our lunch stop!

Here at my albergue, I met a Spanish guy from Madrid. He was impressed to hear I have walked from St Jean and said most Spanish people do not walk the Camino all at once, but take several years to walk it, a few weeks at a time. “So respect!” he said. Nice!
Okay, I’m off to find some food and friends. Enjoy your days, and Mama, I’ll be home in as many days as I’ve been away now!

Again, I have no time to write a post and it’s for great reasons. Today’s albergue is run by Augustinian nuns. I’m off to mass in a few minutes, then pilgrim blessing, and then communal dinner at nine (!). I just came from a wonderfully lovely sung vespers, and then shared singing time with the nuns. Imagine pilgrims from every continent gathering to sing in a variety of languages. Amazing! So much good stuff happening today, no time to write about it. Bells beckon! Gotta run!

Short update tonight:

If you walk the Camino, at least the last 100 km, you can receive a Compostela from the Catholic Church. It is an indulgence. That means that your punishment for your sins is shortened – ie. you spend less time in purgatory.

This Sunday, I have experienced a different kind of indulgence. I arrived in Frómista and checked into a hotel! It is a luxury not afforded to the regular “pilgrim way”, but oh-so-delightful! As of today I have spent more than two weeks walking, meaning more than two weeks sharing rooms with others and never having solitude except on walks. Having my own room and my own bathroom… bliss!

When I met up with friends in town this afternoon, I was a little worried about what they would say. However, every single response was an “Oh, good for you!” Besides this Sabbath pleasure, I also got to enjoy some prayer time in a church, a ClearView sermon (thank you podcasts!), and delightful time with friends – also indulging on some giant ice cream sundaes we found at one restaurant here!
Rest, renewal, community – a good sabbath day.
I am off to bed for now. No ear plugs; no eye mask; no alarm set. We’ll see what time I actually start walking tomorrow!

Oh, a PS: because I’m on hotel wifi instead of terrible albergue wifi, I was able to delete and reinstall Facebook so my app works again! AND I managed to install my phone’s software update! Wow! Not medieval pilgrim lifestyle today!

Vignettes

It is early morning as I leave the albergue. In the predawn moments of the day, the birds chirp all around, the rooster crows, and wings flutter. I set out westward through the village. Not a single person is to be seen. I am the only one partaking in this moment as the world awakens. I turn at the end of town, after a small rise, to see the church and village backlit by the first rays of the rising sun. A new day has come.

When you begin walking before the sun has risen, you begin in relative darkness. Gradually the world around lightens, but it is a grey sort of light. There is a special moment that happens when the sun actually rises. Suddenly the world around is bathed in golden sunshine, and you realize that what you had before was not really light, but just a hint, a foretaste, a hope of what was to come.
This is how I imagine the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s here, Jesus says. But we live in the hours between the darkness and the true coming of the light. We see glimpses of God’s kingdom coming into reality around us, but we also long for the full extent of its arrival.

I trudge up a long hill. This hill is not particularly steep, but it is long and tiring. I can’t see anything beyond the climb ahead of me. Suddenly I burst onto the top and am on the meseta, the high flat land that dominates this region of Spain. While I was in the valley I could not see what lay ahead of me, but now my breath is taken away by row upon row of wind turbines, some close by and then stretching out seemingly to the horizon. I pause to admire the sight. The stillness is the next thing that takes my breath away. I am alone, and there is no sound except the rustling of wheat in the gentle breeze.
This is a moment that nourishes my soul. I sit down because I need time to take it in
Friends pass by and we communicate with a look. No words are needed, and no words are spoken into this hushed and holy moment.
After some minutes pass, I rise and walk again. A few hundred metres on, I find my friends perched on their own rocks, taking it all in. Again, no words are needed as we share a look. We cannot speak into this holy moment. I know by the looks on their faces that they have discovered the same thing I have.
We are in awe of our Creator God.

A sudden noise behind me alerts me to the fact that someone is behind me. As he approaches, I turn and look. It is my friend Matthew! I haven’t seen him in four days. Our conversation picks up more or less where it left off last time. After a few minutes, he pulls ahead again. No goodbyes are spoken as he leaves. Maybe we will see each other again. Maybe we will not.

