Stage 22 I will limp 13 miles to Mazarife ... I have joined the ranks of the Walking Wounded

I first began to feel it on my way to the Cathedral. My lower left leg is hurting. I am starting to limp. I guess it's the body's way of letting you know that you have gone a bit to fast today. I will just "walk it off ". Wrong, very wrong.

I meet up with Rainer and Michele. We have been disconnected for a couple of days because I took that wrong turn. We have at least an hour before we will have dinner. I mentioned to Rainer that I need to buy socks. He knows where there is an outdoor shop, a small version of an REI. My own guide. He knows exactly how to get there. Unfortunately we are walking and my left leg is getting worse.

I buy what I need and we head to the Cathedral. It's really something to see. Rainer took a picture the night before I arrived and he emailed it to me. I will ask Robin to include it. The picture will allow me not to attempt to describe it. 

Dinner is very good. A small place near the Cathedral. Rainer's first choice would cause us to wait longer. This place is fine. We walk back to the hotel. It seems like we are walking forever because my leg is getting worse with each step.

At breakfast I meet Michele and Rainer. I will be leaving after 10 because I must go to the department store for four items I will need in just a few days. I will tell you about them when that day arrives. It will be the most important part of my Camino. 

Michele is staying in Leon. Our schedules will not match again until my final night in Santiago where we will have dinner and a Cuban cigar. Rainer will leave now and I will meet him later today in Mazarife at the  Albergue, assuming I make it. Back up to my room to grab my gear, its almost ten o'clock and the department store is directly across the street.

I return to the Lobby and waiting for me are Fernando and Nelly. They are staying in Leon for an extra day and Nelly's injury will cause them to add other stops to shorten their walks each day. This will be goodby.

We take pictures, hugs all around and I am on my way to get what I need. I find them easily and back to the hotel for my gear. I start my 13 mile walk out of Leon. I am limping but if I just take it slow I will be fine.

I make more stops during this stage than any other prior stage. I will make one last stop in La Virgen Del Camino. It will be my last chance for food and water. Once I leave this cafe there will be a stretch of  about 6 miles where there is nothing but the Camino.

I walk past one small cafe but I think I saw a sign that said wifi. I stop, go back and there is free wifi. I am the only customer. Two woman I am guessing mother and daughter. Mom is sitting at a table smoking and reading what looks like a tabloid newspaper. The daughter is working.

I order a Diet Coke and a bocadillo. Ham, cheese and tomato. I pull out my iPad mini and plug it in. There is only one outlet and it's next to Mom's table. She says ok. I begin to check my email and I am standing next to Mom who is fascinated with my mini. 

Robin sent me a video of Vivian a couple of days ago of El Gato playing with her Fun For Cats on Robins iPad . It's an app that has a mouse running around the screen and Vivian loves it and it is a riot. 

I am thinking, why not show Mom how the mini works. I fire up the video and I show it to Mom. She goes nuts! She is just blown away and laughing widely. 

Her laughing brings the daughter out of the back to see what's going on. Mom is calling her to hurry and see this. I start it again. Same result times two. I think I made their day. The bocadillo was very good. I am my way again. One last comment about the cafe. The password for the wifi is 12345678.

They should be running that fancy hotel.

There are two Camino's ahead just like the situation I was in two days ago. I will not make that mistake again. I have my map and guidebook. I must find the path that will turn left to take me to Mazarife. I find it and I am limping more noticeably. 

I arrive at 5:15, not bad. I thought it would be at least another hour given my pace but I complete the walk in six hours and fifteen minutes. Now just find the Albergue . That's not very hard the town is about a five minute walk end to end. 

I check in and the woman who handles the paperwork will now lead me to my private room with shared bath. Just a note. There are two types of Albergue's. All have giant sleeping rooms with bunk beds and tiny cots. Some also have private rooms like mine. 

For the first time I will have to walk through the sleeping room with all of its occupants. I am about to have an anxiety attack! I cannot imagine staying in the non-private part of the Albergue. I am shown my room and the location of the shower down the hall. I drop my gear and head to the only cafe in town, Tio Pepi's . I know Rainer has arrived because I asked when I got here. I am correct. We have a beer. It's a nice little place and then Rainer tells me that they have rooms upstairs . Rooms? As in single rooms with baths? Yes. I ask "any available"? He asks the young girl behind the counter and she says Si. I am now looking at a picture of the room that is available and I take it. This will turn out to be a very good decision. 

I am now headed back to the Albergue to gather my gear. I don't expect a refund and I would not ask. 

My leg is killing me and I just want to take a shower before Rainer and I head to the pilgrims dinner. I need to eat something. It's a pilgrim dinner. Salad excellent as always, soup not so good and the main course, it has yellow rice, vegetables and something else. I think it's the national dish, starts with a P, I can't spell it and I can't eat it. I am going to be hungry later.

There is one table of 14 pilgrims.  I counted and there are three tables of four which Rainer and I fill in. The other two people sitting across from us are from Austria. The older of the two, probabley in her seventies is wounded. She started well before us and she said that she will just take it slow. The other woman is younger, I'm guessing about 48 to 50. I guess that means 49. Give me some slack it's been a very difficult day. 

I ask Monica where she started her Camino? She names a place in France and Rainer tells me that its more than 1,000 miles! She then says, "it's two Camino's". I am a wimp. She goes on to say that her walk will be about 90 days.

We skip the dessert and head back to Tio Pepe's. it's about 7:30 and my leg is really becoming a problem. Loli to the rescue. It just keeps getting better! Good night.