Valverde de la Virgen

I'm in love with it all again. I had three breakfasts, that probably helped - a free coffee and cereal at the hostel, a pastry and an empanada from the supermarket, then a bit of french toast as a tapas with a coffee.

It's an interesting trend emerging that if I plot all the valleys of my mood, they're always in cities - Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, Leon. I have theories but I need to chew on them longer.

A grubby and uninspiring 10km to leave Leon but then the path split and you could take the southern, slightly longer but more rural route or the northern one which follows the highway. They coalesce in about 45km so unless you're up for an extremely long day, whatever you choose informs where you stay tonight, or vice versa.

I obviously went southern, and the landscape change was instantaneous compared to the Meseta (which some would argue I'm still in for another day but eh). It was beautiful in a new and different way.

I stepped off the dirt road for a tractor to pass and he stopped, opened the door and asked me something. I apologised I didn't speak Spanish very well, at which he, continuing in Spanish, said nonsense yes you do, and then I miraculously did sort of understand what he repeated. He was telling me, I think, that if I wanted he could give me a lift to the town 10km away.

I explained that no as a pilgrim sort of the whole point was to walk. As he was driving off I ruefully wondered if he'd have let me sit in the scoopy attachment bit on the back and thought about waving him down. Then I remembered one probably shouldn't get into vehicles with strange men in the middle of nowhere, even if you could outrun both of them if you need.

About an hour later he passed me coming back the other way, tooted the horn and gave me a big wave. I bet he WOULD have let me sit in the scoopy bit and not murdered me even a little bit. What a waste.

Continuing the theme, I've certainly felt safer in an albergue, but I'm sure it'll be fine, I'm on a top bunk and I do think I'll have notice if anything goes sideways. If needs be, tell Interpol it's the Jesus one, first on the left as you come into town.Les mer