Leon to Villar de Mazarife The journey from the noise of a big city to the serenity of a small village by foot on one day is an unusual experience. The first part of the morning was spent walking through the city, then the suburbs, industrial areas and motorway network until finally the smaller villages and wide open spaces. In one small hamlet, a man had set up a stall near the drinking water fountain offering fresh orange juice, nuts and other foodstuffs. Payment was made by 'donativo' with the pilgrim paying what he can afford. This principle applies in some of the albergues too. By early afternoon on the quiet local roads, my mind began to wander as did my stride pattern. I played some Spanish celtic folk music and gave free rein to my thoughts; firstly seeing myself as a wandering minstrel from a time gone by and then bringing to mind a book by Laurie Lee which I had read as a teenager called,'As I Walked Out One Midsummers Morning' about his journey on foot in Spain in the 1930s. My corporate world environment of office, training room or conference centre seems quite a long distance away today as I wandered. I will return to my real world soon, but for now, just for a few days, it feels good to experience and to savour this alternative 'real world'.