Puente Villarente to Hospital de Orbigo

The struggle ends when gratitude begins. – Neale Donald Walsch

May 23 Puente Villarente to Oncina de la Valdoncina

Today’s miles – 16.4 Total miles 297.8

Elizabeth: Today’s walk was filled with geese, new born calves, a cat racing across the path with mouse for breakfast and roosters encouraging our every step forward.

Enjoy the slide show of our adventures and may your day be filled with gratefulness and heart.

  • Last night’s Albergue San Pelayo’s back patio and bar
  • One of San Pelayo’s common rooms…wood stove was needed!
  • Our room, converted horse stall, at San Pelayo
  • Mr. & Mrs. on the farm!
  • Wild lavender!
  • I know, more storks and swallows! But it’s spring in Spain!
  • Hawk
  • Leon Cathedral, in the distance, from the path
  • E at Leon’s ancient wall , entering the old town to the left
  • The cobblestone streets of Leon with bronze foot & shell
  • G & E at Leon Cathedral
  • C & C, Leon Cathedral Plaza
  • All 4 of us!
  • Ok, it’s a funky bathroom, right???
  • My Camino sister from the US
  • E’s Zucchini, tomato and pistachio pesto pizza!
  • C & C on the last miles out of Leon
  • Inside Leon Cathedral
  • C & C saw it at night!

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius

May 24 Oncina de la Valdoncina to Hospital de Orbigo

Today’s miles – 15.5 Total miles 313.3

Elizabeth: Another flat and featureless day filled with new experiences and adventure. I found the water filled ditch, along the road we walked beside for many miles, to be filled with frogs, pollywogs and dragonflies. The fresh cut wheat fields housed lizards and birds of all kinds, including worm seeking storks and hawks soaring above for field mice.

  • G and E, 39 degrees at start of day
  • The alternate route today took us out of the crowds!!
  • E w..a..y back behind the poppies
  • E loves the flowers!
  • Wall art partially in the sun & drinking water fountain on left
  • Pilgrim supplies for sale…at a tractor machine shop.
  • Ribbit!
  • G, Coops & Chelsea
  • Hospital de Orbigo’s Medieval bridge built in 1200’s!

We are all staying in a hotel that overlooks ancient jousting grounds under the 1200’s built bridge and sword challenges that took place in the 1400’s.

We are each learning about, and learning from, one another every day. We are all grateful for what we have, who we are and who we’re with. We look forward to tomorrow while appreciating today.

May your day bring you open-mindedness to learn from, and about, someone as well.

Buen Camino!

G: Cooper figured out that our walk from SJPdP to Santiago, Fisterra, then Muxia will be 900 kilometers (560 miles). He has decided he wants to make the hike 1,000 kilometers (an additional 60 miles). To make this happen he is planning to walk a few extra kilometers each night. He and I walked an extra 8k (5 miles) a couple of nights ago, just doing a loop out around the town. Today we walked 6.5k extra by walking up the river, then looping down river to the grocery store and back to the hotel. Each night he plans to knock off a few extra kilometers to reach his goal. I walked 300k on the Portuguese route, so I am already at 800k walked. Today we passed the 300 mile mark on the Frances.

What we find in a soul mate is not something to tame, but something wild to run with.

Robert Brault