Spain
Chozas de Abajo

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    • Day 26

      Von león nach villadangos

      May 28, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

      Hallo Freunde der Sonne. Hier meldet sich mal wieder Radio camino. Die Etappe von Leon nach villadango gestaltete sich erstmal so, dass man ca 4 km gehen musste, ehe man den Stadtrand erreichte. Danach ging es relativ unspektakulär neben einer vielbefahrenen Bundesstraße weiter. Die gelbe Scheibe am Himmel brannte unbarmherzig, so dass einige Stopps angesagt waren und den Wasserspeicher wieder zu füllen. Das anvisierte Domizil liegt außerhalb der kleinen Stadt und man könnte es mit dem Spruch " Irgendwo im nirgendwo " beschreiben.😂😂. Fazit des Tages: Nunja, es gibt schlimmeres. Hasta luego.Read more

    • Day 14

      Leon to Villadangos del Paramo

      May 14, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

      21km - vandag se stap voel soos die slegte deel van Woodstock in CT vir die eerste 10km. Ek sien mooi graferings in brons in n vuil muur, dadelik nuuskierig gaan loer ek nader. Dit lyk bekend. Vlieg om die draai en voor my is die Basilica de la Virgin Del Camino deur n moderne argitek en versier met Subirach werke (bekend vir sy werk aan die Sagrada Familia onderandere). My mond hang oop maar die ander stappers stop nie eers nie.

      Dit was n vinnige 21km langs n besige pad. Die laaste van die plat Meseta. My nuwe stap stok werk soos n bom om ekstra gewig van die seer plekke af te hou.

      Eks vroeg by my hostel in die vreemde dorp van Villadangos. Dis n industriële dorp en hier gaan niks aan nie. Die gebou laat my dink aan Steven King’s The Shining met lang, verlate gange. Aandete was koue vleis, kaas, brood en verskillende vreemde slaaie. Lekker gekuier met mense van UK en Korea.
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    • Day 31

      Leon to Villar de Mazarife

      May 21, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

      At last I have left Leon! To shorten the walk today I caught the local bus to the outskirts of the city and began walking from Virgen del Camino.

      The first half was like walking along a fire trail in the National Park. Long red tracks with low scrub and bright yellow wildflowers. It then changed to wheat fields and poppies - we are getting close to the end of the meseta.

      I am in a lively and large albergue, at the moment there are a group of locals downstairs playing a surprisingly loud game of dominos.

      My foot held up well, I rested it a lot on the way. And I’ve iced and elevated it since I got here but it is now feeling very sore. I will wait and see what tomorrow brings.

      Albergue de Jesus
      16kms
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    • Day 26

      Leon to Villar de Mazarife 20km 5 hrs

      September 30, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      Day 22 on the trail. Some days it feels like we have just started, other times it feels like we have been doing this a lifetime. Today we left the hustle and bustle of the big and beautiful city of Leon and returned to the quiet country side, which we both agree is our preference. There were two paths to choose from, we took the alternate which is slightly longer but more beautiful. But still very little shadows . The days continue to be sunny and very hot. It’s nice to get off the trail early and into the shadow.
      Our albergue tonight is very old school. All the old locals are here….and they all smoke. We really can’t believe how many people smoke in Spain…and they smoke everywhere!
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    • Day 20

      Take the long way…

      August 19, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

      After the first 7 km today pilgrims need to decide between 2 variants: route A is 3.4 km shorter but constantly next to the highway! Route B is nicer but longer! Let’s see! A friend sent me „It’s Friday again“ and I also listened to „You take me up“ from
      Scotch- love it! Today I walk alone- just saw a Portuguese guy that I met yesterday evening! He recommended my next stop in 20 km! I changed shoes because of the blister (Blase) and so far it works! I met Germans on the Camino who always complain! I learned here that you need to accept certain situations and do something with it (mach was draus)! Or you simply change it! But staying in a given situation and not changing anything but complaining is NOT a healthy option!
      Ps: if you have a song you recommend for walking, please send it!
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    • Day 25

      Day 25

      September 17, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

      Today started off a bit wobbly it’s fair to say.. I’d been up quite a bit in the night with a sore /dodgy tummy ( a bit much information I know 😬 ) and so this morning I was really panicky about setting off on a longer walk, not sure if I’d be ok 😳
      I was a bit uncomfortable for about an hour and then all was good with the world and my tummy 😀
      I really enjoyed today’s walk once I’d settled into it.. the terrain was varied underfoot, plenty of ups and downs and some great scenery..
      i meet/pass so many people on a regular basis now, that they all speak to / shout out to me as I pass .. I’ve stopped being uncomfortable and embarrassed about it and now join in / thank / and laugh with them about it..
      I passed Alejandre today.. the guy doing it barefoot! WHAT A GUY!!!!
      I arrived in Astorga at a suitably ok time to have a beer… but, stomach in mind I trotted off to the pharmacy, a few charades moves later and I’m equipped to deal with any emergency 👍🏼
      Because I felt so awful I bypassed breakfast.. meaning I was starving.. a fantastic paella and pint later and.. yep!! I need a Nana nap!!

