I arrived very early for the 8.30 a.m.bus out of Leon. Several people were already hanging about at the bus stop, hoping for a 7.30 bus, not realising it was Sunday service. So, I shared a taxi with Jose from Melbourne and Thomasina from the U.S., both fluent Spanish speakers. We each paid €5 to La Virgen del Camino, and then set off walking. There was a choice of routes. Most people chose the send, but I wanted the scenic route through more small villages.
It was a day for wildflowers, with great clumps of European orchids, blue gentians, yellow gorse, cornflowers and poppies. I saw a French couple who had hired mules to carry their belongings. Apparently when they reach Santiago they put them on a train and send them home! I also met 2 Finnish ladies, older than me, one of them blind.
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| Mazarife |
It was rather cloudy and a cold wind started blowing across the fields, some with wheat and one stretching as far as they eye could see with the remains of a corn on the cob crop, which had all been slashed in the Autumn. I had a beer at 11.30 a.m. in the practically deserted village of Chozas de Abajo, before walking the final hour into Villar de Mazarife and my destination: Albergue Tio Pepe, where they gave me a private room in the house next door. This had either been vacated for the season, or somebody had died, for everything in the wardrobe and kitchen was intact. I helped myself liberally to all the oils and greases in the bathroom, then went along to the bar at Tio Pepe for an ice-cream and a turn with the Internet.
I sat outside in the sun near the Church opposite and wrote up my diary. I also chatted to a Danish woman and her walking companion from Brazil. They had just started the Camino and met that morning starting out from the albergue. We had a vino rosado with the couple from Cairns, who were planning to do 28 kms tomorrow to Astorga. Madness! Especially as her feet were not recovered from a blister attack. I think they were behind schedule because of his gastro a few days ago.
Dinner at Tio Pepe was paella, meatballs and yoghourt, with very friendly service. Not all the pilgrims were having dinner, but a great crowd of them were boozing on beer, wine and cider in the courtyard.
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| Lavender |
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| Orchid |
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| Gentians |
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| Meadow |
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| View from my window: storks nesting |
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| Albergue Tio Pepe |
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