NATIONAL Police are calling for help in finding an American woman who has gone missing whilst walking the Camino de Santiago, or pilgrims' route to the north-western cathedral city.
Denise Pikka Thiem, 40, was last seen in the Hotel Suero de Quiñones in the León province village of Hospital de Órbigo 24 days ago, on April 4.
She was undertaking the Santiago walk alone, but is said to be fit, healthy and an experienced hiker.
According to the hotel owner, Denise left that morning after breakfast and checking out, paying with a credit card, and has not been seen since.
Denise's brother Cedric, who lives with her in Arizona, has travelled to Spain to help search for her.
He said she would never have gone missing voluntarily.
Cedric said he began to get worried when he stopped getting calls and emails from his sister, since they spoke on Skype every other day and she sent him daily emails.
In fact, given that they are very close, Cedric knows her email password, and signed into her account to see whether she had written to anyone else in the days since she had not been seen.
He contacted with some of the other 'pilgrims' Denise had met en route, including Javier Pombo who said he met her on March 26 and she became friends instantly with his daughter and three nieces and nephews.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com