It is as I walk that I realize today is my 14th day of walking. I feel strong. My muscles have gotten used to this. A good sleep and good meals make for a good next day. On the other hand, my body has bruises, sores, and rashes that won’t go away. An ankle will hurt one day, and a knee be tender the next. The pain seems to move around from place to place each day.
I am used to the rhythm of the Camino. Each day seeming like two: a day of walking and a day of rest, cleaning, and socializing. I have not thought of school at all out here. I don’t worry about work, about life. My tasks are easy: walk and then rest. There is a simplicity to this that is beautiful.

I have to admit, over the course of the day yesterday, I acclimatized to crowds again and didn’t mind them so much. Spent an afternoon exploring the ENORMOUS cathedral, and then a lovely dinner with friends. It was funny to see the difference between the number of people out during siesta before we went to the cathedral and then after our supper in the post-siesta time. I just can’t get used to everything closing in the afternoon here!
I slept poorly last night. I am sure that at least some of the blame lies on the top bunk. These bunks were higher than normal, and I kept having a nightmare about falling out of bed. Why are there no railings on bunk beds here??? So I was up early, and ready to go. Marty and Ed were too, and I was happy to go with them because I don’t love looking for way signs in a busy city in predawn hours. We stopped right at the edge of town at a restaurant just a little off the way. I think most people probably didn’t notice it and had to continue on the way quite hungrily. I had zuma de naranja – fresh-squeezed orange juice. The barkeep literally made it in front of our eyes. Delicious!
The way had us zigzagging around railroad tracks and highways and a weird subdivision until we had done basically a giant circle, but we were on the opposite side of the train tracks.
At second breakfast we ran into quite a group of friends again. These are always such cheerful times. Mariana regaled us all with stories of her childhood in Mexico. Even the pilgrims who were not at our table eventually stopped their own conversations to listen to her!
After our stop, I struck out on my own. Walking alone is always nice thinking time, although walking with others always helps time pass quickly. We passed out of the hills and were eventually on the meseta – the Spanish plains. This is a plateau running through central Spain and is quite poor soil quality. Stretching out as far as we could see were fields of grain, oats, and barley. We came down off the plateau into a ottos valley down a sharp, steep descent. We could see the town, which looked deceptively close. When you actually looked at the people ahead on the road, you could see how far away Hornillos was yet. Upon arrival there, I knew I wanted to stay. My knee was a little tender, and the next place to stop is still 10 km away. (My guidebook has a day’s walk end here anyway. Some guidebooks stop at the next place, a 32 km walk for the day! They essentially shorten my next four days into three days. Since I am not pressed for time, I see no reason to continue when pressing on might mean an injury.)
Marty, Ed, and I looked for an albergue in the town. We looked in one but the kitchen was tiny and we had decided to cook dinner together. We went across the street where we found an albergue that has only been open three days! It is a new building, so of course everything is nice and lovely and clean and delightful! We went to the bedroom to find our Irish roommates from last night, and, along with an American woman who came along soon after, expanded our dinner to include them. Fun times!
As we were walking the ten metres from supermercado to albergue, we came across a group of rather forlorn pilgrims. They had been hoping to make it to Hontanas (10 km away) but were suffering injuries. We told them to come check out our place. We should get discounts for our advertising!
Until supper is ready, I intend to intersperse stretching, reading, resting, and reflecting. Ah – a good day’s work on the Camino!

