Day 27 - Pilgrims in Casa Jesus : Leon to Villar de Mazarife

Pilgrims in Casa Jesus

Visiting the House of Jesus on the Camino

We were awake by 5:30 AM, refreshed, and ready to head out through the suburbs of Leon by 6 AM.  We again passed the junction for the Camino de San Salvador to Oviedo as well as Leon's Parador Hotel en route. 

We opted for the alternate route that passes through Oncina and Chozas towards Mazarife.  While en route we met up with a friend who said he would be spending tonight in Casa Jesus, and invited us to share a room there. We figured we couldn't walk the Camino and give up an invitation to spend a night in the house of Jesus, so we agreed to him there this evening.

 

 

Spanish Countryside 

The nature of long-distance hiking is such that while you often travel from town to town with loosely the same group of people, you don't necessarily hike with them during the day.  Some days it feels like you are playing leapfrog with other hikers - first you stop for a break and they pass you by, then they stop and you pass them, often multiple times over the course of a day.  Other days it is possible to recognize no one on the trail at all, yet find many familiar faces in the town where you stop for the night.  After a while, this routine becomes very comfortable, with everyone travelling at their own pace, and everyone's routines determined by the rhythms of the day, the rising and setting of the sun, and their body's needs.

Today's hike mostly took us down roadways, beneath underpasses and along gravel pathways.  Along the Way of St. James, we noticed that the standard yellow arrow markers were not as prevalent as usual and that we instead found ourselves following concrete markers on the roadside with shells emblazoned on them.

 

 

            

Villar de Mazarife Spain

The road walking was tough on the knees and feet, but we still managed to arrive in the quaint and quiet village of Villar de Mazarife about 2 hours before we were able to check-in. On the outskirts of town, we found a beautiful tile mural depicting the region's historic connection to the Camino.

 

Nearby we also located Albergue de Jesus, a residence which can only be described as unique and eclectic.  It is difficult to adequately describe Casa Jesus, or convey its essence.  It certainly provides a unique experience that differs from what we have found in the private and donativo albergues along the Way so far.

 

Casa Jesus, Albergue de Jesus

Casa Jesus is a two story building with an open central courtyard, and rooms around the edges which contain 2-4 bunks.  Mattresses were laid on the floor in the central courtyard for people to sleep on as well.  In front, the property has a large grassy yard with a pool and a replica of a historic ship.  The amenities are very basic, and cleanliness does not seem to be a priority.  However, inside and out the space holds a sense of creativity and the alternative.

 

 

There is art by pilgrims everywhere, and the walls of all the rooms are covered in drawings, messages, advice, and poems from previous pilgrims.  It is a place where young people and those with an affinity for the hippie culture of the '60s seem to feel at home in.  The emphasis is on community, relationships, and challenging perceptions, limitations, and barriers.  It is a spot well worth spending an evening in if this is not your usual crowd if only to shake off the routine of highly polished touristimo albergues and return to what lodgings and experiences on the Camino must have been like some 10, 20 or 100 years ago - namely places in which each night's experiences might range from the basic to the eccentric.

 

      

As usual, today we arrived before our companions and so checked in and were originally placed in a room with two other pilgrims.  Once our chores were finished our friends arrived, and we were transferred to another room with them.  In our new room, beside my bunk, written in crayon on the wall was the quote "Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone."  Here no greater truth could be found.

 

 

              

After a brief rest in the courtyard talking and writing our journals, we headed into town to find some lunch and pint of beer to cool off with.  While there we also stopped at the local grocery store, which although small, has a decent range of products.  We also took some time to sit in the local church with its simple golden alter and beautiful domed ceiling, painted to look like a cloud covered sky.  

Sitting in that small, peaceful space I suddenly realized that while the cathedrals of Burgos and Leon are incredible, on a vast and improbable scale, I much prefer the simplicity of these small community chapels.  The grandeur of God might be found in the monumental structures of Europe, but the compassion and love of the creator can, I believe, best be seen in these small chapels in these tiny communities.

 

Casa Antolin Museo 

As so often happens when wandering through small towns, where there is only so much to see, we stumbled across something interesting that we might not have even noticed in a larger city.  In Mazarife, to our surprise, we came across the Casa Antolin Museo.

 

 

This self-run museum is a converted home and courtyard where a wonderful man with a passion for telecommunications has artistically displayed his many collections. Inside, tin signs, telephone wires and electric diodes,  as well as hundreds of telephones were artfully and beautifully presented.  While we found it challenging to follow his quick talk about each item, his passion and love showed through.  All and all it was a wonderful place to explore and we were grateful that he had opened his house and collection for us to see.  If you have the chance this is definitely an interesting place to visit!

 

              

Tonight we decided to change our routine and rather than having dinner at the albergue we returned to the grocery store, picked up cheese, tomatoes, avocado, fresh bread, and a bottle of wine.  Soon after we found a beautiful shaded park and enjoyed an evening picnic together as the sun set on the horizon. 

At dusk, we returned to the albergue to find that many more pilgrims had found their way there and had separated into groups playing music, swimming, talking, or simply enjoying a drink together.   While a very different experience than we had previously had along the Camino, it was a wonderful communal setting, whose rewards were easily found.

 

                 

We soon headed to bed in our room with two bunks, in order to again get up early start and avoid the coming heat.  However, rather than resting I admit that I spent most of the time reading the walls near my bed, and when I ran out of material there, I got up and read notes on the hallway walls and in the dining area downstairs.  

It strikes me that tonight we go to sleep surrounded by the collective wisdom of thousands of pilgrims spelled out on the walls.  It is there for anyone who is willing to take the time to stop and consider it.  Tonight my mind turns not only to their advice but to the hope that they found what they needed on their pilgrimage as well.  Casa Jesus is not the first place I would have wanted to stay when I saw it, yet now I would not have traded the experience for any other day on the Camino.

 

See you on the Trail!
https://www.comewalkwithus.online/ 

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Practical information:

Distance: 21.8 km

Max Temperature: 26°C

Accommodations: Casa Jesus