Since I slept on a stone ledge the previous night—to escape the noise and avoid roasting in my room due to the heat—I had a terrible night and an even worse morning. My whole body ached, but I didn’t complain because I’m not Italian. The plan for the day was to reach the city of León. According to my app, we were eight days early at point B, and our agreement with Connor was one day ahead of schedule.
León is a larger city with wonderful energy, full of smaller squares where there’s no rush, and the atmosphere is just right. Andrea was experiencing severe foot pain along the way. To be clear, he had developed a tiny blister—so small you’d need a magnifying glass to see it. So, I suggested he smoke a bit of hash if he already considered me his trainer. I had wanted to tell him this the day before, but my ride on the white cloud had slammed me into the wall multiple times, causing me to lose my short-term memory.
Later, when we met for coffee, we decided to kill his physical pain, with the added mental high being just a nice side effect. Near the last 12 km, we took a couple of small puffs. Since neither of us are regular user, we needed very little. My preferred dose is called "A Little Tickle"—perfect for long walks. He let me know he had never tried this in such circumstances before, so I reassured him that I wouldn’t walk too fast and would stay within his sight. The last thing I needed was for him to get lost on the Camino—or worse, be run over.
Suddenly, he had a spring in his step, his backpack felt as light as a feather again, and his foot pain disappeared. If it gave him a normal, pleasant stride, then I can say I flew all the way to León, where we were meeting Connor. All I can say is—I fully support the legalisation of marijuana. It has 100 times better effects than alcohol.
Even though we could see the city in the distance, it still took us almost an hour to reach the centre, where our accommodation was. On the Camino, I learned to first stop at a bar for a drink and to cool down before heading to the hostel. Otherwise, the moment you check in, they bombard you with questions about dinner and breakfast. It’s overwhelming after completing the final steps of a 40 km walk. So, it’s better to arrive slightly refreshed.
We went for a small beer. The city had such a lovely summer vibe that there was no rush to go anywhere. We reached drink number three. The hostel was nice—clean, modern, and designed with a sense of style. Unfortunately, we had little time to rest, as we were meeting Connor at 5:30 pm. He had come to León to rest his legs and buy new trainers for €150. He was a completely different person—rested and fresh. His failed pizza suicide attempt had also helped.
In León, I finally managed to buy a hairbrush. Once again, I had forgotten mine at home, leaving my hair completely tangled. I hadn’t brushed it in 12 days. That, to me, is a real holiday. Let’s ignore the fact that my mum reminded me at least three times not to forget it. In the end, it took me half an hour to detangle my hair.
When you're in a bigger city, you know things will descend into chaos, especially if the city has a good vibe. As we sat down at a table in the square, we decided to order gin & tonics. I was curious about the price since we were near the cathedral, where prices are usually higher. So, I asked my companions how much they thought one drink would cost. The closest guess would pay for the round. Andrea said €8, I guessed €9, and Connor said €10. Well, we were all shocked when the waitress brought us a bill for €21—so, just €7 per gin & tonic, and she hadn’t skimped on the gin.
We decided not to go anywhere else, despite the pigeons flying around, increasing the chances of one pooping on our heads—or worse, in our drinks. I felt like I was in Venice.
Later, we went for dinner, and my taste buds were in heaven thanks to the squid in black sauce. We had another gin & tonic with it, then said our goodbyes. Connor decided to give his legs another day of rest and would continue his journey on Saturday. After finishing the French route, he wanted to walk the Portuguese route as well. Since I had walked that path in 2017, I advised him to take the coastal route rather than the mountain one. Walking by the Atlantic has its charm, though there are more tourists, and you’re never alone. Crowds.
For a nightcap, Andrea and I had one last gin & tonic since the bar was right in front of our hostel. We had one more topic to finish discussing. I reminded him that reality would soon catch up with him and that he should relax and enjoy the moment. Since having kids, he hadn’t had any time for himself, and in my opinion, that’s what the Camino is all about.
