today we start walking

I am on the bus from Leon to Ponferrada. We arrived in Leon yesterday. I walked into the Plaza de San Isodoro to see Sue sitting in the plaza drinking a cafe con leche. As we sat together and talked, the other pilgrims from our group came and joined us. I got to meet Paul and Wendy for the first time. I then also got to meet Kathy who has done all of her Ph work on the Camino. She is staying with Elyn and Gary. Gary also joined us. Now here is the smaill world - I read Elyn´s book,¨Following the Milky Way¨as one of the first books I read on the Camino. Elyn and Gary used to live in Boulder, before moving to Santa Fe, and most recently, t hey just moved over here to Spain. I was given the book by Barry Sensenig, a local Boulder chiropractor, who had been given the book by Elyn, who was one of his chiropractic patients. When I mentioned his name to Gary, he laughed and said he hadn´t heard Barry´s name in a long time, but obviously knew it and appreciated Barry. So there I was in Leon, and meeting the husband of the author of the book I loved on the Camino who used to live in Boulder. WOw.

We are in Varge de Valcarce waiting for lunch at Christina´s and then we begin our walking up into the rainy mountains. Today will be a steep walk - I trust my training at altitude will support me as I walk. I will let you know.

I am here. And I will be walking here shortly.