WEEK 5
11/06/07 Monday
I set off on my own but soon found Roser a Spanish lady that I had chatted to on my return to the albergue last night. I am small but this lady is smaller than I with a warm and charming smile. I was informed by her that she walked slowly, and I must go on if it was too slow for me. I welcomed her company and let her set the pace as we chatted and sauntered along this rather barren way.
There had been a choice of caminos as we left the town. We had taken the left track as the other was following the motorway. I was told afterwards it was a good choice as the other camino was pretty horrible with traffic all the time. Roser told me she came from near Barcelona and I must have come very near her village on my Ebro Camino She had started from Juan Pied de Port I think, the French border anyway. Her pack was light I could see and very basic. I discovered later her main waterproof was a plastic bag! Quiet and shy nothing ever fazed her. My guidebook was no good on this route and we just followed the arrows. There was little chance to get lost. 
We came to Villa Mazarife, a small farming community, and there is a nice tile mosaic as you come in. 
Roser said she wanted to see inside the albergue because a friend had stopped there and enjoyed it so much. We would not stay as it was much too early. We arrived and the dueña was cleaning but chatted a while and then let us wander around.
This albergue is an amazing place with drawings and sketches on the walls everywhere. The garden was interesting too with a wooden Viking ship, for children to play on I presume. I found a few four-leaf clovers in the lawn then we left. We met a Spanish man, Juan, and he and Roser were chatting so I went on as I was finding the pace very slow. I met Roser again later outside a bar. My feet had blisters again, I wonder if I will ever learn. I am still carrying the full pack - nothing has been posted on. Roser said casually "You will arrive in Santiago with it too." We walked together again and stayed that way till eventually we came to Hospital de Órbigo. I love this place, it has one of the finest old bridges I have seen and with it goes a wonderful tale of a knight that held the bridge to defend the honour of his lady. I must try to find out more about this story someday, but had I heard and read of it in Spanish and got the idea. I sang my song 'Gallant knight' as I walked over the bridge's cobblestones with Roser.
Gallant Knight
In the deep dark forest of my mind
I am a Gallant Knight,
with my sword held high.
I'll snatch you from the dragon's mouth.
and ride off, you and I
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
Gallant Knight, Oh Templer Knight.
Fear not, my dear lady,
You know, it is I
riding on this great white steed.
This mighty steed can fly.
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
Jump up here beside me
let your robe it flow behind.
Troubles, they will leave your face
Cares gone. You will find
when you ride with me my lady
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
We'll smite down the strongest foe
as we ride the sunset sky
Saving all sweet maidens,
and making dragons die
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
They'll tremble in his shadow
and we'll make those dragons fly.
On this gallant steed of mine,
we'll travel, you and I.
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
Come ride with me my lady,
come ride away with me
We'll ride away together,
to the sunset you will see.
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
as we ride into the sunset,
as we ride across the sky
© Michael Davey 2006-05-06
This is roughly the story as I translated it from the towns web site.
The item that has entered Literature with an honourable title was obtained by the gift of Quiñones and achieved with the help of nine horsemen, men like him, from Leon, on the 9th of July and August 1434, a sacred Jacobeo year. He was imprisoned with the love of a lady whom it says, he took an iron collar to his neck, as proof of his slavery to her, from which he hoped to be released, by completing the walk in her honour to Santiago. He defied all the horsemen of Europe, "near the bridge of the Órbigo, fight to obtain the right of way." The true friends were arranged with the true authorisation, the regulation was published, the warehouses, barriers and the fences built and they raised their colours and staged the competition during thirty days. In the end, the ten champions, mangled and repaired, went on to Compostela. Put the serum, gave a necklace of silver and gold to the bust of Santiago the minor, that presides over most of the processions in the Compostela basilica. In memory of this fact of arms that as much applauded, two monoliths were put at each end of the bridge with the history of the deed with the names of the ten champions
There are several places to stay but we came to the Parroquial Albergue and it is a picture postcard place and we booked in there.
We met Juan and Francesca and decided to look for a place to eat. The local supermarket was pretty hopeless for buying food to cook. I remembered eating a nice meal in the village before. All I had to do was remember where. The street was easy enough, the first on the left after crossing the bridge I thought. Well we found the road but there was a choice of restaurants and I was not sure which one it had been. Anyway we chose the most rural look and were shown through to the patio and chose a pleasant table and we ate a nice meal. 
Conversation was fun being in two languages, Francesca was Dutch but spoke good English, Roser only spoke Spanish. Juan was Spanish, but could speak good English so he or I would translate for the girls and we had a lot of fun and sank a bottle of good red Rioja and finished with coffee and orujo! My only problem that night was getting off my top bunk and finding the door in a pitch-black room, packed with bunks and no room between them without waking everyone. The toilet and showers were out in the patio! Still I did see a beautiful starry night sky!
