Leon

At Mansilla overnight and had dinner with Vicky and Chris from Brisbane and Sylvia an author from Rhode Island who is thinking about writing a novel based on characters on the Camino. Have already nominated my character as the hero in the story but Sylvia seemed dubious about this and may need more convincing---or else more evidence of my hero status.It fits well with my enlightened status I think.Anyway, the discussion over dinner was whether to walk into Leon or catch a cab(20kms from Mansilla). In Brierleys book he advocates catching a bus into Leon and then another bus when you are leaving and because his book is the "bible" and he is God, his word is very influential,especially as he was saying that people who insist on walking May have issues with the size of their ego.this was enough to convince everyone at the table to catch a cab and have a days rest---everyone that is except me---who has almost no ego issues.I thought I could walk as a representative of our group but I didn't tell them as I want to be an unsung hero---not one who big notes himself.So set the alarm for 10 to 6 as normal and when it went off I got ready to walk the last 20 kms. Then Anne discovered that the alarm had malfunctioned and it wasn't 10 to 6 but only 4.30am. By this time I was dressed and wide awake and ready to go. So I left at 10 to 5, a full three and a half hours before sunrise.Pretty crazy really but the benefit was getting almost 2 full days off in Leon---and more time to stay at the Parador, the 5 star hotel in Leon courtesy of an anonymous benefactor. (Thanks Phil).I found walking in the dark for a couple of hours a pretty rich experience---thought it wasn't completely dark as I was always walking towards the lights of Leon.However I had a long wait to get a coffee and a slice of tortilla---it was 8.30 before I found a cafe open about 4 kms from the city centre. Then I got lost in the city for 30-40 minutes before getting to the hotel 5 minutes after Anne arrived in a cab from Mansilla at 10.Our room is huge---big enough for about 10 bunk beds and has a bath so had a blissful half hour soaking my weary limbs in the bath. Having a farewell dinner tonight with Vicky,Chris and Sylvia as they are walking on tomorrow(or taking the bus?) while Anne and I have a rest day in Leon.

Mansilla

Had a lovely dinner last night with Vicky and Chris (bad feet--catching a cab today) from Brisbane, Phillipa and Judith from the UK and Sylvia from the US. We all seem to be travelling much the same pace, though the UK girls are going home tomorrow and coming back in spring to complete it. We set off this morning under the stars again. We are coming to love this first hour of each day before the sun comes up and it seems to extend the distance we can comfortably do in a day to around 20 kms. Though having said that I ran out of steam today at about the 17 km mark of a 19 km trek. Anne still had energy up front and did a good job dragging me along. We searched for about 25 minutes for the place we were staying and eventually discovered, mainly through sign language that the place we had booked had changed its name and was there right in front of us the whole time. We had a 13 km stretch today but were rewarded at the end of it by a wonderful tortilla, a sort of omlette, filled with tomato and lettuce and chorizo and other things I was too busy to notice as I wolfed it down accompanied by a couple of coffees.

Choices

We had to makes one of the occasional choices that you get on the Camino. After an hours walking out of Sahagun the road split for the next 34 kms. The recommended way according to the " bible"(John Brierleys guide book---it IS the best ---and 90% of pilgrims have it) involves a more scenic route but a stretch of 25kms without any villages or bars.The other option---walking alongside a road for 34 kms has a longest stretch of only 13kms between villages. As we rely on the stops so much to sustain us and give us encouragement we chose the less scenic route with more villages. It WAS pretty boring but the walking was flat and the sky overcast but not raining. We have been so lucky with the weather. We are now in day 24 and have had only 20 minutes of light rain in all that time.just been down for lunch and there were three different tables which had people at them we had made friends with over the last couple of weeks. The second half of the Camino is good for developing friendships. The people we get on with have crossed our paths a few times now and we get on well with them--Sylvia and Vicky And Philliipa and Judith and Caroline and Jill. We will meet some of them later for drinks and dinner. Discovered Baileys again last night. Asked for a Baileys and got a large brandy balloon with 4-5 nips of Baileys in it with ice---and it cost 5 euros for 2 of them($7.50)We had 2 each and rolled home but will be sure to repeat the experience. We are both still injury free and still talking to each other so all is well.

