Spain
Villar de Mazarife

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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

    • 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 38

      Day 28-Villar de Mazarife

      October 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

      We didn't want to leave the Parador but it was time to hit the road. I stood on the balcony at 7am wishing the passing pilgrims a Buen Camino then we went downstairs for breakfast. First things first, we each snuck a ham and cheese sandwich for later. Pat said it was like a rich kid who shoplifts...they don't need to but they do it for the thrill. It turned out we really needed the sandwiches because when we were hungry, nothing was open.

      We had to walk through a couple busy suburbs before we got to the alternate route turnoff to Villar de Mozarife. It was a pretty walk in nature with little shade so I used my umbrella to keep cool. It's funny how towards the end of the walk I'm tired, hot and want it to be over but after a shower and cool beverage, I'm rejuvenated.

      Now we're just sitting in the courtyard watching our clothes dry. Our hostess just picked some apples and shared them with all of us.
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    • Day 38

      Day 28 - Villar de Mazarife

      October 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

      Back at it, 13 miles today. I did not want to get up today, let alone go walking for hours. However, after we got started I got back into walking.

      It is funny, I am so ready to come home, but at the same time I do not want this journey to end. Enjoy the update, I had to make two videos today.Read more

    • Day 26

      Villar de Mazarife to Astorga

      April 17 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

      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.
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    • Day 33

      Lions, and Tigers, and No Beds! Oh My!

      July 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

      Let’s start with the positive: thank you God for providing two beds for us last night… at 7pm!

      The day started out great. Last dialysis in Leon went smoothly and Sean enjoyed one last Kevin Bacon burger on the way out of town.

      Our plan was to get to the edge of Leon as we have an extra day before Astorga. Alas, no albergues or hotels before leaving Leon. So we walked to the next village. Two hostels closed, one albergue closed, another one full, and the only hotel in town full!

      So we went on to the next village where the first albergue we found was closed on Mondays! Wandered around A LOT before finally finding our night’s respite. We are now so far ahead of schedule it’s not even funny. Dialysis in Astorga is scheduled for Friday. We might dilly dally or simply get there early and explore a bit.

      Oh, and Sean officially had his worst meal of the Camino. So he’s got that out of the way!

      On the Camino, as in life, it pays to be flexible!
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    • Day 27

      To Villar de Mazorife

      September 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

      September 26

      It was so hard to slip out of the comfy king bed this morning and pack up to leave the hotel. 🙁 We were wishing we had planned a rest day, but now that we have walked to Villar de Mazorife, we’re happy we continued walking.

      We had to walk for about four miles to finally get out of the main part of the city. Then, we took a variant in the route to stay away from the busy highway. It was much more peaceful. For most of the walk Sue, from Florida, joined us. It always makes the time go faster when you’re talking to someone.

      The albergue where we are staying prepared a 4 course dinner for everyone tonight - fresh salad, gazpacho with bread, paella made and served by Pepe, and then crepes with fresh apricot and drizzled chocolate. 😋😋😋

      Henrick, who we hadn’t seen for a long time, is staying here as well, so we were able to catch up with what he’s been up to since we last saw him. He shared that he and Tom (guy from Ireland we had also met) took a taxi from Burgos to where they filmed the climax of Clint Eastwood’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Sad Hill Cemetery. 😂 Tom had told us quite long ago he wanted to do that, so we were glad they were able to make it happen.

      Tonight’s struggles:

      Sleeping in a bed that has a hump in the middle and is trying to roll us off the sides.

      And…Trying to ignore the sound of someone getting sick in the room next door. Oh my goodness!! 😳🤢😳

      Today was 13.7 miles. Tomorrow, we have a shorter walk to Hospital de Orbigo at 10 miles.
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    • Day 2

      Leon - Villar de Mazarife

      September 13, 2012 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      Heute also meine Einführungsetappe. Es geht gut 20 km aus Leon heraus nach Villar de Mazarife. So um 5.30 Uhr werde ich geweckt. In den großen Herbergen braucht man immer noch keinen Wecker. Ich mache mich fertig und Frühstücke noch eine Kleinigkeit, bevor ich mich auf den Weg mache. Ein bisschen Brot, etwas Marmelade und Margarine und vor allem Kaffee – mehr braucht es am Morgen gar nicht.

