It's All Happening in Leon

I suppose I could take the credit for it, but that would not be entirely honest. When I was putting this trip together I really did not have any idea that we would arrive right in the middle of their important festival. I also didn't realise that our only rest day for this part of the trip would also coincide with the Football Grand Final Day way back in Melbourne. Although it may not have been planned that way, it certainly did work out perfectly. It must have been meant to be.

The other indication our rest day was well timed, was the fact that our walking team was rapidly falling apart. Yesterday our team had been reduced to only 9 walkers. If the current rate of attrition continued we would probably all have been bedridden by Tuesday. We all needed a day of rest and recuperation. We also all needed to thoroughly wash our socks and underwear.

When we arrived in Leon it was obvious that the festivities were already well underway. Large temporary sound stages were being erected in the many open squares in the old town, and the large number of people just wandering the streets was a clear indication that fun was in the air. We had also been told that there was to be a special organ recital in the main Cathedral, followed by an outdoor Celtic Music Performance. At first I thought that the excitement was just because they had heard that the famous Ghostriders were in the town, but I found out that the festival happens every year at this time.

After dinner at the hotel most of us walked back into town to enjoy the activities. At 10 o'clock the place was just beginning to hum, the streets were packed with people and hundreds were seated at the dozens of outdoor cafes and bars. We made our way through the crowded streets and arrived at the cathedral plaza just in time for the Celtic group to begin.

It surprised me to learn that Celtic music is very popular in this part of Spain and the large crown gathered in the square would support this assertion. The band kicked off with some rollicking numbers, led by the fiddle and pipe players. Some in the crowd started dancing. It was hard to stand still in such a happy atmosphere.

I looked around at the hundreds of happy people around me and at the floodlit cathedral. Even at this late hour, the air was still warm and still. It was a great place to be. I was enjoying it so much that, if I was younger, I might have stayed much longer. The truth was that we were all very tired and so we decided to head back towards the hotel.

Back in my room I crawled into bed and, for the first time since leaving Australia, I did not have to set the alarm for the morning. The next thing I remember was waking up a short time later. At least it seemed a short time later, but when I checked my watch it was actually 8 am. I did not think it was possible to sleep that late, since I normally wake around 6 am. For a moment I was disoriented a little, thinking that I had misread the time. But 8 am it was. I really must have been tired.

I arrived down at breakfast just at the same time as about 80 bus travellers also chose to arrive. It was a bit of a jostling match to secure a glass of juice or a bread roll, but the masses soon dispersed, leaving mainly the Ghostriders behind. Now it was our chance to check the progress of the Grand Final.

It was already into the final quarter and Collingwood was in front by a small margin. Although I couldn't really care who won, the thought of all those loud Magpie supporters would be enough to give anyone nightmares for months. We all began to silently wish West Coast to catch up. They did. The momentum shifted back and forth until West Coast got a late goal to seal the premiership. It was a great result all round.

The rest of the day gave me a chance to catch up with my laundry at a nearby Laundromat and then to simply wander the streets and watch the proceedings around me.The festival was in full swing and, once again, the streets were packed. Next to the Cathedral a large fruit and vegetable market had been set up. I bought some oranges and an apple and then walked a short distance to a shop that supposedly sells the best hot chocolate in Spain. Allan and Lorelle wandered in the door and we sat and chatted for a while. It was a perfect way to spend a rest day.. Tomorrow we all get up early to resume our pilgrimage. I suspect that the closer we get to Santiago, the busier the Camino will become. Already the Camino seems to have become a part of each of us and I am sure it is a time that we will never forget.Read more