WHERE’S THE MAGIC?

After a month of inspiring vistas and picturesque towns and cities, the Camino has suddenly lost its magic for me. These past few days have been an awful stretch. I’ve booked bad hotels for 4 nights in a row. In Leon I was in a run-down little hotel that felt deserted. I almost never saw anyone at the front desk. I thought Leon would be worth an extra day of sightseeing, but I could have seen it all in one day. The cathedral is beautiful, huge and impressive, all gothic arches and stained glass, but wandering through a rabbit warren of little streets I saw mostly touristy shops. Both nights, starting around 8pm, the streets filled with people. There were couples, shoppers, families, kids, dogs; everyone just shoulder to shoulder, milling in the streets. It was like that on Monday and Tuesday, so I suppose it’s every single night or there was a festival that wasn’t apparent. It went on way past midnight both nights. I found it intimidating. The restaurants were full of people yelling and drinking, the waiters were impatient, and I’d clam up trying to order something with my broken Spanish. I finally just got a slice of pizza at a food stand.

I really couldn’t wait to leave Leon, but then I had somehow booked the next two nights in a row in truck stops on the outskirts of cities. I feel as though I’ve lost my touch in booking. Booking.com makes everything sound charming. There is nothing charming about a truck stop between two gas stations. I just had no idea it could get so bleak on the Camino. I’ve been walking on long straight paths paralleling the highway for days. I won’t lie, it’s been a bit depressing.