Bercianos del Real Camino (Shade or Not to Shade ???)

I am sharing all my information  today after wonderful 1.5 hour Sunday morning (me)/evening (she) skype.   She did not text so I will  try and include all her verbal events of the day.   She sent a couple of pictures.  The one above is a photo of  Nancy and Leischen leaving Palencia and entering the province of Leon.    Leischen says that so much of this week's walk has been like her time living in Mattawa.  The landscape and temperature are very much the same.   I assume a little of the rural Mexican/Spanish culture as well.

For tomorrow's walk - After chatting with several
other pilgrims,  Leischen found that there are actually two paths to Santiago.  The original  Roman Road and the new modern path  (which has probably only been in use the last 100 years instead of 1000).   The Roman path is further from civilization, has no trees and no towns for 25 kilometers.  The weather for this walk is scheduled to be right around 92 degrees.

The new road is closer to a highway, but is also tree lined ,goes through three towns with water, has bathrooms, coffee shops and a place to sit.  All this comfort comes at the expense of coming out in same town in less time.  ( No question in my mind which road I would walking come Monday morning.)      

Nancy decided to stick with the traditional route but Leischen chose to forgo another 25 miles in the desert after living there for 18 years. They each decided to meet on the other end and experience a few days solo.  The path split on Saturday, so Leischen found herself in Bercianos del Real Camino around 3:00 on Sunday afternoon.    She decided that she would at long last like to have a room all to herself and for 20 Euro made it happen today.  She found a spot to stop, wash her clothes in a washing machine,  and shower with a "real towel" rather than her travel size.    

The dry arid climate had all of her clean clothes finished on the clothesline and again ready to pack in about 20 minutes.  She was showered and waiting for me to wake up for a skype call before going out for the dinner.   She said that she was going to have to eat early because the final world cup soccer game was on in the only eatery and all the German's were ready with their tables in the cantina to watch their country win. ( Which they did)

 

Leischen describes the other pilgrims as a lot of college students but few American's her age who are taking this kind of walk.   There are many people from other countries in their 30, 40's and 50's but Americans seem to primarily be college age or retired with time to do this over the summer.  She has learned the name "Lieschen is generally an endeared term for a very young person named (Lisa or Liesell) or when that Lisa is older like an aunt such as  Tante Lieschen.   She has also given up trying to explain to the German's that her mother spelled her name wrong and for six weeks she will go with the traditional  Lieschen if asked.....( I am so sorry that I wrote it like a Minnesota schoolgirl who learned " the first vowel says it's name".... I should and stayed with the other rule " i before e except after c"  So many rules in the English language that is filled with French, German, Latin and other words.

 This picture is not clear but Leischen is standing with the patron saint of farming.  She thought her grandfathers would have appreciated that one.

In other news, her dog decided to explore the backyard until he found he could crawl under the fence..but not get back.   He was whining by my red car in the driveway when two lovely ladies thought they better ring my door and see if this poor thing belonged here.   He was eager to be picked up and even more so to jump into my arms when the door opened.  Back safe and sound.... how can you be mad at a face like that.