      I’m staying in a fabulous place tonight, best of all is a comfy bed.. the dinner this evening was seriously good too.
      Quietly sat on my own for dinner and in comes Henry ( originally from Dorset.. Australia and now Spain ) asking if he can join me…..
      Anyway, a seriously interesting guy, he’s done the Camino a dozen times at various times of the year and he was really good company.. helped me with the menu.. and drank half my wine !!!
      Another day in the bag… two weeks from now and I’ll be home!!
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    • Day 4

      When faced with rocks

      May 22, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

      As you walk, you will, from time to time, be faced with small obstacles called rocks. Some are quite small and can actually ease the way, being easier on the feet than hard highway pavement. However, others may be large enough to cause a serious injury, sometimes we refer to them as Ankle Biters. Generally, most walkers will steer to avoid these obstacles. In my Scouting travels I learned a fun game from my hiking buddy and fellow Scout leader, Jim Meyer.

      One may line up the offending rock on approach, adjusting stride so that the foot locates just left or right of the rock. There are several moves possible. With your right foot on the right side of the rock, As you pass over the rock, You could flip your foot to the left, pushing the rock off to the left side of the road. Alternatively, placing the right foot on the left side of the rock, flipping your boot toe to the right as you begin to lift your foot, the right foot clears the rock to the right side. These moves can be mirrored by the left foot if timing and stride are more optimal. You can also just go for a soccer kick in some forward direction. I have found achieving some competency here to be satisfying in several ways. Since you’re moving, It’s actually fairly complex and learning does involve entertaining failures. But also consider that by clearing an obstacle, you can leave the way clear for other travelers behind you. It’s a good deed that can be done several times a day.

      It reminds me of this sentiment by J. R. R. Tolkien:

      “It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule."
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    • Day 36

      Villar de Mazarife (11km / 479.5km)

      May 18, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

      Today was one of our more uninteresting days. We managed a lovely breakfast in Leon before leaving and then were on our way. The start of todays walk was 7km through industrial Leon. We decided to bus it to preserve my blistered feet. I would have been horrified if you had told me before we left that I would do that, but I am pleased to say I am very happy to have done so. The bus route was pretty much along the pilgrim path. We got off the bus and visited the Basilica of La Virgin del Camino, a rather modern looking church, but it was great to start our walk with a prayer. The landscape and vegetation have definitely changed - much drier and more scrub like. We elected to do the scenic route rather than the road route which is a little longer. The little towns we passed through were very similar to a typical Karoo dorpie (small town for the non South Africans).. The village we are staying at tonight is called Villar de Mazarife. It is quite quaint but very quiet. Someone takes good care of the gardens as they are beautiful and well cared for. We are staying at Albergue San Antonio de Padua, so we feel we are in good hands.
      We had a very good quality meal including a Paella and crepes for dessert. Most went to bed after dinner but there were 2 Welsh couples travelling together who have done parts of the Camino (1 week at a time) for the last 10 years. They were well oiled and very entertaining. The other was a young German who gave a yodelling performance! Once again, the group meals provide a highlight!
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    • León to Villar de Mazarife

      October 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      The city of León was partying all night near our hotel in center of town. There were people singing and shouting in the street till about 7:30am.

      We got up at 7 and were out the door about 8. There was a great cafe operating not far away so we had very good juice (fresh squeezed as always), fresh croissant and coffee there before rejoining the Camino trail. It was a fairly pleasant walk out of León toward the west, passing the magnificent Parador hotel on the way. It’s a converted monastery and features in the film “The Way”.

      There followed some slightly grimy dormitory suburbs along the train line. Not far out of town we met our friend Chris from Utah. Then in Virgen del Camino, really an outer suburb of Leon, we had a 2nd coffee and bought a big ham sandwich, in case pickings were slim on the trail ahead on a Sunday. We also ran into our Danish friends there, Jens and Kristin.

      Just after Virgen del Camino the Way forks and we had booked a room along the more scenic side so we left our friends at that point. Pretty soon we were in open scrubby country with a few trees. It could have been outback Australia or Brazil. Red earth, blue sky.

      Conditions were cool (64F/17C) sunny and dry, often with a breeze, but the sun had induced quite a thirst in us when we entered the tiny village of Oncina de Valdeoncina. There was no bar to be found but the owner of a new albergue, Domus Oncinae, invited us in for a cold drink. The place looks very nice there and we enjoyed a rest stop and a Kas Naranja (orange fizzy drink). The next 5k or so were the best of the day. Wide open countryside, some farmed, most not, on a wide soft dirt track, with a nice breeze. That brought us to the village of Chozas de Abajo. Not expecting much we found a capacious bar with a large shaded veranda where we ate our ham sandwich, washed down by more iced Kas Naranja, and a delicious tomato tapas thing accompanying the soft drinks.

      After lunch and a foot airing it was a 4km trudge along a paved road to our destination of Villar de Mazarife.

      21.5km was our tally for the day, in excellent walking conditions.

      We checked into Albergue San Antonio de Padua: $85 for twin room, dinner and breakfast for 2, all very new.
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    • Day 4

      Albergue De Jesus, Villar de Mazeriffe

      May 24, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      Arrived at my destination on my first day and managed to find a bed without a booking. I was lucky! Walked with Ciska, a born South African who has been living in Australia for the last 16 years. She showed me the ropes, I am thankful! I attended my first pilgrim meal, food was delicious and a lot, pasta salad as a starter, fish with chip for main and an icecream for dessert with red wine. All for 12€. There was people from the USA, Germany, South Korea, France, Australia, Philippines and off course SA. I feel blessedRead more

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