El Camino Day 21 (June 15, 2023): Leon to Villar de Mazarife

/ calleoscope
El Camino: Scenic Photos
El Camino: Wildlife and Domesticated Animals
El Camino: Maps and Distances Hiked

In hindsight, the destination at the end of our walk today was probably our favorite lodging on the trip. The road today was flat, the weather hot, and the landscape vast. When we arrived at our destination, we were glad for the cool interior of our lodging. Overall, about 13 miles for the day.

Map from my Strava profile

Today we really felt that the terrain was a bit redundant. When we arrived at the small town, Villar de Mazarife, it was a pleasant surprise. Everything seemed to have its own sense of place and the village was quaint. We booked an AirBnB operated by a retired man from Madrid who designed the place in the style of buildings found in northern Africa. White stucco walls, exposed wooden beams, and a cool, quiet courtyard with contemplative seating areas. Also, the host prepared dinner for us “Chicken curry,” which was a welcome change to some of the menu options we were getting tired of.

Even in the flat expanse, we stopped to appreciate the simple beauty of fields and structures

A permanent mosaic in the spirit of “El Camino” and “Peregrinos” (Pilgrims)

Coming across so many interesting objects on this journey you learn to look at them from different perspectives, which turns out to be quite insightful and beautiful. Many of the objects are works of art inspired by locals, pilgrims, or others and they are displayed in such a way as to promote reflection and contemplation; some objects seem as if they are slightly hidden around corners on purpose so that it makes the wanderer feel a sense of discovery upon finding them, like this medallion on the wall

The courtyard of our AirBnB designed to be cool and inviting after a long day of walking

Our lodgings came with a very friendly household pet, she was a real sweet dog!

Every detail was well thought out and implemented at this amazing little spot!

We were really able to relax in such a nice space full of local crafts and artistic details

If you go back and look at the first photo of this post and then look at the photos of our AirBnB, it all seems to match and complement one another, which is a real testament to the design of the place. Here is the link to “La Santa: Bed and Breakfast” worth a visit if you are ever in the area.

Check out some of the other sections in the links/buttons at the beginning of this post. I am putting up many new pictures from our trip. Enjoy! See you next time!

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