“Quien va a Santiago y no al Salvador, visita al criado y no al señor” — “He who goes to Santiago and not to the Salvador, visits the servant and not the lord.”
The adage stems from the claim by the cathedral of Oviedo that it has relics tied to Jesus, whereas the Cathedral of Santiago has only the bones of St James, his servant.
At any rate, I woke up in Leon ready to start the Camino San Salvador. I had a quick breakfast (guess what?) and hugged the Bernesga River until I had to turn inland at Carbajal to start the first long uphill section. The route was about 15 miles, mostly uphill on a rocky track, ending on asphalt and a long walk through La Robla because my hotel is at the other side of town. Which is a good thing so I can hit the trail quickly tomorrow.
The biggest news: there are actually other pilgrims on this trail! I met four and saw three others and then two more at my hotel, which is actually a casa rural, or small inn.
La Robla is a decent sized town with a Carrefour grocery nearby. I bought some provisions because eating facilities get rather sparse for the next few days.
Long day today, so I will sign off til tomorrow. Love you all and hope your uphill rocky roads have a hot shower and a comfortable bed at the end.
