I wake up late and get ready slowly. The sun is shining and Leon is just a short, easy 15k walk away.
Cheri has been awake all night with pain & swelling in her leg. She isn't sure what she needs to do, but she knows she doesn't want to feel pressure to walk at another persons pace. We have a quick breakfast and say goodbyes not knowing when or if we'll run into each other again.
As I set off I find myself thinking of the walk into Leon as being labeled "mind numbingly boring" or even (this ones my favorite) "soul crushing". It's basically a 15k walk through an industrial area that lies just outside of the city. Many people, some from injuries, some from just pure dread, have decided to take the bus. Now, I have to say that I understand that people with injuries must continue their forward motion even when injured if they want to reach Santiago by their desired date. But I also have to say that the majority of people seem to be bussing for parts of this walk. This just strikes me as being so bizarre. From the point that I learned about this pilgrimage, I've had it in my head that its a walking pilgrimage from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. Granted, many people start in other places in Europe and literally walk out of their front doors and then walk until they connect with the Camino Frances. There are also numerous other routes (with other names) to Santiago that originate in places besides St. Jean. But to truly walk the whole Camino Frances, you must walk from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. The sticky point for many people, I guess, is that anyone can get a credential saying they've completed the pilgrimage if they walk from the minimum required distance, which is about 100k out from Santiago. I'm not sure how this came about, how can any distance, whether it's 100k or 800k for that matter, be deemed the requirement for divine forgiveness? Who knows, but the Catholic Church seems to have the inside scoop on these things.
So, I set out to walk the pilgrimage and never had thoughts of doing anything else. From May 2nd until I arrive in Santiago, my intention is to walk and not to use moving transport at all. Not for any particular reason, other than that this was my interpretation of the pilgrimage and my expectation for myself.
This brings to mind an email that I received from Sean, the young man from Seattle that walked the Camino with his dad a few years ago. He commented on my blog and how difficult I was finding the weather to be. He said that he remembered his father saying something to the tune of, "You're supposed to suffer a little, it's a pilgrimage, not a nature walk". I thought about this a lot while walking today. It's exactly what I needed to hear.
I've actually found that the parts of the walk that many of my fellow pilgrims have skipped offer the best time for my thinking. With nothing beautiful to distract me, and level path, sidewalk, or road beneath my feet, I don't have to be focused on my footing. I consider this time "Camino work" time. With Cruz de Ferro just a few days away, I've had a lot of Camino work to do. As far as the "soul crushing" part goes, I think we must first have our soul crushed a little, or be shown humility in some manner before we can get to the good stuff and begin to rebuild. On some level it has to be what attracts so many people to this pilgrimage. Lets face it, people don't typically strike off to walk 500 miles if they're not looking for a little something. This isn't the typical vacation for someone needing a little rest & relaxation, and certainly isn't for the faint of heart. It's obviously for each person to decide what they want from this experience, but if it's just for a little holiday, it seems like they surely would've chosen something else. Hawaii maybe?!
Upon entering Leon I bump into a young man from the UK named Tony. I remember from an earlier conversation, and the look on his face now, that he's leaving today. He must get back to work but his plans are to return in a few months to complete another section. Seeing his sad, calm smile reminds me of how fast both the days, and the distance are passing for me now. I'm beginning to feel as if I have to hold onto every moment for as long as I can.
Tony and I have a chat, exchange our contact information and then say goodbyes on the cobbled streets of Old Town Leon. I stand in place watching him walk away and decide that I must try to sleep less so I can experience more in my last days.
Within minutes I am queuing up for a 5 euro bed in the massive convent. After my passport is stamped with the sello and my fee paid, I am led by Maria down into the basement where she dutifully passes me off to Maria (no lie) who assigns my bed. Upper bunk with no ladder in a room with 60 others, perfect! I see that there's a long line for the shower & decide to unpack and head into town without one. I don't really need one as the walk was so short, but I feel awfully rebellious for straying from my regimented routine.
I head over to the little main square and find the coolest bar in Spain. Beautiful & sweet Australian bar tender, great food, wifi, & Elvis playing softly. I stayed for three hours sampling just about every tapa they offered and then set out for a little stroll.
Annette and I bump into each other in front of the cathedral and she tells me she's on her way to find gelato. Perfect! Just what I needed to top off my tapas! We sit eating our gelato & catch each other up on all the pilgrim news we know. As we walk back past the cathedral a Rolls Royce pulls up and out comes a bride with her father. A huge crowd gathers and we all stand in awe of her dress and the posh wedding party. As we walk away and into another smaller square, we see a second wedding. This one has the wedding party dressed in Great Gatsby attire and a completely shrink wrapped mini in front of the church.
While watching the groomsmen toss extremely loud firecrackers which spread confetti into the crowd (very strange custom which makes all the children and some adults cry) we see Stefania & Clara from Milan.
These sisters are twins. Stefania Zini is an artist, and Clara Zini her best friend, support, & business partner. They travel all over the world for weeks at a time taking photos, and then head back to the art studio in Milan for Stefania to paint. When she has used all the photos for inspiration and is ready for more, they go someplace else for a few weeks. Their Camino also ends here. I will really miss these two lovely ladies! Check her work out at Webartgallery.it
With nothing more to do and several hours before bedtime still, I decide to head back to my cool little bar. I settle myself in a comfy corner and order Asparagus and Salmon salad with a glass of Rioja. When they bring my salad I am just amazed. It's a large, deep terra-cotta plate with a layer of creamed Gorgonzola cheese on the bottom, then a bed of arugula, topped with white asparagus and fresh salmon. It then has toasted almonds, and blond raisins sprinkled over with a balsamic vinegar drizzle. The flavors along with the wine are the most heavenly thing I've tasted on this trip yet.
Within minutes a gaggle of Germans pack themselves into my tiny little bar and before I know it the soft Elvis is replaced with Munich vs Someone blaring out of all the TV's. I say goodbye's to all of them (all pilgrims I've walked with for the past few days too) and head to my bed.
When I get to the convent, I am surprised to find Cheri lying in the bunk under me with her leg propped up and on ice. She's been to the doctor and advised that she needs a couple days of rest. She's very relived to know that its nothing serious, but still not sure what her plans are.
I'm even more surprised to find the Pope in my bed! I don't have any idea how I missed it earlier, but there is a giant, life sized poster of the Pope on the wall where my top bunk is. I consider for a moment that maybe Maria, or maybe it was Maria, thought I needed some watching over in the night and placed it there after I left. I have no idea how I missed it, the thing is enormous, but I can now say that I've slept with a Pope!
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