Day 20-21 – Stuff it lets get the bus

Renay Weir
Sep 25, 2017
6 min read

Day 20-21 Teradillos to Leon to Astorga

We decided last night, we’d walk about 10kms in the morn then catch the bus 20km to leon. I know, the bus! Everyone here freaks out about catching a bus, calling us cheaters, saying your not a true pilgrim but sometimes its worth it! And im not here to be a martyr!

We booked the 920am bus so we had to leave by 7am at the latest. Yet again we head off in the dark. Its so nice walking super early. Stars are out and everythings quiet and im still half a sleep so dont register whats going on.

We made it with enough time to have bacon and eggs at a cafe and to also give skulling a caraffe of wine a go with yet another bunch of spanish men! I didnt drink the whole thing, dont worry. Half hour later we’re on a bus to leon, with 2 other Australian ladies; ‘anxious Annie’ and Sally. The 2 met on the camino and were walking together. What a laugh they were! We had 2 rest days in Leon. Well half, we still walked 10km today.

Leon is yet another big beautiful spanish city. The cathedral was absolutely amazing! There were Galdi buildings and museums, and lots of squares/plazas everywhere. We wandered around town and found the best tapas bar ever! Jamon jamon!. Wines 1.2- 2 euro and with each glass a huge sandwich with ham, salami, chorizo and cheese. Stood at the bar with a whole bunch of locals during their lunch break just watching the comings and goings and their interactions. We had 2 glasses and after realising we were obviously dehydrated, tired and hadnt eaten since early morn, stumbled out onto the street laughing realising.2 glasses were probably 2 too many.

We then laid on the grass in the sun and both dozed off for a while, before deciding maybe we should just go back to the hostel and nap. So we did. For 4 hours. That was utter bliss! Silence. Completely away from everyone! we were meant to be meeting up with the ‘family’ in leon but they had left that morning so i was a little upset i didnt get to see them. My back the past week had been excruciating, then i think the toll of just walking every day for 3 1/2 weeks and knowing your still so far, it gets you down. Plus the camino heightens your emotions; its a very weird existence. We reckon 1 week on the camino is 4 years of your life.

I had been messaging Davide who was a few days ahead of me now but we message most days and see how each other is going. Hes been my rock! Anyways was telling him how i was feeling etc – then he texts me this: ‘But what else could you do? You always make me smile every time I saw you, because you were always smiling… So, don’t stop smiling, don’t stop hug strangers like me and you’ll find all the answers and all the people that you deserve’.

Which whilst hes doing his best to make me smile just made me cry. But its what i needed. I needed a cry. Everyone has a camino cry count going. So mines at 2.

10 minutes later I have Emeliano and Papa (also days ahead now) messaging me, telling me that they really miss me and sending me into hysterics because papa is worried that we are getting so lost ill end up walking to china. And hes worried ill get eaten by the chinese so thinks its best i just bus to santiago where i will be safe and will get to see them. (I also believe Papa is planning Emeliano and my wedding in his head).

Jess and i were at a low lying in our bunks and needed to work out a game plan to get us through the next fortnight. Jess was tossing up whether she finished walking then and there and just flew home. I just needed a pick me up. We organised a girls night that evening with Katherine, Dani and Sarah and went out for pizza and had such a lovely night chatting and telling camino stories. We all were a little down it turns out and catching up with each other was just what we all needed! An after dinner stroll around the cathedral was also a perfect end. It was stunning and no one was around!

We slept in till 9am the next day. 9am!!! I cant tell you how wonderful that was. I woke up feeling a hundred times better! I had heard jess almost have an altercation with this rude american lady who snored like a freight train during the night. I remember hearing jess get out of bed in a huff, marched herself over to this ‘do you like olives?’ ladys bed and she yanked her curtain back and rattled her bed in an attempt to get her to stop snoring. Didnt work. People are getting a lot more aggressive as the weeks go on. Lots of threats of stabbing and poking people with walking poles. Snorers are being shaken from their sleep. Politeness is out the window now! Such a difference from the first week! And as i write in my bed i quote jess to a snorer right now ‘im going to kill him’.

I went back the next morn to Leon Cathedral and walked around inside in awe. Stain glass windows everywhere! The side that doesnt get the sun are all in blue hues and depicts the old testament, as they didnt know jesus and hence were yet to see the ‘light’. The right side windows all bright multi colours. Could have just wandered looking at the windows for hours.

Walking the city made us form a game plan for the next stage. So we decided rather than have 30kms of walking out of a city through industrial areas etc, we’d catch a train 30km and arrive in Astorga that afternoon and start the last 12 days to santiago a fresh! So feeling not one bit of guilt we hopped on a train, arrived in Astorga (beautiful town, recommend a visit) at 3pm, checked into the albergue and ran in to basically everyone we had met over the last month. It was a massive reunion with the italians, saw the original fam, and a bunch of other individuals. It was perfect. We Spent the evening wandering Astorga with the italians, looking at yet another cathedral and just sitting with Gino, Pasquale, Andrea and jess in the square having beers & wine. It was sitting there where Anna appeared out of nowhere and boy did we scream! We hadnt seen each other in over a week and we didnt get each others contact details so just assumed the other was long gone! It was so lovely!

After beers we did a grocery shop and then went back to cook carbonara together. Headed up to our room and yet again we are in with more crazy spanish. This time an older couple – mid 60ish and a guy. They couldnt speak english and i asked where they were from. The lady gets her ipad out and then proceeds to flick thru every google image of her town, explaining all the photos to me in spanish??!?! Would have been fine except, when your 78 photos deep and onto the 4th page of the google search and my excitement for each photo is wearing thing, youd think she’d stop. Nope. Nor whilst im sitting there with a needle in my hand, gauze ready, about to drain blisters she comes back over with her ipad to show me a photo of her grand daughter. Nice. Then she finger gestures she has a 2nd. The next picture she shows me is a photo of a nurse holding a new born baby. Not after its wrapped, freshly born, all bloody. I look past the baby and i wish, i wish, i was making this up but their is the mother, legs wide open. And this is when i just sat back, put my head against the wall and thought. I am done.

Do i regret cutting 40kms of walking? Not for a single moment! Do i regret being so patient and nice to this spanish lady? …yes. R.x