Leaving Leon I go into a  bar by the Basilica and have the best breakfast yet of CCL+Z+Tostada...which in this case is a huge croissant cut in half and placed in an oven.

I had tried to forget but we still have today on the Meseta, we are also into mixed farming country with the first load of cows. The day is hot and spent walking along a track by a busy road. Not a lot more you can say except the Albergue at the end provides double rooms for 6 Euros, but as there are so few of us we get individual rooms.

Philip & Denise are also in residence so we go off for a beer, later in the evening I meet Ester and Alex a happy Dutch couple. Once again good fun people, who I meet several times again

I stop again for coffee as the road goes through open countryside, Dennise catches me up and we walk together to the hill overlooking Astorga.

Astorga is a lovely place, but it's a public holiday and is very crowded. The highlight for me was the Bishop's palace designed by Gaudi.... I am sure the Borgias would have been impressed, wonderfully over the top building.

I meet Philip going down the hill and again at the hostel, where we meet Samantha and Lucy, two cheerful Irish Girls who are taking time out from running their individual companies. As well as that we meet two English girls, one from Hook the other from Brighton?...I regret I did not record their names, but one is recovering from the local water bug.

When I phone Joy she tells me I have sold a couple of paintings, what a great day.....I reproduce them at the foot of the page, without apology...if you can flog the stuff, flaunt it....Regrettably they are not a patch on the real thing.