Long and winding road

Today we made it from Leon to Mazarife- about 28km. I made Andy come on the bus from close to the university to the chapel of the Virgin of the way, just outside of town, which was a godsend--- to get through the industrial part of town. We faced a heavy and dry wind, stronger as the day wore on. Andy went ahead with a Swedish fast-paced walker. I walked alone for a very long time-- then he came back to get me about 1 km from the town. I had the solar battery-charger,so I listened to Dave McKenna play Hoagie Carmichael. Then I listened to Moss-- "I carry your heart" several times. We stopped at a city fountain to fill the platypus water bags, and saw several locals filing their home bottles there too. It is wonderful there are these village fountains of great water everywhere! The land is dryer now, and greyer shrubs, less meticulously farmed. This morning at Leon cathedral we noted much more Marian iconography, including a pregnant one from the late 1300s. The cathedral was breathtaking and structurally more harmonic, with less remodeling. The most prayerful chapel had a beautiful Pieta, and gorgeous tracery on the entrance of nettles and oak leaves. It only took 50 years to build in the 1300s, with a town population of 5000. The windows are lovely! I thought about water today, and being alone. Old abandonment fears surface from time to time. My pack is heavy, and my legs and knees were aching, so getting here and getting a shower and food are triply miraculous. Also, the lady in charge is washing clothes for me. I bought a red t shirt with gorgeous Spanish black bull on it, and am wearing it. Andy is doing well, holding up to the exercise. Tomorrow we head to Astorga.