We drifted down the street between buildings that seemed to be closing in on us, sharing stories lost in human memory but remembered by the stored genetic memory of old stone walls and bent wooden balconies. Trees grew in some houses seen taking nervous peeks through rooves and reaching out through broken walls looking sinister as their stunted branches searched for light. I think they wished us a good walk as the wind gave us [...]

Climbing up along the yellow, mauve and white bush path the once far away mountains seemed to close in on us, as the sun painted ever changing pictures in the fading sheets of snow. As we moved up once again on very rocky paths the closer hillsides turned to mauve as the path colours varied according to the dominant plant at the time. We were joined by a Korean mum and her daughter who were [...]

This village spread out on to two major streets, the houses being made of multi coloured, multi sized stones, forming thick walls with large wooden doorways, many once used to house the horses and horse drawn vehicles of earlier times, the only evidence left of their past presence. We said goodbyes to our Canadian friends after dinner and prepared for the next day. This village is on a vast open low scrub flat, a narrow [...]

They walked toward me, their burley, bearded, steadfast looks appeared at first glance to be threatening. When my “Hola” was returned by all three, I knew they weren’t there to defend the longest medieval bridge in Spain. They may not even have known this fact, as ‘Bikers’ conventions, I imagine, would not have a history component and this is what we walked into as we crossed the bridge that he successfully defended against three hundred [...]

We returned to our lunch retreat and had ‘the pilgrim’s menu’ with our Canadian, Kiwi/Welsh and three Dutch friends and met a lovely English couple from East London. A tasty dinner with lovely people in an exquisite environment (a large closed in paved courtyard with a fountain) and delightful hosts made for a late night - 10.00pm. Late because the doors are locked in our Albergue at 10.00, and a quick sprint seemed a ludicrous [...]

We left Leon for the second time and left my Gortex shoes for the last time. We loved Leon and I tried to love my shoes but they didn’t love me so I left them in a cupboard where some shoes are meant to be. I am now having an intimate love affair with my “New Balance” shoes and heaven knows I need all the help I can get with balance and if he/she is [...]

A 'Camino free day' to explore the weaving streets of Leon. A fascinating city which had, by some texts interpretation the first democracy in Europe and has a church open day and night, a pretty good start in the life of a small city. I thought I'd leave you with a sonnet that speaks to (in my eyes) two vital parts of Leon's culture: Gothic architecture and freedom: The Leon Cathedral it stands tall and [...]

  The now ubiquitous poplars have sung to us the last two mornings as they soften and decorate the streets, their eclectic mix of birds and rustling leaves creating one of nature’s improvised orchestras. The tumbling of the water under this ancient bridge adds yet another orchestral sound to this fabulous show under the stars, the cuckoo in the background keeping a two beat timing as the ‘unrisen’ sun lights up the orchestra pit We [...]

Met up with our Kiwi and Welsh companions and had a chat over some ‘tapas’ with them and a Canadian couple in the village in isolation and even more so at night. The Restauranteur informed us that when eating a small piece of bread with savoury on, people used to put it on top of their drinks to keep the flies out, and, top means tapa, thus the word. When you leave in the dark, [...]

  We’ve now left the’ land of fields’ for the provence of Leon which in 1188 may have been the first parliament in Europe after the parliament of Iceland. That said this parliament of two (after passing through an honour guard of statuesque poplars) had to make a decision, for our faithful yellow arrows were now pointing two ways. We took the Roman road and the one so less travelled that we were on our [...]