      Der Weg von der Herberge führt nochmal ins Zentrum und an der wunderschönen Kathedrale vorbei. Dann führt er in südwestlicher Richtung aus der Stadt heraus in Richtung Virgen del Camino. Unvermittelt treffe ich auf einer Eisenbahnbrücke auf eine junge Wanderin aus Bremen, die ich bereits von gestern kenne. Wir hatten gestern eine Weile auf dem Vorplatz der Kathedrale geplaudert. Welch angenehmer Zufall. Wir laufen ein Stück gemeinsam, so verfliegt die Zeit. Dann trennen sich unsere Wege im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes, denn auch der Weg teilt sich. Viele auf die Straße gekritzelten Pfeile weisen den Weg. Leider sind die Hinweise kaum noch zu lesen. Ich möchte nach Villar de Mazarife, biege also links ein, weg von der N-120. Wie schön.

      Der Weg nach dem Abzweig gefällt mir sehr. Auf einem Wirtschaftsweg geht es durch die Ödnis, bzw. durch verstepptes Land und abgeerntete Felder. Zwischen Stechplamen und Disteln, die meist verdorrt sind, leuchten verwilderte Reben grün hervor. An einigen hängen sogar ein paar Trauben.
      Diese sind zwar etwas kümmerlich, schmecken aber prima.

      In Chozas de Abajo lege ich eine Pause in. Ich esse das Brot und die Wurst, die ich von gestern noch übrig habe. Der Weg bis Villar de Mazarife führt dann entlang einer kleinen Landstrasse. Soweit es möglich ist versuche ich es zu vermeiden direkt auf der Straße zu laufen und laufe auf dem ausgetretenen Pfad am Randstreifen. Erwähnenswert sind sicher die Schlaglöcher, die dass kleine Sträßchen aufweist. Denn ab und zu fährt auch mal ein Auto in nicht geringem Tempo an mir vorbei. Dabei sind die Löcher für meinen Empfinden ziemlich groß und tief. In der Nacht möchte ich hier mit meinem Auto nicht fahren müssen.

      Bereits um 11.00 Uhr erreiche ich mein Ziel. Die Herberge wird gerade geöffnet. Ich ruhe mich erst etwas auf der Veranda der Herberge auf und bummle dann durch das Dörfchen. Im Dorf ist ein älterer Herr, der mich einlädt, sein kleines Privatmuseum zu besuchen. Ich bin zwar erst etwas skeptisch, weil man eben hier auch ab und an abgezockt wird, bzw. allenthalben versucht wird, einem Geld zu entlocken. Das was der Herr aber da in seinem kleinen Museum hortet ist allemal sehenswert: Technikgeschichte des Jahrhunderts würde ich das ganze nennen. Der ganze Keller ist voll mit uralten, technischen Gerätschaften.
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    • Day 4

      Astorga from Hospital de Orbigo

      October 21, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

      On the road at 8AM. Sun came up around 8:30. The next village was supposed to have an open bar for coffee and food, but the only things up were some dreadful looking pilgrim scarecrows. A guy was selling fruit out of his garage and I asked where I could get coffee. He took me into his kitchen and made me coffee and toast! Had a monster rooster on guard duty.

      The rain held off for the first 2 hours, then it rained steady for the rest of the day’s walk. Of course it dried up when I stopped for the night.

      Seeing a lot of people on the trail today. I had read it was getting crowded this fall, but hoped it would have quieted down by now. Have an alternate route I can take from Ponferrada in a few days if it’s getting more crowded.

      Toured the Astorga cathedral this afternoon. As impressive as the cathedral in Leon but in different ways. Look at the size of those stone columns! Took a photo of a painting of a demon harassing a saint. A 14th century version of Freddy Kruger I guess.

      Heading into the mountains in a couple of days. I chickened out and bought some long underwear this afternoon. Then dinner at the alburgue with nice people.
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    • Day 24

      Day 24: To Villar de Mazarife

      June 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

      On Sunday morning with the help of another 400mg Ibuprofen (sometimes referred to as “Vitamin I” by pilgrims) my ankle was feeling a bit better, so I decided to push on to Villar de Mazarife. I walked past more churches, past what appeared to be some hobbit holes and out of the bustle of Leon. After a while I was passing more beautiful wheat fields punctuated by red poppies and white daisys. Early in the day I ran across my Camino friend Lauren (American but living in Spain) and we walked together until I arrived at my albergue in Villar de Mazarife. Lauren continued walking as she still had several kilometers to go. After another 15-mile day my ankle was certainly not feeling any worse and perhaps a bit better so I’m confidant I’ll be able to continue tomorrow.Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Villar de Mazarife, 24392

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