May 14, 2015 Day 19 - Cad. --> Mansilla - 2...?
Woke up to a clear - and much cooler - day. Temps got down in the 40's, and the high projected to be in the 60's.
Went downstairs for breakfast and found Gwen sitting on the stairs working on her blisters. I was surprised because she has been getting out by 6:00 am or so the last few days. But today she decided to stay for breakfast and leave later. She and two other women that stayed here are only going as far as Reliegos today since they could not find accommodations in Mansilla. They will take a longer walk into Leon on Friday.
I ate a huge breakfast, because the first part of the walk today is 17K without any towns or accessibility to food or water. Toast, croissant, yogurt, cafe con leche. We finally started walking with Gwen around 8:00 am. I spent the first hour or so talking with Gwen. She is from Holland and has travelled pretty much all over the world. She used to work as a translator, and speaks many languages, including English beautifully. She and her husband are planning a trip to Vietnam sometime in the near future. We talked a lot about the Camino and the people we have met and experiences we have had so far. What it is all about. Gwen has a very good sense of humor and is a good storyteller - a great asset when walking for hours each day with a variety of companions.
Although the skies were clear, it was extremely gusty and windy. Made walking more difficult and tiring. We were walking the old Roman road, literally, and later learned that what seemed to be a lot of large smooth stones together was probably the actual stone road laid by the Romans. Vast flat fields spread out on both sides, and it had a somewhat desolate appearance. No other pilgrims in sight for several hours. That is another odd thing about the Camino - you can be amongst large groups of people, then all of a sudden it is like they disappear and you may not see another person for hours.
After 3-4 hours, we came into Reliegos, and found the albergue where Gwen and the other women are staying tonight. Then, we walked to the little square and found a bar that actually served food for lunch. Donna had a vegetable paiella, that she raved over. I ate the bread, cheese and chips leftovers from the improvised lunch from yesterday. Had an ice cream to top it off.
Donna and I headed off the final 6 K or so to Mansilla. This was pretty much a narrow straight path running alongside a fairly busy road the entire way. We saw several more pilgrims on the path, as well as a number of bicyclists. I have to say, although the wind was somewhat tiring, my legs and feet felt the best they have at the end of the day. I am encouraged by the prospect for the final two weeks of the walk. I still have not gotten any blisters (knock on wood), although there is still time. I am one in a very small minority. I met a gentleman from Canada the other day whose blisters got infected and was told to stay off his feet for seven days - he compromised and took three days off. Also, Judy from Charleston SC that we met in Los Arcos and Belarado had to take the bus to Leon early for a few days off to give her feet a rest. Chris bussed to Leon yesterday to give her body a rest...
We entered Mansilla at around 1:30 pm and found our room at the Alberguria del Camino - a delightful little hotel run by Javier, who bent over backwards making us feel welcome and comfortable. The hotel is like living in a well-appointed spacious private home, with wonderful Spanish decor and art work. Our room was beautiful, with framed pencil drawings on the walls, and the big window opened up with a view of the Santa Maria cathedral right next door. Stunning. I took a picture from the room to show what we see.
After hot showers and a much-needed nap, we wandered around town and took in the old Roman entry gates and architecture.
Dinner was a real treat at the hotel. Bill, from near Toronto Canada, joined us and was a wealth of information. This is Bill's third Camino, and he told us a lot of the history about some of the sights and towns we have seen. As I listened, I realized we had first seen Bill striding confidently and quickly as he blew past us going into Pamplona. He has this kind of jaunty style and attitude. Made dinner a delightful experience. It would be nice to see Bill again, but you never know.
During the day, as I was perusing the guidebook we are using, I read a section about preparing for the entry into Leon. It is only 18 K from Mansilla, and most along busy highways in industrial sections of the city. Can be dangerous, and not particularly scenic. The author suggested the short bus ride from Mansilla to Leon, leaving more or less a rest day to see some of Leon, instead of spending all you time finding your hotel, getting settled, and then being too worn out to walk another step. The author also talked about how this was ok - taking a bus. Assurance. I suggested to Donna that this made a lot of sense to me, and she readily agreed. So, we are off to the bus station in the morning with the hopes of spending a rest day of sorts in Leon - we have heard so much about what a great city it is.
Also realized that we are two weeks away from Santiago...
Buen Camino!
Kim
