Villar de Mazarife to Astorga

As I've non-sequentially announced, today probably wins overall Best on Ground to date, so it lends itself better to a series of vignettes better than one big post, and that's what I'll do. Here are the landscapes without stories, just appreciation.

33km, started at 7 so at 5km/h I should have arrived by 2 but I got in at 4.30 - I never know how I manage that but I also never mind. I took two alternative paths to keep off the roads and what a good call that was. Stunning.

For the first few hours I enjoyed the mental dillydallying a long straight road in dawn affords, daydreaming about life's barefoot moments.

I asked Mum, Dad and Branna to all give me album recommendations given I have nothing but time at the moment. I listened to Harvest by Neil Young today (Dad) which suited the morning walking through corn fields so well.

At one point I walked around what I was positive must be a waste treatment plant because it smelled seriously terrible. I don't tend to be dramatic about stink but I was holding my nose. Imagine my horror to discover it was a Mondalez factory - the parent factory of many a snack food here, including Philadelphia cream cheese. I'll be researching why on earth that smell is involved.

An old man in a small village asked me if I was going to Astorga and proclaimed it was 15km away, so three hours, and wished me well. Unfortunately that prick in Burgos has ruined advice like this so I had to double check - he was telling the truth.

In that same town I had coffee and sat with Sophie, the Danish girl I've seen everywhere. VERY reassuring to hear her say her big toes are numb, I don't mind now that I know it's not just me. None years ago she did the Camino from Astorga to Santiago so as of today, when she arrives in Astorga, she'll have done the whole thing.

Doing it in bits is common, and it seems like in every city with a train station or airport you get a rush of newbies. They are easy to pick, and I am consciously welcoming of them - I have had many conversations with Camino regulars who gets frustrated by the influx of people in Sarria for the last 100km (the minimum to get your Compostela). I can appreciate that they're a bit annoying in that they don't know the etiquette yet and bring an astonishingly different energy, but we were all new once. If you can't show grace here where can you.

There is one complete green nerd though. I would bet the farm he's American and boring. I'd go out to bat for him if I had to but oh my god he seems lame. Get it together mate.Read more