I do not like big cities! I am not used to people! This morning I was awakened by two VERY LOUD Italian ladies getting ready in the bathroom at 5:30. My bed was right next to the bathroom, and the walls did not exactly prevent sound from passing through. I was really annoyed. Finally someone got up and shushed them quite sternly. I was wide awake anyway, and decided I might as well get up. On my way out the door I met my Ohio friends, Marty and Ed. We decided to walk together since it can be difficult to find one’s way in the predawn hours. We set out for Atapuerca, which is a little bit touristy, since the oldest human remains in Europe were found nearby. We were so thankful to find a little café in which to eat, and since it was off the beaten track, it was mostly empty! Once our stomachs were full, we set out again and climbed the last mountain peak before the Burgos valley. On our way up, some seminary students passed us in their robes. They were from a Catholic seminary in Wisconsin. They were travelling so quickly we didn’t actually get a chance to ask if they had to walk the Camino as part of their seminary requirements.
The path up to the peak and back down was extremely rocky today – not rocks brought in to help with mud, but actual rocky ground. It was hard on the feet and ankles!
Once we were over the peak, we could see the big city of Burgos stretching ahead of us a few kilometres away. But instead of just heading straight there, the Camino naturally takes some side detours. Once out of the last village before Burgos, we were walking beside a quite busy road. (You have to understand, contextually, pilgrims are used to walking through villages with no traffic, so we walk on the street on a regular basis.) The wind was quite strong and buffeting us, and every time a vehicle passed, my life flashed before my eyes and I imagined myself falling in front of the vehicle. After a few kilometres, the signs kept pointing along the highway but we took an option our guidebook talked about. There was also a handwritten sign taped to the sign saying, “Don’t take this way. Go the other way. It is much better. I went this way.” I was greatly amused by this. It’s difficult not to follow the signs and arrows we are so accustomed to, but we trusted our guidebook. And after a little while on this new path, our good old arrows showed up again.
We walked along the outskirts of the airport, and then followed a river trail all the way into the city. The trail was filled with walkers, runners, and cyclists. Although it was overwhelming to be around so many people again, many people were still very friendly and wished us Buen Camino.
Eventually we made it into the downtown, and our arrows directed us across the bridge and then disappeared. We could see some cathedral spires peaking up, though, and headed for those. I also asked several nice old people for directions. We came to the Plaza Mayor, and could hear… well, either people were setting off a canon or fireworks. No idea why, but it was kind of terrifying.
We actually were having some trouble finding our way to the albergue, but people kept coming to us to give directions. And then we started seeing friends. It is really something amazing to come into a new city you’ve never been in and be welcomed by friends at each turn. And it’s amazing to think of the number of people we now know and count as friends! If you see someone more than once, you are so happy to see them again. Sometimes it might have been several days since you last saw each other, and the reunion is all the sweeter. One never knows the last time one will see a friend here – our plans are so temporary, so transient. We make decisions about how far to go based on many changing factors. But the community is really something quite unique and quite special.
I splurged with Marty and Ed today and we are washing and drying our clothes by machine. They are almost done, and then I am off to explore the city! And look for wifi.
Oh, PS: you should be very proud of me. Today I actually did my hair, instead of letting it dry however it wants like something crazy. Burgos, I honour you!

Guidebooks can really be misleading. My guidebook’s elevation diagram for today showed three distinct peaks we’d be climbing. Up, then right back down, then right back up, and down, and once more up and down.
Back to that in a second.
I woke up this morning a 6:45. It was very disorienting, a jolt awake, opening my eyes to an almost empty room. Only my Korean friends remained, and they were packing up. I don’t know HOW I slept through everyone around me packing and leaving, when the rest of the night I slept so poorly. Actually, maybe that’s why I didn’t wake up this time.
After a quick breakfast at the albergue, we were off. I walked more or less alone today. I kept turning around in the early morning to admire the sunrise and the days of sun shining through the clouds to illuminate the village behind us.
I stopped for a quick second breakfast of croissant and drink. (If an albergue serves breakfast it is essentially a slice of baguette-style bread and jam. Not exactly filling.) Directly out of the village we began our first climb. It was some serious climbing – and my criteria for serious climbs have changed since starting the Camino. I know I have said this before, but I’ll say it again: no matter the toughness of the slog up the mountainside, it’s worth it when you get to look out over a valley below you. It’s a little amusing when you stop at what you think must be the top and admire the views, and then turn a corner on the path and see the hill stretch out endlessly before you again.
Once up the first peak, we walked and walked and walked. Finally, we descended very sharply to a river. Some cyclists went flying by me at that point, but I was gratified to see that the way up was so steep they actually had to dismount to ascend. And then I had to ascend, too, and it wasn’t as amusing, but the steepness meant it was done pretty quickly. Then we walked for ages and ages again through woods. There was nothing to look at, no valleys to admire, no villages to break things up. Altogether it was 12 kilometres up on that ridge. Finally, the path descended right into the next village. I’m not sure why my guidebook had that third peak in there, because we definitely didn’t climb one. Even with directions , you never quite know where you’re going of how long things will take. My maps are also no drawn to scale , I’m beginning to think.
Anyway, after a quick lunch break I made my way slowly through another woods and then along another ridge. The valleys stretched out on either side of me , and the wind was quite strong. I was alone, and sat for a while just singing some of How Great Thou Art:
When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
And hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook
And feel the gentle breeze
Then sings my soul
My Saviour, God, to thee
How great thou art!
How great thou art!
Then sings my soul
My Saviour, God, to thee
How great thou art!
How great thou art!

I shall rest my weary legs for a while (although when you consider that I hiked 23 km today, with some descent ascent, my legs are really doing well!) and then see what this town has to offer!