Day 21 – Bercianos Del Real Camino to Mansilla de las Mulas

May 27th – Today’s over 16 mile walk will be my last on the Meseta with the following day into Leon a much shorter walk through the city suburbs into Leon.

The path runs parallel to an asphalt secondary road and I pass the time by watching the wheat fields that include ever present Ted poppies; as well as, wave to the drivers of tractors on the road.

Some mornings there is a log jam of pilgrims leaving a village and other days I am on the path quite alone like today.  The tree lined path goes on for about five miles then ends along a two lane road.  Before an underpass there is a dirt road to the lefty- a Camino looking path, but no yellow arrows or markers.  One of the challenging parts of being a solo pilgrim is that you are finding your own way instead of following backpacks.  On instinct I continue along the road and on the other side of the underpass I see a tree lined path again to the left.  Since it looked so similar to the earlier path I crossed my fingers, hoped it was right, and figured worst case scenerio I’d find out at the next town and would have to back track.  I was quite happy and did an inner shout of joy when I saw a sign for an Albergue about 1k outside El Burgo Ranero, my next destination.  After stopping for coffee and a bathroom break I’m back on the path, this time with pilgrims ahead.

A highlight of my morning was meeting a pilgrim with his dog, Falcon.  In addition to Falcon being a well dressed pilgrim in his green vest,  it was decorated with a small wooden cross (look closely and you will see it).  Falcon and his human companion started the Camino on February 2nd in Basel, Switzerland – they have walked well over a thousand miles so far!  I had met a man a few days ago who was from Halifax Canada who had started in Montpollier France.  Walking from St. Jean to Santiago looks like child play in comparison to these long range pilgrims.  I must say that Falcon was full of energy and showing no sign of pain or the all familiar pilgrim limp.

I saw my pilgrim friend Reuben who greeted me with a hug and smile.  We walked together for awhile until he stopped to take a break.  Then I saw Gail from Canada who I hadn’t seen for awhile.  She was walking very slowly and explained she was having problems with blisters.  As I slowed to walk with her for awhile two male pilgrims who I had passed on the path now passed us.  When I left Gail, I caught up with them again and one of the two asked where I was headed for.  I said, “Mansilla“, and he laughed saying, “At your pace you will be there by noon”.  We all laughed as I scooped ahead and I said “Buen Camino”.

I see a local man walking in the same direction as me but on the street rather than the path.  He carries a walking stick but rather than use it he is dragging it along the ground beside him.  It made me think that his wife or adult child had told him if he was going for a long walk he needed to take his stick – which he did, but darned if he was going to use it!

At Reliegos, I stopped for a glass of my morning orange juice and to apply sun block.  The morning is cool but I can feel the sun on my skin and the backs of my legs.  Returning to the path with just a few miles to go, I see my two pilgrims again.  They turned and seeing me waved.  We walked the rest of the way into Mansilla together.  The one who spoke English – Andrea – is from northern Italy and Raul, who spoke only Spanish is from Valencia.  Andrea became the interpreter for our three way conversation and upon arriving in Mansilla, Raul wanted to have his picture taken with me so we three pilgrims found yet another to take our photo.  How fast we make friends here on the Camino with our path one and the same.

Raul is doing the Camino in stages having started in Burgos this time and would complete his journey today pushing on to Leon.  Andrea was going one more village closer to Leon, Puente Villarente, I think.  For me, today’s walk is finished at 16.9 miles.

I pass through the old city walls called the Door of Saint James because it is through it that pilgrims on the “French Way” enter the town.  In the 12th century Mansilla was the first stop in the Kingdom of Leon.

Tomorrow’s walk is considered a slog into Leon, mostly suburbs and industrial, with the green fields of the Meseta now behind.  I think I’ll pretend I’m entering the Kingdom of Leon today!