Leon to Villar de Mararife - hot

I was so sad to leave Leon. My favourite city so far. I find that when I am out in the middle of the countryside I can’t imagine walking into the city, or even a big town, but once I’m in the.city, and particularly if I’ve chosen to have a rest day, then I get anxious about leaving for a place where there are only limited options and few people.
So after walking out of Leon, which was surprisingly quick, I was back in open country and tiny villages with populations of less than 100. I had expected hills after what I thought was the end of the Meseta, but in fact although there were a few gentle slopes, fundamentally I was still in the Meseta - flat plains of wheat and corn and big skies. But much hotter weather than we experienced in the Meseta.
We stopped for coffee and toast at Le Virgin del Camino - which was not as romantic as it sounded - and then visited a very different church. The architecture was modern, brutalist, but, I thought, very beautiful. Instead of big windows there were almost no windows at all. Surprisingly this wasn’t awful but very moving - not sure I can really describe it. The alter was the only place of colour in the building and was lit, partly by a light well a bit like a chimney, from where light shone down just on this part of the interior.
Moving on, in increasing heat, we walked to Oncina de La Valdoncina. Where we stopped again for a cold drink in a lovely Albergue with a cool, almost Moorish style interior courtyard.
On again for the last stretch to Villar de Mazarife - a bit further than we had expected. Very hot walking but we just had to get there. Used Rachel’s Nordic walking technique to spur me along but was very relieved to arrive at our Albergue- San Antonio de Padua. We have a room with shared bathroom and are promised a vegetarian meal - very exciting! All very clean and quite quiet with a great washing line (these things really matter!!). I’m now sitting in the shady garden with a nice breeze blowing. More later.
Wonderful vegetarian meal tonight with great company. Apart from Alan and Janet, veteran pilgrims (this is their 16th time) from Canada, everyone was new to us. Really enjoyed meeting Raul, a Spanish artist, and his son, Ben and Georgie from Australia and a family from Canada and the US - two brothers and the son and daughter of one of them, who started walking the Camino just before covid struck and had to get out quickly when the Spanish government declared a state of emergency. They have just started again in Leon.
So good to meet some new pilgrims as most of our friends have either stopped or gone on ahead. Some of them will be at our yoga hostel !’(!) tomorrow evening. More of that tomorrow.Read more