In love with the Camino

Hi All,
It´s been a few days since I´ve been able to blog, so I have some catching up to do. The weather has improved vastly so socialising has encroached on blog time and some of the places I´ve stayed have no internet.
The weather has turned on glorious Spring sunshine and warmth and the track has taken some stunning turns.

Leon - Villar de Mazarife 23.1km
Walking out of a city is a little tiresome but gives me a chance to see the other side of a city away from the medieval ruins and grand cathedrals. This is the real city in many ways. I´ve noticed in many of the suburban area, and towns and villages there is a central rubbish collection area rather than a pick up as we know it. I´ve seen people jump out of their cars with their small bags of rubbish or ride their bike with the bags tied to the handlebars. There is always a large recycling bin for bottles and cans and sometimes a separate cotainer for green waste. All very enviro-sound. Tracy you would be impressed.
Once out of Leon and suburbs the trail went up over a hill and onto a vast red soil plain, with the horizon so distant with a pale blue mountain range. Wildflowers spread across the landscape, not just beside the track. Lavenders, yellow broom, little white papery flowers with yellow centres and yellow ones with black centres..Dotted through these were copses of small oaks. The little villages breaking up this lovely scene were quaint with swallows swooping as I walked through them. The sunshine brought everything to life. The albergue Tio Pepe was just across from the church and I went to sleep with the tap tap tapping sound the storks make with their beaks - they had their nest on the church tower.

Villar de Mazarife to Astorga 30.1km
I took the road less travelled abot halfway today, just out of the delightful town of Hospital de Orbigo. There are a few towns called Hospital along the Camino and this is because they once had a pilgrim hospital there. There was a lot of road walking coming into this towmn with one of the oldest and longest medieval bridges in Spain. Beyond the town I took the track through farmland and fields. Orchards, poplar groves, wildflowers and red soil. With the lovely weather I sat on a rocky outcrop to enjoy my bread and chees lunch. I love being able to picnic now that the weather has improved. i find a spot where no-one can see me and where I have a beautiful vista before me. It might be a simple vineyard or it might be on a hill, but it sure beats a smokey bar. The peace and serenity are worth so much and the humble bread and cheese is elevated to a feast. Birds insects and bees are my companions. On this day while picnicking the largest bee I´ve ever seen alighted on a lavender just nearby. It was about 4 times the size of a normal bee and all black with irridescent blue-black wings. It was the Darth Vader of the bee world.
Coming down off this hill into the city of Astorga was a bit of a shock. Despite it being a beautiful city I am increasingly being drwn to the coutryside.
Oh dear, I´ve been kicked off the compurt. Will have to get back to you.
Cheers for now!

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