11/06/07 Monday
Virgen del Camino to Hospital de Órbigo
I set off on my own but soon found Roser a Spanish lady that I had chatted to on my return to the albergue last night. I am small but this lady is smaller than I with a warm and charming smile. I was informed by her that she walked slowly, and I must go on if it was too slow for me. I welcomed her company and let her set the pace as we chatted and sauntered along this rather barren way.
There had been a choice of caminos as we left the town. We had taken the left track as the other was following the motorway. I was told afterwards it was a good choice as the other camino was pretty horrible with traffic all the time. Roser told me she came from near Barcelona and I must have come very near her village on my Ebro Camino She had started from Juan Pied de Port I think, the French border anyway. Her pack was light I could see and very basic. I discovered later her main waterproof was a plastic bag! Quiet and shy nothing ever fazed her. My guidebook was no good on this route and we just followed the arrows. There was little chance to get lost. 
We came to Villa Mazarife, a small farming community, and there is a nice tile mosaic as you come in. 
Roser said she wanted to see inside the albergue because a friend had stopped there and enjoyed it so much. We would not stay as it was much too early. We arrived and the dueña was cleaning but chatted a while and then let us wander around. 
This albergue is an amazing place with drawings and sketches on the walls everywhere. The garden was interesting too with a wooden Viking ship, for children to play on I presume. I found a few four-leaf clovers in the lawn then we left. We met a Spanish man, Juan, and he and Roser were chatting so I went on as I was finding the pace very slow. I met Roser again later outside a bar. My feet had blisters again, I wonder if I will ever learn. I am still carrying the full pack - nothing has been posted on. Roser said casually "You will arrive in Santiago with it too." We walked together again and stayed that way till eventually we came to Hospital de Órbigo. I love this place, it has one of the finest old bridges I have seen and with it goes a wonderful tale of a knight that held the bridge to defend the honour of his lady. I must try to find out more about this story someday, but had I heard and read of it in Spanish and got the idea. I sang my song 'Gallant knight' as I walked over the bridge's cobblestones with Roser.
Gallant KnightIn the deep dark forest of my mind
I am a Gallant Knight,
with my sword held high.
I'll snatch you from the dragon's mouth.
and ride off, you and I
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
Gallant Knight, Oh Templer Knight.
Fear not, my dear lady,
You know, it is I
riding on this great white steed.
This mighty steed can fly.
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
Jump up here beside me
let your robe it flow behind.
Troubles, they will leave your face
Cares gone. You will find
when you ride with me my lady
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
We'll smite down the strongest foe
as we ride the sunset sky
Saving all sweet maidens,
and making dragons die
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
They'll tremble in his shadow
and we'll make those dragons fly.
On this gallant steed of mine,
we'll travel, you and I.
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
Come ride with me my lady,
come ride away with me
We'll ride away together,
to the sunset you will see.
In the deep dark forest of my mind
In the deep dark forest of my mind
as we ride into the sunset,
as we ride across the sky
© Michael Davey 2006-05-06
This is roughly the story as I translated it from the towns web site.
The item that has entered Literature with an honourable title was obtained by the gift of Quiñones and achieved with the help of nine horsemen, men like him, from Leon, on the 9th of July and August 1434, a sacred Jacobeo year. He was imprisoned with the love of a lady whom it says, he took an iron collar to his neck, as proof of his slavery to her, from which he hoped to be released, by completing the walk in her honour to Santiago. He defied all the horsemen of Europe, "near the bridge of the Órbigo, fight to obtain the right of way." The true friends were arranged with the true authorisation, the regulation was published, the warehouses, barriers and the fences built and they raised their colours and staged the competition during thirty days. In the end, the ten champions, mangled and repaired, went on to Compostela. Put the serum, gave a necklace of silver and gold to the bust of Santiago the minor, that presides over most of the processions in the Compostela basilica. In memory of this fact of arms that as much applauded, two monoliths were put at each end of the bridge with the history of the deed with the names of the ten champions
There are several places to stay but we came to the Parroquial Albergue and it is a picture postcard place and we booked in there.
We met Juan and Francesca and decided to look for a place to eat. The local supermarket was pretty hopeless for buying food to cook. I remembered eating a nice meal in the village before. All I had to do was remember where. The street was easy enough, the first on the left after crossing the bridge I thought. Well we found the road but there was a choice of restaurants and I was not sure which one it had been. Anyway we chose the most rural look and were shown through to the patio and chose a pleasant table and we ate a nice meal. 
Conversation was fun being in two languages, Francesca was Dutch but spoke good English, Roser only spoke Spanish. Juan was Spanish, but could speak good English so he or I would translate for the girls and we had a lot of fun and sank a bottle of good red Rioja and finished with coffee and orujo! My only problem that night was getting off my top bunk and finding the door in a pitch-black room, packed with bunks and no room between them without waking everyone. The toilet and showers were out in the patio! Still I did see a beautiful starry night sky! END DAY 27 = approx. 25.1 km Sub Total = 336.7 km Total = 674.6 km
