So, here's the shoe saga: I bought a pair of hiking sandals in Carrion. The salesman was a trip! He spoke Spanish very slowly and loudly, and was careful not to use any big words, so that I would understand...and it worked. Anyway, I nearly danced out of the store. For the first time in many days, I was not limping or favoring anything! I was able to walk normally, and nearly pain-free. I walked across town to the post office to mail my hiking boots to Santiago...and all was well. We got the bus to Sahagún, then walked 14K that afternoon...and all was well. We got up the next morning and started walking. At some point I started having pain on the bottoms of my feet. I took off the sandals and saw that both of them had cracks in the footbed, under the balls of my feet - AND, I was beginning to form blisters there! I changed socks, but there was not much else I could do. Much of our walk was over large rocks, and both of our feet were killing us by the end of the day.
We finished walking by 3pm, and decided that we´d catch a bus to Leon that afternoon so that we´d have the next morning to explore...and for me to buy new shoes...again. Our guide book said that the buses run every half hour, so it sounded pretty easy. We got to the bus station and asked the bartender (yes, there are bars everywhere here) about the bus to Leon. She said that it was 1.4€ and that we pay on the bus. So, we had a seat outside and watched TV. At some point we realized we´d been there more than 30 minutes, so I went back inside to inquire about when the bus might arrive. The same woman took me to a schedule on the wall and pointed to a time (17:30) on the Saturday schedule, which was crossed out. She said that it was OK and that the bus would be there at 5:30. That meant we had some time to wait, but that was OK. There was a cycling race on TV, so we got into that. At 5:25 we walked around the building to where the buses arrived and soon the bus marked Leon pulled in. We rushed to the door, but it was closed. A woman exited through the back door, and was trying to get the luggage compartment open but had trouble. The driver grudgingly opened the front door to help the woman, and grumbled at us, "No ????." I didn´t understand, so asked,"¿No plazas?" "¡No!", she replied, then got in the bus and drove away. Another woman was standing there, and was clearly indignant for us, though her ride soon picked her up and she was gone too. It became apparent that the 5:30 bus service to Leon had been cancelled, and no one told the bartender. That must be why it was crossed out on the schedule. So, we walked/hobbled to the albergue, just a few blocks away, and had a good rest.
We had checked the Sunday schedule before leaving the station, and saw that the first bus would be at 3pm, so we walked to Leon and arrived before then. It wasn´t a pleasant walk - lots of industry and traffic, but the city itself was very nice. After checking into the Benedictine Monastery albergue, we had a late lunch at a cafe in the square, then hobbled (me) the the Cathedral, then over to one of the palaces where there was a sightseeing bus (that looked like a train). It was good to see the sights without walking any more. The Benedictine sisters had a blessing of the Peregrinos at 9:30, which we attended. It was lovely. The big excitement that evening was that someone came into the courtyard of the albergue and tried to walk out with one of the bicycles. The woman who owned the bicycle just happened to be sitting there and yelled, then one of the volunteers took chase. I was laying in my bunk, but heard the yelling and banging on the door. The guy got away, but the bike was saved and the police were called. Then, of course, everyone who was there had to retell the story - to the police, to the Mother Superior, to each other, to new pilgrims and volunteers who arrived. It was great fun to sit and watch it all. Unfortunately, that was not the only theft. The night before, in a municipal albergue, two women had large amounts of money stolen from their packs. People, keep your valuables on your person! Not all peregrinos are trustworthy...and that´s sad.
So, today we got up and found an early coffee shop (bar) to hang out in till the sporting goods store opened at 9:45 (not 10, but 9:45). I got a new pair of trecking shoes and Wendell got a new pack, as his was ripping at the seams. Then we tried again to get a bus, this time out of Leon, but the next one wasn´t until 4pm. So, again we began walking. We did about 22K, but it took forever. It was hot, and while the new shoes help tremendously, my feet are still sore. So, we arrived at this albergue at 7:40, had a quick shower, laundry and dinner, and here I am writing to you. Now, I have to go soak my feet. Tomorrow´s another day - On the Road Again...
