Last night we took a walk and the streets were packed, a typical Saturday night in Leon, reminiscent of Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics. We're making Sunday a true day of rest ending with the evening pilgrim's mass and blessing. As we're intending to be off our feet for most of the day I though…

This morning we took a train, flying past the end of the Meseta and the walk along a major highway, into the Spanish city of Leon for a much needed halftime break. I didn't realize how tired we were. Not one for napping I could easily spend a day resting in Leon. And C is…

A short day, only 3.25 hours of walking, however, we were met by the plague of the Meseta, moscas. Flies. Well organized contingents, a strategy of three flies to one human, buzzing directly in front of your eyes and dive bombing your face and hair nonstop for two hours. Periodically one would land on the…

Guest blog today by Chuck while Li gives her wrist and thumbs a rest. My post is likely to be a few broad strokes and random thoughts rather than a daily account. Prior to starting the Camino I heard people referring to the movement from physical to mental to spiritual. In the early stages I…

Due to the spacing of cities and the timing of our two day stay in Leon this weekend, we've chosen more reasonable days lengthwise, then will pick up the pace next Monday. Today was the day I was waiting for, though I didn't know it. Prior to walking the Camino, I found interesting related photos…

I should give some credit here. I'm not able to post to the blog due to Apple issues, without the help of my daughter in Edmonton, who is currently on maternity leave. Thank you Elina. Today we experienced some Camino synchronicity family-wise. My mother-in-law's name was Naomi. Starting this morning we started noticing rocks and…

This is the dreaded Meseta day that everyone talks about. The first 17k has nothing in the way of food or services. There seemed to be a trail of gross toilet paper behind every occasional clump of trees. It wasn't the barren Meseta that we expected, but miles of farmland along a very straight and…

A day of superlatives, we woke up from the best night's sleep on the Camino and walked for a beautiful day mostly on an alternative path that took us through farm country then along a river with birdsong in one ear and church bells in the other. This is the Meseta that is described as…

About two thirds into our Meseta section for the day we stopped into an oasis of an alburgue in the afternoon to kill some pain. The last section was along the Canal de Castilla, 129 miles long, built in the 1800's for grain transport, but with the advent of rail lines, is now used for…

Last night at dinner in Castrojeriz we saw what at first we believed to be a bumble bee, but it turned out it was a tiny hummingbird with bee like colouring. It was too difficult to get a good photo. Then C was feeling creative: Started out this morning tripping over a nail sticking out…