Miles Hiked Overall: 307.5 (494.9 km) Miles to Santiago: 177.5 (285.6 km)
Steps Taken Today: 45,811
Blister Count: Pam has 2 kinda infected toes and.K just has issues on her right foot now
Spanish Word of the Day: perro (dog)
What We Learned Today: Going off the beaten path - even of you've taken over 40,000 steps that day - can be worth it.
Leon is a fairly big town and it took us quite a while to get out of it and back into the countryside. Finally some more beautiful flowers.
Did you realize that Madrid's soccer team won the European championship? That's all they're talking about here! I'm thinking that Spain should really pay me to live here during futbol season because clearly I bring them good luck. Last time I was here, Spain won the World Cup!
There are many people assisting peregrinos nowadays, offering them many services.along the way. I guess many people start the Camino in Leon. It only get more crowded from here on out, everyone says. The town of Sarrria is where the big influx will happen because that's where the last 100K starts. I hear way more English now which is sad but it's all for the tourists.
We stayed at a wonderful hostel in San Martin. It was off the beaten path which we usually try to avoid because it means additional walking, and when we were walking there at the end of the day we commented that it better be worth it, and it totally was.
"Dog" is the word of the day because this hostel had a great one named Cooper. The Camino in the past has had a reputation for many vicious dogs along the way. We've seen many dogs but most, along with every other animal we've seen, can hardly be bothered to give you a look. Some, though, have been great and made our day with their friendliness.
―Paulo Coelho