Day 18: Staggaring towards Leon (Moratinos to El Burgo Ranero)

Today was walking the featureless Meseta for another 29km. Since stepping out of our albergue we had a down pour of rain to contend with followed by a scything wind that would literally make you stagger sideways.

Progress was painfully slow due to the headwind and we walked much of today in utter silence, choosing to listen to music with our hoods wrapped tightly around our faces instead.

When we were withing a few kilometres of El Burgo Ranero the rain finally eased up a little and normal chatter resumed: chatter always retur s with a bit of sun at your back and half a loaf of bread in your stomach.

After settling into our donitivo we headed to a small supermarket for some ham and lentils (Khalid is cooki g again, kill me). With a grey, pastey dish of food consumed we toddled across the road to the cafe/bar not only to secretly eat tapas away from Khalid but also to play cards and sample some rioja wine. I've recently been taught to play rummy and/or gin, there's much debate between the guys what game we are actually playing, but either way it makes for good sport and passes the time.

The wine tonight was so good. They serve tintos (red) wine here chilled and it's so much nicer and refreshing. I have no idea why we serve it at room temperature in the UK, probably some snob somewhere said that it makes the flavours more robust: the twonk. As the Spanish have vineyards wherever that can pole them I'm inclined to take their spin on things - it tastes much nicer to me.

Only two more sleeps and I will be in Leon, where I fully intend to splash out a little on a meal and sleep somewhere where they have bed sheets so that I don't have to sleep on my sack on a plastic mattress. Heaven.