One of the most interesting self lessons is learning to travel with others. B, Kat, and Z have been at each other’s side, literally, for almost three weeks, and we each have learned about our own travel style and each other’s and how to create Our Camino from three unique individuals.
As we had breakfast and Mau walked us through town, he spoke to us about the importance of finding your own Camino. While some people gush about how it transformed their lives, he pointed out that transformation comes from within and is not as romantically sounding as people think it to be. He stressed that the Camino is as much mental as physical, if not more. If the mental hurts, it can manifest physically. He has known marathon runners being humbled by leg and foot issues, as the troubles in their head and heart remain unresolved or ignored.
He shared with us his dream of opening his albergue one day, with photographs telling the stories of the Camino, meditation spaces, and calming areas where pilgrims can rest for two or three days, allowing people to go at their own paces.
We each have our own paces and our own biorhythms, and it has been a journey for us to start as friends, but really learn to move as sisters. Of course, we have our moments of annoyance, but that comes with the territory of sisters.
Knowing what we know now, Kat would prefer to have a longer stretch of time to slow down and hang out in different villages and cities for a day or two, some days doing 5km, other days 24km. She would, of course, have her cortado breaks. Z would prefer to have more access to fruits and vegetables, walking 20km to a clean albergue with wide open floor spaces and bathrooms for separate genders. B would prefer a 5:30am start to a brisk 30-35km walk and relax in the afternoon with some yoga on a clean, wooden albergue floor.
Today was a turning point. After consultation, we decided to find a way to make this journey our own together. We decided to take the bus back to Burgos and then straight to Leon. This would allow us to have enough time to spend a couple days in Santiago and really soak up some history of the Camino, and then on to the end of the world in Finisterre and soak up some sun on the beach and some seafood.
We waited for the bus, which like many in this area, take change the old fashioned way, carbon copy and all.
We got back to Burgos and had fantastic breakfasts of fried eggs, morcilla, jamon, and chorizo. The hot chocolate was so thick, it had to be drunk with a spoon. No fear in losing weight on this trip.
Before boarding, we found the best market behind the bus station. Upstairs was a traditional supermarket, but downstairs were stalls and stalls of butchers, fishermen, bakers, produce vendors, and olive vendors. We stocked up for the evening.
The journey to Leon took us past flat wheat and barley fields, all part of the Maseta. Mid-way, Wim, a web designer entrepreneur from the Netherlands, sat next to B and told her how two nights ago, a seemingly crazed pilgrim started to shout about being with the Hell’s Angels at 4:30am. Thankfully, a gregarious Australian, Terry, stayed away to keep an eye on everyone. The two young South Korean ladies we met in St. Jean also boarded. How fun to see old faces again.
Passing through tiny villages, we napped and pulled into Leon. We went backwards to move forward.
We found another donation-based albergue, a converted monastery run by the nuns of Santa Maria de Carbajal. A nun greeted us, and we were led to a clean, all-women’s dorm. Pilgrim’s blessing before bed, and breakfast in the morning. A place to feel safe.
We wandered through the old town, finding it fascinating that Leon is much more diverse ethnically than other cities we have seen. We were also a but surprised that there were more overweight people here than anywhere else, though it made seeing a McDonald’s and Burger King upon entry make more sense.
Outside the Bank of Spain, one of Gaudi’s more tame designs, was a huge tour group of folks from Hong Kong. It was rather intetesting to hear a Spanaird speak Cantonese quite well.
A cortado and refreshments followed a trip to the Cathedral, which was stunning with its stained glass windows. Leon has some charming old stores and streets, the last sizeable city we will see.
Kat fed the little birds, while a dinner of tomatoes, cucumbers, tuna, crackers, and chocolate filled us and made us sleepy. We git ourselves into bed for some reading…and at 9:25, the nun came through the bunks, clapping her hands, “vamos, peregrinos!” calling us to prayer. We felt like schoolchildren and dutifully followed to the attached church (next to an attached hotel, also run by the sisters). We were led into a simple, beautiful church, and night prayers were read by the nuns. The countries that represented all the pilgrims there that night were read out liud – there were at least 20. The prayers finished with a pilgrim’s blessing. It was truly a neat experience to be joined with others moving on this same path, even with different intentions and paces.
It was also fun to watch new pilgrims get their credentials, as Leon is a common starting point. New faces.
For us, it is neat to have gone backwards for us to move forward together.
