Following Dreams

Leon – Rest Day (according to my phone, I still did 15kms of wandering.)

Oh, the sheer joy of not having to get up early. How luxurious to lie in bed… until my companions start opening windows and making noises about food.

We trooped off for brunch and I never thought my sweet tooth would say this, but I am very much tiring of the continual sweet breakfasts due to everything else having ham in it.

With Tom’s knee, he needed to head back to the room and we headed towards the cathedral, via some shopping for BC who has a whopper of a blister on her heel.

The shopping caused us to arrive at the cathedral from a side street that didn’t make the cathedral seem that impressive. As I was standing on the road trying to take a picture, a Spanish lady came up to me and touched my arm to get my attention and began to converse, with me not understanding a single word.

I finally worked out she was telling me I needed to go inside the cathedral because it was far more impressive inside. Fortunately, BC had already said this, so I hopefully reassured the lady I was going in. I don’t know what I’m doing to attract all these Spanish people’s attention, but it is very sweet. I just wish I knew some Spanish to respond.

We handed over our money (close to the price of a bed for the night) to enter the cathedral, but as I stepped inside, it was worth every bit.

The stained glass windows are the best I have ever seen. There were so many windows and so much colour, it simply made you stop in your tracks.

These photos don’t do the windows justice.

When we were walking around the cathedral afterwards, we finally came upon the front view. I had to do a panorama type photos just to try and get it all in.

After more walking trying to find BC some sandals, I left her to return to a store while I went to a cafe that gave me a sandwich with avocado.

As I was enjoying a freshly made sandwich, I was looking out the window and walking by was Jean. I ran out to see her and we hugged like two crazy people in the middle of the road.

She said she’d been saying to Bill she needed to message me and there I was. It never ceases to amaze me how the people who have come to mean so much in such a short period of time manage to keep crossing my path.

BC came and grabbed a bite to eat before returning back to the room. I just felt the urge to go wandering around the streets and had a lovely afternoon.

As I was wandering back in the main area, it was siesta time again. What do you do during siesta? Drink.

I came across this gorgeous garden bar, so I ordered a Gin & Tonic and simply chilled and watched the world go by. This was certainly helped by the gin being of the same proportion as the tonic water!

It was Gentle Tom’s birthday today and I thought I couldn’t let him go without something, so on my way back to the room, I bought him a helium balloon. I was quite relieved to hand it over as I passed many pilgrims wondering why on earth I’d be carrying something so ridiculous!

We left Tom with his other Camino family and went in search of paella from the medieval market. To our dismay, they didn’t have any tonight. We went and had the olive skewers instead and went back to the fiesta for empanadas.

Once again, while we were standing at the lights waiting to cross to the fiesta, a Spanish lady rubbed my arm and I think asked if I was cold. There was me in a singlet top and she was all rugged up. After such a long rainy, grey winter, the weather here is simply delightful.

Along my wanderings, I came across this art installation with a quote. Google translate kept alternating the translation, but I think this is the gist of it and I thought how perfect it was. I am here because of having a dream:

“As a star collector, lie at dawn.

And take off every night to plow the sky with a thread.

The furrows that open with your effort

Are the paths that raise childhood dreams.”

Pablo Andres Escapia