Walking Day 10 - Virgen Del Camino to Villavante – 25 k – 15.5 miles

Leaving Leon was sad for me – I loved that city, I loved the cathedral and the history and the art and the maze of narrow streets inside the old wall.

The morning started with clouds and a chill breeze as we walked over hills and along country roads through small villages. We are gradually climbing up and out of the Meseta, and the land has changed from rolling green hills of wheat to eastern-Washington style scrub lands with spring wildflowers and more trees.

A few miles into the day, I came across my friends Al and Nora from Sacramento.  We shared a few miles and good conversation until my morning check point at a café / bar.  They rested awhile, and I moved on with Jorge.

Later in the day, that hink in my right hip seized up like the Tin Man in a rainstorm. Walking was nearly impossible, even with frequent stops to rest and stretch.  I hobbled to the end point of the day, and when I got to my room, I spent the remainder of the day horizontal. 

Having spent a couple of weeks with companions from South Africa and Australia, I think I will be insufferable with the new bits of slang and figures of speech I have picked up.  English is an amazingly creative language, and my companions are hilarious!  Combined with Jorge’s schoolbook English and innocence, we have had quite the good time with communication amongst the group. 

We are now staying Astorga, another lovely town, for 2 nights, and I have 3 more days of walking ahead of me.

[Sunday morning update]

On this journey, I have been continually amazed and blessed by the restorative and healing power of sleep.  After a very good night of rest, and a lot of stretching, my hip feels stiff but functional, and I am on my way to breakfast.