When we couldn’t find accommodation through the meseta, we found a bus to León, and we have absolutely zero regrets about this decision.
The bus stop was packed with pilgrims all wanting to skip this grim stretch of the Camino for various reasons: the accommodation struggles, the boredom, the extreme heat…
When we got to León, the first thing we saw was a McDonald’s, and Sandra was so excited to stop there for some ice cream. We got coffees with ice cream mixed in, McBeers, sandwiches, and nuggets for Addie. The food wasn’t good, but it was hot and familiar and there was variety. The ice cream coffees were delicious.
We walked into town, and as soon as we checked into our hotel, we ran into 3 couples we had met previously, and we were so happy to see familiar friendly faces. It affirmed our decision to take the bus, and boosted our spirits immensely.
We went out to explore town and Addie found a little boy kicking a ball around while his parents had coffee. She joined him and we got coffees while the two kids played soccer for hours in the shadow of the cathedral. We tried to tell the boy he was very kind in Spanish, but his parents shook their heads and said “Romanian.” Despite having no words of the same language, the two played for hours, communicating what they needed with gestures.
We took a rest day in León, saw more friendly faces, ate some good food, did some shopping, and had an all-around great time. Our only regret was not being able to stay out later to enjoy the excitement of Saturday night in the city.
We are energized and motivated for this last stretch of camino. Approximately 300 kilometers to go!
Ice Cream can fix a lot of problems in life. So can watching children play together – especially when they can’t speak each other’s language.
Onward girls.
Hugs
Lions coming out of sewers, happy kids, ice cream, coffee….it all looks and sounds so good.
So happy that you were able to relax there and catch your breath. That is quite the lion, looks like Addie had fun with it. It continues to amaze me; all of the history that lies in those places. Very beautiful. Have a good evening and tomorrow.
So glad you got a bus and a boost! Can’t wait to see how you tackle what comes next!
Great u made it to Leon and back in civilization . Ice-cream and McDonald’s. Life is back to normal for a day . 😌