Leon to Hospital de Orbigo

Stayed on at the Parador for their very good buffet breakfast before heading off yesterday. Met up with Val at breakfast, last seen 10 days ago with shin splints about to abandon the Camino.I had had a chat to her and said it may be that with a day or twos rest, her feet may recover. She was much heartened at the time and had 2 days off and recovered fully and now had caught up again. She kindly referred to me as her Camino angel. Back on the trail with Anne resting in Leon, I caught up with Le and David, neighbours from Fivedock. Enjoyed an hours conversation with them to the extent I missed my turn to Mazarife and had to retrace about 500 metres. They were going an alternate way.Walked on my own then for an hour or more.Coming into a tiny village I was craving a piece of fruit. I knew from the guide there was no bar in the town but thought there may be a small shop but I suspected the hope was forlorn. It was, but what I did manifest was a guy with a small table by the side of the road, giving things away and asking for a donation if they could afford it. And he had a range of fruit!!! And fresh orange juice!!! I was so grateful that I paid him twice the value of what I took off his stall. Coming out of the village, Tom from Canada caught up with me and kindly slowed down a little to my pace so that we could talk for an hour till we got to the next town. He told me he had a sister who lived in Sydney who works for Musica Viva. Found a bar at the next village and suggested Tom go on without me as he was walking faster and had much further to go.Then on the last leg to Mazarife I caught up with Linda from the US and slowed a little to her pace and talked with her for the 40 minutes it took to reach Mazarife. Got there at 1 after leaving at 8, but felt my day had been rich with connections. Anne got there at 2 by taxi after a lovely final morning exploring Leon.As usual then spent 2-3 hours resting, reading, snoozing. Went to get my washing off the line and met up with Richard and Robyn from Albury, a lovely couple doing their first Camino . Tio Pepe, the place we stayed at had a lovely outdoor space for sitting and talking and having a few drinks. It's the third time I've stayed at this place. We continued the conversation with Richard and Robyn over dinner, the usual high standard of 3 course meal and wine for E9. The hostess also gave us all a lovely, strong whiskey liqueur while Anne credits as helping cure her cold. Took off this morning and within 200 metres had linked up with my Albury friends again, a total coincidence of timing but there do seem to be a spate of "coincidences" on the Camino. We were now like old friends and I walked with them all morning to my destination at Hospital. If you had been listening in to the conversation, you would have thought we had known each other for years rather than the few actual hours since we had met.We talked about how people on the Camino seem much more open and willing to share stuff at a deeper level in a very short period of time. For me this is one of the powerful attractions. Of the Camino.