Bercianos del Real Camino to Mansilla de las Mulas (17.2 miles / 27.69 kms)

Today was a different starting day for me as I am now on the Camino Francis and will be commuting, I mean trekking, with many other pilgrims. It’s a change I anticipated and will look at it in a positive way because there will be many other people from all over the world that I will have a chance to meet, and that’s part of the Camino experience.

As always, I am sure I was one of the last to leave, but 8:00 to me is still a good time. That’s the difference in an alberque and having a private room or hostal is that you are not being awakened at five in the morning because someone always wants to go at the crack of dawn.

Brandy was still there in the morning and had decided to take a bus to Leon, a big city of over 130,000 people. She, like many people after staying in albergues, wanted to get a hotel and just rest there by herself for a few days. The threat of rain was also on her mind.

It had rain hard last night and the sky was a aglow with lightening, and thunder, all night long. Coming from a five year drought stricken California it was actually very enjoyable, but hopefully not today. The ground was still wet in the morning and it wasn’t raining but the clouds were low, thick, and threatening black. I started with my rain coat and Wheelie cover just to be prepared. Within a half hour it started to sprinkle and I put on my rain pants and for the next three hours or so it rained. I actually remember walking this very long section two years ago in very hot dry weather. I also remember that the scenery and flat terrain on the well maintained smooth path running right next to the road could put you to sleep, so the rain and cool weather was a very nice change. Having the right rain gear also helps.

There were a few nice spots where the Camino crossed a few creeks, and with the rain there was a lot of water.

There were lots of trekkers of course, and yet I was surprised at how many Camino bicyclists there were, many times more than I remember from two years ago. Everyone does their Camino there own way, but it’s a little unsettling to see the bicyclists reach a distant spot within minutes and to think it will take me fifteen or more minutes to get there. It just doesn’t seem right that they get the same Compostela (certificate) in Santiago, but then again, so do the shorter trekkers. The only difference is that you can get a supplemental certificate that states the distance you walked.

I walked with two Australian woman for a while today, and then stopped and had a snack with them at a bar. Sometimes you just say hello to someone passes, or you can have a conversation as you walk together. I also had an American bicyclist, and ER doctor from Texas, stop and chat with me. There were more of course, a young American woman, two Irish men, two Scottish women, several British couples, an Australian couple, an Italian woman, several French women, and many Spaniards of course. These were only nationalities I spoke to and I am sure there were many more.

Several miles before

Mansilla de las Mulas I finally looked at the Francis program on my phone and realized it was really the last place to find lodging so I called all the hostals and hotels, and they were all booked. When I got there I went to the first alberque and was told they were full in both the dorms and private rooms. The nice clerk called the Hostal Las Delicias and asked the owner if he had a room for me, which he did and it was his last one.

It was at the far end of town but I was happy to have a place to sleep, and a private room at that. I think when I got there the owner must have called the cleaning person and had them take the brooms and mops out of the closet and roll in the bed, which turned out to be my room. Ok, maybe I exaggerated just a bit. But it was a pretty small room with nothing but a tiny three drawer chest and one electrical plug in the whole room. There was no door knob, just a keyed dead bolt, the kind that usually lock a broom closet. Ok, there was, what I think was, a 17” flat screen tv at the far end of the room at the top of the wall. However, I could wrap the bath towel around my entire body, which gave my hostal points. I judge a place that supplies me with bath towel by how I far I can wrap it around my body. If it wraps all the way around and I can tuck it in so it stays around my body it’s a plus point. Like last night’s alberque’s private room was very nice, but the towel would only wrap around half my body and I had to hold it up with my hand. Wow, where did that bit of nonsense come from? See what happens to a mind when it’s left to wander on the Camino for days without conversation.

I am joking of course, because even though it hasn’t been the nicest room for €25, I am happy and grateful that I have a place to stay. I went down and had dinner tonight at the bar/restaurant and the dinner was nice and the owner was also very pleasant.

Tomorrow I go to Leon and thankfully I made it a point to call almost all the hotels, hostals, and alberques in the cathedral, plaza mayor area, and found everything was booked for the weekend. Also, even though they are full, the rates went from €35 to €70, to €120 to €180 for the same rooms. After about three hours I called an alberque and the hospitalero there called several places for me and found a private room in hostal near the cathedral.

It’s about eleven miles to Leon and I hope to be there by early afternoon. Rain is in the forecast and hopefully it won’t start until late afternoon.

As always, please excuse the typos, grammar, and spelling, etc., because I am writing this on my phone and don’t always review my blog.

Best wishes to all,

Ted

Leaving in the morning with the threat of rain

Leaving the bar in a small village after having a drink and chatting with the two new Australian Camino friends

The Camino running parallel to the road for much of the way

Nice view of a Camino crossing of a small creek

My broom closet, I really mean my room

The bathroom is so small anyone over 5′ 10″ can’t sit down on the toilet without hitting their knees. I am 6′ 1″ tall!

My dinner salad was like a piece of art