Mark and I walked to the Leon Cathedral by 8:15 am, took a selfie, and set off. The first 8 kms
followed paved walking and biking trails along the river heading north out of town. In just a
couple of hours, I recorded 10 new birds to my life list in the Merlin Bird Identification app.
We stopped at a bar for breakfast before the pavement ended. Toast with tomatoes and Coca
Zero were on our menu. It was at this bar that we spied three fellow pilgrims, only one that we
would ever see again.
The road turned to gravel and led up a hill, climbing and descending for 19 km. A black dog
led us for a couple kms but we knew where to go – the mountains were always visible ahead.
We are spending the first night in La Robla, a tired resource extraction town reminiscent of
Chapleau, ON, complete with a pedestrian bridge over the road and railway.
The municipal albergue housed 9 pilgrims when we arrived, including one whom we saw
earlier in the day. Mark and I went for pizza with two Portuguese pilgrims. The owner of the
restaurant showed us the size of the pizza serving platter but neglected to tell us that they
serve a very thick crust. We each ordered one chorizo and four cheese pizza. Between the
four of us, we returned to the albergue with two full pizzas, to eat for breakfast, maybe.
My legs are sore after 27 km and 35000 steps. Sleep is calling.