It's hard to believe that it has been almost a week since my last post. For the last week, the walking has been very easy. Easy, however, means walking through the flat mesas. I have to admit, I am yearning for new surroundings. In a couple days, we will be climbing mountains again, and that makes me happy.
We continue to walk through lovely villages. We have somewhat of a routine now. We start walking, usually between 6:30- 6:45 in the morning before the sun is up. We watch the sun come up every morning as we walk. After 6-10 km of walking, we usually make it to the next village, where we get breakfast. Usually this is a coffee and a pastry. I also buy a piece of fruit to have a later snack. Usually, we get to the village we will stay in between noon and 2pm. We shower, hand wash some clothes, and find a place for lunch. Usually we have a late lunch and eat a big meal. Later, we might have a snack. Along the Camino, restaurants serve pilgrim meals. I have to admit, they are getting a little boring, but are always welcome to our hungry bellies. There are three courses. I usually choose salad and pasta, or sometimes fish if the pasta has meat in it. Being vegetarian is not so convenient on the camino. Many times, fish is my only option, so I have had more fish in this last 3 weeks than I usually do in 6 months. The third course is dessert. That is usually flan, for me. My favorite meal, though, has been a home cooked pasta dinner with Italian friends.

It is nice to be at the Albergue early to relax. On Tuesday, we arrived early, and the Albergue had a nice grassy area. I decided to do some yoga. Sascha, from Germany, who I met during lunch, wanted to join me. Within two minutes, there were 7 of us. I was a bit nervous, because I have never actually lead other people in a yoga practice. I usually do it quietly on my own. It turned out very lovely. We all were in a big circle, facing each other. On one of the positions, balancing stick, some of our fingers met. I realized how much I enjoyed the companionship during the yoga session and how much it offered a little bit of a deeper connection to people who were otherwise strangers. Sascha was an interesting man, and I wish I could spend some time hiking with him, but he is hiking in the opposite direction. I won't see him again, but he will be one of the characters of the Camino that I won't forget.

On Wednesday, I stayed in an Albergue run by the church. We had a communal dinner, that involved a lot of singing. It was one of the pilgrims birthday, and she had happy birthday sang to her in 7 different languages. Quite amazing!

After dinner, we all went to enjoy the sunset. Though we enjoy most sunrises, I think this is the first time I watched the sun set since hiking. I'm usually relaxing in bed by then.

 

Yesterday, I stayed in Leon. Another beautiful big city in Spain. We decided to treat ourselves with a night in the well known Parador hotel. It's a beautiful building, and the original pilgrim hospital.

 

I wish I had taken the slippers as a souvenir! I felt quite pampered, and took advantage of the big tub, twice!

 

There is also a beautiful cathedral, which I toured. It was full of stained glass, and simpler than the cathedral in Burgos. I loved it!

 

 

Today, we walked about 21 miles so we can have a short day into Astorga tomorrow. I'm excited to be there because I am looking forward to a vegetarian cafe I have been told about. Seriously, Spain needs more vegetarians! I hope this place is as awesome as I want it to be.