The Journey Continues - Leon to Astorga

Although it was amazing to have a rest day in Leon, I must admit that there was something inside me that was also keen to resume the walk. Even though we have only been walking the Camino for a week, we are beginning to feel that we have become a small part of a much larger story. The story itself will only be complete when we all arrive at the Cathedral in Santiago.

Leon was something of a very pleasant surprise for most of us. I am not sure what I expected to find, but it certainly wasn't bagpipes and Celtic music. And yet that is exactly what we did find. Apparently Celtic music is an extremely important part of the culture in this part of Spain.

I spent my final evening in Leon watching the pipe bands play outside the cathedral and then march around the streets of the old city. It was such a beautiful balmy evening that I could not help being caught up in the emotion of the crowds that were thronging the old city. It is a memory that I will cherish long after this trip is over.

Today's walk took us to the much smaller town of Astorga, famous for it extensive Roman ruins, huge cathedral and incredible bishop's palace. The fairy tale bishop's palace was designed by Antoni Gaudi, with work starting in 1890 and taking about 17 years to complete. The building itself is a fascinating work of art and would appear more at home in Disneyland than alongside an ancient cathedral. When you are inside the palace you are surrounded by light coming at you from all directions and I almost felt that I was inside a diamond. It certainly must have been created by an incredible mind, but I am equally certain that I could never live in such a hectic place.

The walk itself was only about 16 km, but it was enough to bring our cumulative distance on the Camino to 105 km. When you add on the considerable distances we have walked around the cities we have been staying in, our real total would be closer to 140 km.

We started the walk early and were thus able to avoid the heat of the day. Although much of the walk was alongside a quite busy road, the final few kilometres into Astorga were magical. I am sure that our walkers are already significantly stronger than they were a week ago and the kilometres seemed to pass by without much effort.Read more