Day 23

Started the day with the best breakfast we have had on the Camino. Buffet style it had eggs all ways and bacon and cheese and various meats and cereal and fruit. We couldn't resist it---but my overeating probably contributed to my low energy for the first leg of 6 kms. We started to go better after that and had more villages that we passed through today. We stopped 4 times today---10-20 minutes each time and that helped us get into Sahagun at 2.30. Staying in a Benedictine monastery and we may not be back. We were delighted to find a bath but they don't supply bath plugs and the laundry area has signs up forbidding you to hang any wet clothes out to dry. Still it's a comfortable bed and the shower is hot and those things are always appreciated on the Camino. Had dinner last night with Peter from Nottinghamshire in the UK. He is on day 71. No, he is not a lot slower---in fact he does about 30 kms a day. He has walked from his home in England (thought he got a boat across the Channel--I thought that was cheating a bit) and has so far clocked up 2200 kms. What some people will do for a good Camino story.

Milestones

We did the longest stretch on the Camino today---17 kms without any villages or bars or water. First we had 6 kms into Carrion---everything went perfectly for us. We found a bar open with a wonderful just cooked tuna tortilla and then found a shop to stock up on fruit,nuts and chocolate for the long stretch.We stopped every 90 minutes or so and took our boots off to cool our feet.this worked well for us and Anne's energy was great---mine was good till the 20 km mark---a big improvement on recent days---but still 3 km short of our goal---so dragging my feet a bit at the end---but so good to get there and a great bar where we had some great food and a beer for lunch. Also caught up with a lot of people we have been travelling with and meeting some new ones We have now reached the half-way mark today! Yeah!!! Only 400 km to go

A beautiful day in Spain

We walked out the door this morning at 7 as usual--pitch dark and we saw this blaze of light shoot acros the sky--a great start to the day. About an hour and a half to Fromista where we found an open bar and had coffee and tortilla.then an hour to another village and another bar and shoes and sox off to let the feet cool down.a lot of people seem to be getting laid up with foot injuries---blisters, infected blisters requiring hospitalisation, shin splints requiring 3-10 days rest. Maybe our daily routine of massaging the feet twice a day and our legs once a day is paying dividends. The people with shin splints said they thought they were trying to go too fast and too far in one day. Today was better. More stops made a difference I think. We are both loving the Meseta. Stayed at Boadilla last night where Eduardo has been charming the ladies for years---showing his age a bit but still as charming as ever. About 100 of us had a communal meal in 2 rooms---turreens of Castellian soup and a white bean soup followed by meatballs and salad and ice cream for dessert--and red wine of course. Surrounded by Pilgrims from US, Columbia, Korea, Japan, Germany and Spain---just on our end of the table--a good buzz.The days are getting cooler---wore gloves, beanie and long trousers for the first time this morning--- great walking weather.

What am I doing here?

Went from Castrojeriz to Boadilla today via Itero where we had breakfast after 11 kms. Felt good up to then---and the breakfasts have been great---all the better probably for coming at the end of a morning walk of 6-12 kms. This morning was no different. Had 2 cups of coffee and a tortilla sandwich with fresh crusty bread---delicious. I was good for a km after that and then started to wonder why I was putting myself through this. What am I doing to myself? I can't imagine repeating a day like today(perfect weather,road flat) when I get home, let alone stringing 44 such days together. Yesterday I was good for 18kms---today it was 12kms. At this rate I could be hitching a ride before long.anne by way of contrast seems to be getting better and better as the days go on. We are promising ourselves a day off in Leon in a weeks time in a fancy hotel---looking forward to that.