Hola dear friends,

  Today finds me in Leon, a fairly large city.  I am staying at an albergue called Santa Maria de Carbajal a Benedictine monastery in the old city.  We are in  dormitory style rooms with bunk beds, but once again I lucked out and got a bottom bunk against a wall.  The accomodations are modest and clean and it works at 5 euros.  I wanted to be somewhere a bit calm after the walk along busy highways this morning.  It was very interesting entering the city and walking by car dealerships.  I could have been on the Carlise Pike  I passed a Volvo dealership and a Honda dealership.  I was tempted to walk in and see the Honda Fit, but I resisted :)  

 I had a most interesting morning and evening last night.  I will start with the evening and move onto  this morning.  As you remember from my post yesterday I sat by the river and  while I was resting I was , journalling, reading and listening to all the glorious nature sounds.  I went back to the refugio and did some laundry, made a pot of mint tea and was just sitting in the sun.  Met a woman from Canada who is walking with her husband and cousin, shared a cup of tea and then made plans with them for dinner.  Ealier I met a couple from Georgia, originally from Cuba, and they told me about an amazing restaurant right around the corner, so  my new Canadian friends and I  made plans to eat there.  Went to the Pharmacy to stock up on foot supplies, tape, gauze, Ib profen creme, etc, probably more information that you are really interested in hearing, but here it is none the less.  Dinner was awesome.  Lasagna cooked to perfection for the first course, pork ribs and sliced potatoes that melted in your mouth and a delicious chocolate cake.  I can eat this stuff coz I walk 10-12 miles a day.   YEAH !!!!!!!    Okay after dinner we are walking back and we round the corner and in front of our refugio is a bar restaurant with families and little kids sitting on outside tables laughing, visiting, and generally having a great time.  There were about 4  little kids from 3-4 kicking a soccerball around with their parents engaging with us as we walked by and this is all around 8:30 in the evening, which is when everything comes alive.  It was so cute to see the little ones running around on the street playing.  Now these streets arent´like Walnut street  in  front of my house.  Very narrow brick streets that cars do come down, but not often.  I guess we might call these alleys in Carlisle, but alleys with bar/restaurants, small neighborhood groceries  and the most amazing store with fabrics and christening dresses and lovely lace and tablecloths.  I was drooling.   Anyway.  I get into the refugio and meet this delightful young man named Paulo who is about 11.  His mother is best friends with Laura, the hospitelero who has been helping me with my feet.  What a charmer.  Oh my God.  We had the best time trying to communicate.  He had these really cool red glasses on, all the kids wear them, but they have clear glass in them.  At one point we exchanged glasses and I told him he was now seeing through the eyes of an American and I was seeing through the eyes of a Spainard.  He really liked that, although I think if he kept mine on too long, he would have gotten dizzy.  I asked to take his picture and before he would let me he ran into wash his face and comb his hair.  He was a little Don Juan and a charmer.  Before the evening was over he gifted me with something like crackerjax tiddly wink, discs you slide along the floor,

After my feet were cared for by Laura, she invited me to go out for a drink with her Carlos, the massage therapist and her mother.  We went to the same bar where I had dinner and sat around chatting, in Spanish and English.  What was so incredibly delightful was the fact the Laura´s mother is in a local choir singing group.  I´m not clear if it is church related or something like Cantata Carlise.  They ask if I like Spanish music and I burst into a smile and said  of course.   And then, this most amazing thing.  She begins to see a Spanish Aria for me !!!!!!!  Sitting at the bar drinking cafe con leche around 10:00 in the evening this lovely woman is singing this soulful Aria.  .  Then she starts singing a Spanish folk song and Carlos and Laura join in and the Waitress and another waitress and it almost brought me to tears.  Amazing.  We laughed and sang.   What a true gift.  I will never forget it.  As I said good night to them, her mother told me that was my home.  I think I´ve been adopted.

   Being with those folks was so healing for me and I will be forever grateful.

  But wait there is more.  This morning I was walking early.   I left around 7:30 and about 1 1/2 hour later came to a bar/restaurant where I went in for breakfast.  Joined a Swedish guy  I had met named Jo and met the most amazing character who owned the bar.  He looked and acted like Tony Soprano.  No kidding.  He had loud and I mean Loud classical music blasting, Walzes, mozart, and at one point I watched him behind the bar conducting.  We bantered back and forth laughing and I told hime Muy bien, very good and  How I loved the music  and what a  great way to start the day.  The sweet part of this was that  after I paid him he asked me where I was from and I said USA.  And of course big smiles, pennsylvania, etc etc.  Wellll,  I get outside and I hear the music from the loudspeaker outside, yes loudspeaker outside, shift to more like punk or something and them I hear a song I recognize.   Next thinng I know  he comes flying out  the door to make sure I am still there.  He had searched is music to find Born in the USA by Bruce Springstein for me !!!!  I was so touched and we laughed and hugged and I will never forget Louis the Tony Soprano  and Music man of Spain.  He even had musical notes on the filigree of his door.  I have pictures of him and the door.  So dear friends, it has been and most musical and magical time for with the the dear kind people of Spain.  I will always remember these last two days as a bringer of joy into my life a gift I want to nourish and keep alive always.  Thank you for letting me share all this with you and in my writing I hope you can experience the joy as well.  

 I am heading out into the big city now to tour the catedral and look for silk liner socks a pharmacist from Canada I met this morning told me to get.  I want to sit in the sun and soak it up.   Much love to you all.  Tomorrow I will most likely go to Villar de Mazarife.  Gay is about 2 1/2 days ahead of me and gave me the name of a great alburgue to stay in while I  am in that town.  So another 20 K or so tomorrow.  That seems to work for me.  My blisters are healing as is the tendonitis, but I think it all won´t resolve until I am finished walking.   No worries.  I´m doing great.    Okay love to you all and Embrace the day.  Camille in and on the Camino