<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>Russ:
<BR>
<BR>You said:
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<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I liked Burgos and even ran into a few of the friends that I had made over
<BR>the past couple of weeks. </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></BLOCKQUOTE>
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<BR>Wasn't Burgos beautiful? I spent so much time just staring at the cathedral.
<BR> I also bought some of the most incredible chocolate I have ever tasted! :-)
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">
<BR>
<BR><<I didn't like this hostel though, and for reasons I don't even understand,
<BR>I didn't
<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">particularly like Leon, so I only stayed there one night.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BR>
<BR>Once again, I have to agree with you. I wasn't too thrilled about Leon
<BR>myself. It was the only place that we had a difficult time leaving, in terms
<BR>of finding our way. We thought those little gold shells inlaid in the
<BR>walkways were easy to miss. It was also the only place where I experienced
<BR>less than a kibndly attitude towards pilgrims. Now in all fairness, this was
<BR>because we left early in the morning (a Sunday) and the discos were just
<BR>closing. So all of these kids were spilling out into the streets, some of
<BR>them drunk, and weren't against making lewd comments to two female pilgrims.
<BR>I never felt threatened as I live in Chicago and am used to such as that. It
<BR>was just another aspect of the path. C'est la Camino! I also just didn't
<BR>care fore the city itself. I did, however, spend some time in the park of
<BR>San Francisco and that was pleasant.
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I really liked Santiago and did go to the noontime mass
<BR>at the cathedral where they actually swung that giant incense burner!
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></BLOCKQUOTE>
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<BR>Me too! Wasn't it beautiful?! I was surprsed to hear many pilgrims saying
<BR>they were disappointed in Santiago. I can't imagine why. I stayed in the
<BR>old section on Rue de Vilar, just down from the pilgrim's office. I loved
<BR>it! I thought it had a wonderful energy to it
<BR>
<BR>I'm sorry your pilgrimage was cut short. But at least you are prepared for
<BR>next year - with new pack and all! I'm just curious, what kind did you get
<BR>in Burgos?
<BR>
<BR>Much love,
<BR>Gabrielle</FONT></HTML>