Wow! I travelled over 40 kms today! Had to stop because I was soaked to the bone from a windy late afternoon storm. I'm in Villar de Mazarife tonight (left Puente Villarente early this morning).
The pilgrim crowd seems to have thinned out for some mysterious reason, so now i can walk till late in the day and find a bed whenever i choose to stop. At points today i walked for hours without seeing another person, car or village. It was incredible.
But I really wanted to get out of the city. I prefer rural landscapes and quirky half-abandoned villages.
This morning i was awed by the massive gothic cathedral in Leon, and met with various pilgrim friends in a few different cafes.
Ya gotta love Spanish landscaping...
(Yes, that's fake grass)
...my odd little albergues has writing and pictures all over the walls. I think it's a hippie hangout.
Tomorrow I'll probably walk to Astorga. I'm really feeling the need to just walk as fast and as far as i want every day. If i do so, i will leave my Camino friends behind. They have come to be like family to me, so it's tough to let them go. But i rather love walking alone and walking far. We shall see where I end up tomorrow...
Was that Refugio Jesus in Villar de Mazariffe? That is where I stayed in 2007. It was very quirky, and only 2 bunks to a room! With a crazy scupture in the back garden.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you stay in Refugio Guacelmo in Rabanal - but it is only 20 or so km from Astorga, so that would be a very short day for you. I understand that urge to walk, and how the rhythm carries you along past where the brain says stop.
Blessings for whatever you decide.
Darlene
Careful now, Angela, this is not a race. You will feel 40km each day after a bit. I met up with a pilgrim on the Via de la Plata that was averaging 45km a day but had to pull back after three consecutive 45kers and he was in amazing shape. There are limits, and you need to listen to your body as much as your spirit.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, you are definitely functioning on a different plain. Soon you will be seeing the same cyclists each night.
Seeing Darlene's wish you could always pull a Roman Soldier, they could walk with 60 lb, 60km day after day and hit Rabanal in one day, setting even a new Angela record. Just kidding, don't even think about it.