Another Day, Another Plaza

The end of today's ride is the town of Astorga. It should have been a 45 kilometer ride, but it turned out to be more like 60.
After breakfast at the hotel, our first stop before leaving Leon was the post office. We of course had to mail ahead to Santiago Paul's four new pairs of shoes which weighed would have added 5 pounds of weight just as we are reaching our point of true climbing. With the shoes off, we left Leon. It is always a tricky endeavor leaving big cities by bike. The streets are very narrow, cars going to fast for safety. The sidewalks are on option but you are usually confronted by people who stop dead in their tracks to greet that long lost friend they haven't seen since the night before. It makes for a wild ride of dodge-em.Once out of the confines of the city, riding gets easier. However, I have been starting my morning rides with a belly full of butterflies. As I start my riding, I feel much like a student who has passed a test but has to take it again and not sure if they've prepared enough (I haven't). Once I get going I start to feel better. That is until the first incline. As I put my legs into pedaling my bike up the hill, it is almost meditative. However, the words I say over and over again have absolutely nothing to do with prayer. There is a cleansing effect that happens as I emit toxins from my body and my spirit so I guess I am achieving the intent of a true pilgrim.
We went a little out of our way today following a recommended route taken by previous bike riders of the Camino.However, it did not add much in the way of enjoyment and just made our day longer than expected. The day's weather is much cooler than expected making it downright chilly in the evening as we sit having a beer outside the Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace designed by Antonio Gaudi (origin of the word gaudy). As I write, Paul is being thoroughly entertained by several older gentlemen talking with other. Every time the church bells chime, they all check their watches. We plan to head to our room to warm up as it feels more like a late fall evening than the middle of August and we shipped ahead most of heavier clothing. Tomorrow we have our first really big climb which. Will take us into Galicia.