Salamanca

At last I am in Salamanca, my favourite place on the Camino so far. But I say that nearly every day. Each day, around every corner, the scenes so beautiful and unexpected. Some days so peaceful and quiet, others filled with the bells of animals or the sounds of rain. The skies so blue ... bluer in Spain than anywhere else. Even the entrance to Salamanca was through a park with sheep grazing on the hillside, rather than through industry like it is in so many cities.

The Plaza Mayor in Salamanca is famous ... the best in Spain. And I sit there, glued to a bench, soaking in the energy and watching the people go by, chatting with those who sit to join me. There are restaurants all around the plaza where people quietly enjoy refreshments. And in the centre, students sitting on the concrete enjoying their lunches, soaking in the warm sun.

The walk to Salamanca was cold and wet. In one village they said there had been snow that morning. Although I have walked in rain only a few days so far, I have been dealing with the aftermath of rain also. The roads have become rivers at some points, and my boots have taken a few soakings. They started coming apart a couple of days ago, and I thought how fortunate that this happened right before a big city where I could get them repaired while I rest.

I have been traveling for some days with 3 French pilgrims, 3 Dutch pilgrims, and 2 German pilgrims. We have enjoyed sharing stories of our travels, and those of us who walk alone agree that one of the most difficult things to do is to put on a rain poncho over a backpack. It is necessary to face into the wind, using its assistance to help blow the poncho over the backpack. Also using a walking stick to push it up just a bit higher will sometimes do the trick. And everyone shares the same hesitation about walking among those cows in a red poncho.

Last night I dined with the German pilgrims, the only ones of this group still in Salamanca. One of them was celebrating a birthday, so we chose a special restaurant. I ordered the tuna with chocolate. I received two tuna steaks, one covered with a rich dark chocolate sauce and the other with white chocolate sauce. We were all surprised at how good it was. And this morning ... no need for my special city breakfast of churros with chocolate ... I chose a more sensible alternative of fresh fruit.