For some reason we are increasing our mileage as each day feels lighter than the last while I feel no stronger in the cerebral region and lighter on the physical. I’m thinking here that maybe, just maybe, I was wanting to do more and thought I’d set a too low a target. So the brain said you need to do a bit more and I know you can so gave me the strength to do it. Then there’s the placebo effect. Not unlike the brain there is also this and used here as a metaphor. Like many towns, Leon has a few pathways out of town so we had plenty of choices in mileages.

The pathways were four, one in and one out, but if you walk backwards at another time the front becomes the… enough and no puns please. We were slowed down, (our choice) by chatting with pilgrims. Some had had enough, and were leaving on the next bus out; others had chosen certain dates and were committed to distance. So here you can see the head making decisions for the body which is probably mostly a good thing, except when your thinking goes a bit haywire. Just ask my mobile or that car!!!

The catalyst for choosing the camino paths were so we can see what changes are occurring, There are more on this path than others, last year it was one and a half million, so it becomes more regimented and less spontaneous with more booking a long way ahead whereas 12 years ago when we did ours we mostly simply turned up.

These paths offered us different things at different times. Failing at school took me down a lonely path immediately separating me from my friends; Conscription messed with my head; university showed me I wasn’t as stupid as I thought; construction work (dad would be proud) had me working over 200 days without 5 minutes off; study is of little use if it doesn’t give you work I passed every subject with high distinction bar one with a distinction which taught me how to learn and understand.

It was bed time when we arrived and I was hoping that my wish had been granted. I’d had some restless nights but the worst I had was (two hours awake) even though I was tangled in sheets. It gets sadder than this. I bought what I call my emergency sleep doona and sneak it in to accomodation places. So try that you poor sleepers and let history be more than that. My dad slept well but he had this saying which I have looked at recently, a proverb nonetheless.”Sleep not lest ye come to poverty” It was following my failure in an important exam. This was the best that he could do but he was right. I was depressed for the first and last time in my life. I set to work and study and the only time I missed a days work ( a little embellished) was when I slept in.

And that’s what Spain’s most popular weed does (or maybe I am becoming a lot more subjective) it gets up every day. I won’t bore you with my Poppy love (/again, no more puns please) but there are some new discoveries. If Corrie could read this she would say: “ what are you writing, they won’t be interested in that”.  And I agreed but this time is different. They are so thick and covering huge paddocks making the paddock look as though it’s totally red as though it’s been painted. And then they cover a disused train line. I was so excited they had to restrain…..naaahhh. And even though I was in a bus I seem to have got a clear view. It was a long trip but thanks to dad I didn’t miss a thing.