Category: 2018 Camino

Well after half an hour my room is ready and Mr. Meldrew escorts me himself….and he carries my case!?

He shouts from the bar…

”Lady!”…that would be me and because my case has arrived I can clean up. I’m excited until he opens the pastel blue painted door on the first floor. Sweet really, I have 2 rooms inside, One is the bathroom and the other the bedroom. NO Mozzies…I’m relieved except the bed is so small, I can’t turn around with my backpack smashing into some wall or other. Its fine,…I think,…. but its like being a student again.

I don’t care as there is the smallest bath ever and I’m going to get in it…if I can bend my legs..or toes…or anything. That will be an achievement. I tried to sleep but I got cold in the night and the nightmare of a sneaky mosquito attacking me hasn’t gone away. I slept ..or tried to with the sheet pulled up over everything…daft really.

I didn’t order breakfast, I don’t care, I have water and a banana in my backpack….

Even though the patron, Mr. Meldrew was big hearted over the coffee,my dinner was ok at 12 euros. If I left anything on one of the courses he scowled at me ? …but I had ordered a bottle of wine before and instead of including it in the dinner menu which they do….he had charged me for it. Normally they just bring a bottle with dinner, its included, so I though my bottle would count as part of dinner. It didn’t!!

So I go through my really early morning routine and think…tonight I will be in Leon!!! LEON. Never dreamt I would get there. Its a milestone for me and it will be a hotel with a hairdryer and soap and maybe more. ?

I struggle down the stairs…no lift…all quiet. I find myself in a locked vestibule, the door to the bar is locked, the door to outside is locked, and the door to the dining room is locked and dead.

Merdre!! Ill have to climb the stairs and get my key that I had thoughtfully left in the door…so I can get out. In a fit, I place my case in front of the bar door so he cant miss it.

I left…torch on and cool air….

I set off in the dark again to witness a beautiful sunrise. I have seen more sunrises on this trip than Ihave in my whole life. You could call me the sunrise kid. I’m perked up a bit because its a short day and I will get to a hotel with a hairdryer and soap and more than one towel…yeay.

I left with out my paid for breakfast so after an hour and a bit, I came across Casablanca,a  lovey white warm bar with the man and wife buzzing about serving coffees and tortillas. There is only a handful of us here and next to me is a gentleman I have seen walking with 2 ladies. He looks like Father Christmas and when I pass them on the road he is always talking. He is from Canada and this time he asks where in Canada am I from..?

”I’m English “ I say with pride…

His friends say to me, just ignore him he gets lonely for fellow Canadians!!! Ok. I move on with a smile. I did know from my elevation map that there is a hill or big incline before I can drop down into Leon city but I’m unphased. I can do this….I thought.

The Camino route, my little red line on my app, told me to cross over the bridge onto the other side. Its shut!! Its closed. No can do. I panic, I will lose my red line and end up somewhere strange with another Mr.Meldrew to cope with!! There are Germans ahead of me. I’ll follow. They know everything.

Of course, as we wind through a high urbanisation, and when my panic subsides because my red line is no longer where I am…aaagh, I begin to see painted signs that say ‘Camino Provisional..’ with a yellow arrow pointing the way I am going.

Have faith I say to myself, all will be well. It was, but not before we went up and up..thing about hills is just when you think you are at the top,there is a flat bit and then another hill. I am now past all the red and white telecommunication towers and it doesn’t look anything like I will see a Medieval city. Then when you cant gasp any more and you are leaning on your poles there is a sharp left turn into the woods! It must have been a Kilometers further out but hey! I am going down. That is a good sign. As usual, I was wrong because the descent on this red clay bumpy path through the trees was treacherous. Everyone was going down cagily…except 2 young girls who out of the blue,sprinted past us all like gazelles. Unbelievable…Why? Because they COULD.!!!

I didn’t care, I just laughed and then round the corner, below me was the sprawling city of Leon and to the right, the rising beautiful gothic towers of the cathedral.

I’m almost there…if I can find my red line again.