Day 3 - Monday 2 May - León to Villar de Mazarife


At last, the time has finally come to slowly edge our way towards Santiago de Compostela. A relatively soft start, walking c12 miles to the remote village of Villar de Mazarife. No serious hills; and a dry, overcast day forecast.



Well it certainly was cold as we shuffled across Plaza San Marcos to the Puente Rio Bernesega and the beginning of Part 2. The Spanish are not ones to be up and bouncing early, but it being a public holiday, meant the streets were virtually deserted. So we crossed the bridge and trudged through typically dull soulless suburbs for what felt like hours. After 6k we arrived at La Virgen del Camino, next to León Airport. This is really the edge of León, and the last place to get coffee before the perceived wilderness.

By now, it was after 10am, so the place was just crackling into life. Taberna Paul did the job with the standard Coffee con leche's and the magnificently unhealthy complementary churros.

Today we had elected to detour off the main Camino to go on a "green route". Large parts of the Camino Frances follow alongside main roads, and are frankly noisy and boring. Green routes are alternatives that are more rural - often further, more hilly and remote. Fewer villages and much less in terms of places to stay or eat along the way. That's our lot for the majority of the first 2 days of walking, before we rejoin the main route.

Once we found the right detour off the main route,  we crossed a couple of absolutely dead motorways, and hey presto - peace and quiet. At last, it all came flooding back! Even the sun came out.





At the first hamlet, Fresno del Camino, it was time to change footwear for me. A bad sign. Are the boots going to plague me?? Only time will tell.

After a couple of hours we got to Chozas de Abajo, a magnificently one-horse village, but it had a bar/café. Hallelujah! Feet up, socks off and pinch your noses! Diet coke never did taste so good! Plus our first sighting of the obligatory pelicans and their huge nests.



Chozas de Abajo

The last 3 miles into Villar de Mazarife really dragged. Feet throbbed, knees ached, and armpits glistened*. Such fun darlings! It's all glamour you know. Tonight we're staying in an Albergue ( a pilgrim's hostel) - pretty rustic accommodation. Private room, but shared powder room and douche. Don't they know who Mrs Norridge is??!!


Villar de Mazarife


And that is your lot. Good to be back (I think), and getting into the swing of the simple Camino life.

*hope you appreciated my avoidance of the word "moist" there!!

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