Now in a very small but lovely town about a day and a half from Leon. I think I will stop in Leon for a day of rest and then carry on to the next mountains. It is a little chilly in the mornings but still very hot during the day. They say it is unusual for this time of year, but I am grateful we do not have rain. I now have a cold - sleeping with 20 or more people every night it is not surprising. Its not too bad though but a drag nevertheless. It is very flat where I am walking now and close to the highway so not very exciting at all. The last two days had stretches of 12-18 km with no place to stop so I had to be very prepared. Still not much of an appetite during the day so I eat mostly fruit and drink lots of water. My clothes are quite baggy so I must be losing weight. It is so interesting to hear people speak in so many different languages. Primarily Espanol in these small towns, everyone is trying so hard to communicate. Today I went into the little bar where I am staying and asked for a bottle of water and a glass with some ice. I got that, and then the young man put a small plate of tapas down as well. I wasn´t hungry so I said no, just agua....he shrugged his shoulders and looked a little disappointed. The woman standing beside me said, I think he wanted to give you the tapas for free. I felt so bad! so I tried to communicate no comprendo....He smiled.
On my bucket list I have added one more item; to learn Spanish!!! I have met people who speak 3 or 4 languages well enough to communicate their needs and have a conversation. So impressive.
I have countless stories like this and will bore you all to tears when I return. But the moments on this journey for me will never be forgotten.
Today when I was walking, my blister was really hurting. I started thinking about my Dad working in his garden and how much joy he got from that. I felt his warm companionship, just as I always had with him and before I knew it, my blister had stopped hurtimg. I know he was walking with me.
These are the gifts of the Camino.
