Day 36 and 37, Getting out of the Meseta

June 22nd and 23rd, Leon to Villar de Mazarife, to Hospital de Orbigo

290km to Santiago, 662km from start

Distance: 23km, 15km

A 23 km day meant an early departure.  We came in to Leon cold and left cold.  About a third of the morning was working our way out of town . . . through the city, factories, and connected villages.

Just as we headed into the countryside, we found a coffee bar with lots of pilgrims.  We shared a table with an Italian and a German.  We´d all come a long way, and over breakfast we traded stories about our trip so far, plans for the day, and aches and pains.  The Italian felow had more than his share of injuries, but in the end said, "Well, that is the life of the Camino".  It doesn´t  look like much written down, but it sounded very deep at the time with in Italian accent.

The countryside for the rest of the day was rolling hills  . . . a sign that we were nearing the end of the Meseta.  It warmed up a bit and by the time we got into Villar De Mazarife, it had turned into a genuinely nice day.

We expected that we´d have to bunk in an albergue, but Marie saw a sign that there was a two-person room at "Tio Pepe".  Yep, Uncle Pepe bailed us out. He ran a bar and restaurant as well so we were set for the day.

The village was small but pleasant and lively. I took that as another sign that we were leaving the Meseta´s empty, hard-scrabble pueblos.  I didn´t feel well, so I spent the afternoon sleeping while Marie wrote emails.  We went to bed early.  I slept through it, but Marie said there was a big party downstairs that lasted until 3 am.  Pilgrims are asleep at that hour, but the locals aren´t.  It was loud, had lots of music, and was complete with a drunken husband begging his wife (without success) to be le back in the house.  Marie doesn´t understand much Spanish, but she knows life and picked up that last part easily.

The next day was a short one so we slept late and woke to a sunny, warm morning.  I felt better and in no time we were in Hospital de Orbigo.  It was festival time and there were no hotel rooms, but the albergue we stayed in was charming.  Very clean and orderly and with a great host.  I may be winning Marie back on the albergue thing.....

Hospital de Orbigo was a small, well kept vilage. It had a long medieval bridge which was the site of much myth and mischief.  In 1434, Don Suero de Quinones was jilted by his girlfriend, put an iron collar around his neck (a sign that he was shackled to her), and vowed to keep the collar on until he had jousted 300 of the best knights in Europe on the bridge.  He eventually hit his target, took off the collar, and journeyed to Santiago in thanksgiving.  It´s said to be the inspiration for Don Quixote.  Not much in common with the story, but dead-on in terms of misplaced gallantry.  Each year the village sponsors a jousting tournament.

This weekend they were celebrating summer soltice and St. Juan´s feast day.  They cranked up for a party all day: setting up carnival rides, bandstands, seats and extra tables at all the bars, hughe speakers . . . these folks were ready.  We enjoyed the atmosphere, and caught a wood chopping demonstration but the Spanish don´t get going until well after midnight so we missed the good part.  We could hear the music from the albergue and it lasted until nearly 5 am.