Though I slept ok, it wasn’t a difficult decision to wake up early and leave the bunk bed this morning, Carolyn had been up even earlier. The bed was not kind to her back and she was in need of the exercises that have kept her walking mostly pain free. Luckily we found an unused kitchen/ common area and she was good to go. Starting at 7:30 we saw a few others walking ahead in the shadows. Today’s walk is mostly on a gravel path beside a sparsely traveled highway. At 9:30 we had walked 4 miles reaching the town of El Burgo Ranero (pop 841). A nice cafe was open and Carolyn got some french toast and I had a creme filled pastry. We continued on next to the highway, fields of corn and sunflowers to on each side, seemingly unbroken except for a mountain chain off in the distance. The only other notable sights were a shepherd and his dogs moving a large flock of sheep from one field to another and a train that was headed in the direction back toward Bercianos, the town we departed from this morning.

Staying on this pathway for four more hours brought us to the town of Raliegos, not much bigger than the town before where we had breakfast but somehow it did seem bigger and more food options were available now that it was afternoon. We decided to sit at tables in front of the grocery store where we purchased tortillas and cheese, along with soft drinks, and chips. There were three young men from California seated near us and in any other setting the five of us probably would have never interacted with each other. They were friends in their early twenties. One of them had the idea to come and walk the Camino before he starting boot camp in the Army. The other two just thought it looked like fun and agreed to go along. All of them were surprised on how difficult it is most days but I think they were just happy to be doing it together. We talked longer than we planned and said goodbye and good luck and started for our destination only 3 more miles to Mulas de las Mansilla. It was 3:30 before we reached the edge of town and Carolyn had started hurting. She spotted a concrete bench, laid down to do her stretches. Just like her daily routine. It worked and she walked into town pain free. Arriving at the hotel we found a couple of friends and a long line registering for rooms. We got some drinks and waited while the staff hustled to accomodate everyone. It turned out our room was a block away at another property.

It was getting late in the afternoon by the time we were able to explore the town. It was obvious from the decorations lining the streets there was a festival being planned and quite a bit of partying going on. I heard music and noticed a crowd down the street. A bar was holding a raffle to raise funds for a band to go on tour. Carolyn bought two tickets and won the biggest prize offered, a miniature keyboard that could hook up to a computer screen. As I said, everyone was having a good time and made us feel part of the group. After that we did a quick tour of the church which was well worth the stop and then decided to have dinner at the hotel. Lee and Molly from Kentucky were there and during the conversation talked about riding the bus to Leon the next morning. We concurred because though it is only 11 miles to Leon, over half of it is on concrete through factories and warehouses. The other half follows a very busy and dangerous highway. Riding the bus would give us more time to explore the city of Leon (pop 125,000) and give our feet and legs a break from the concrete.

The next morning we took the first bus to Leon leaving at 8:15 am. Arriving around 9:00, we immediately walked to the hotel stored our packs and had a delicious breakfast at the hotel. It just happened to be a Sunday so we decided to take a tour of the cathedral because it would close for Mass at 12:00. The cathedral itself has quite a history as Leon was conquered by the Visigoths from Germany, the Romans, and the Moors from Africa, and finally the Christians reconquered Spain in 1492.

The first stone of the cathedral was laid in 1205 yet not completed for almost a hundred years in 1302. In the 19th century the facade underwent a major restoration. Much of the 125 stained glass windows, which by the way total 19,375 square feet in area are from the 13th century to 15th century. After touring we decided to stay for Mass and afterward watched and heard the organist play the postlude which was quite a performance under the 98 feet high stone ceilings.

There was more to see in Leon but first we had to have lunch. Deciding to take a break from Spanish food we found an Indian restaurant which was really special. The waiter spoke pretty good English and had time to talk making our dining experience more than just a meal! Then it was off to the Anton Gaudi museum to learn about the life and career of this Spanish architect. The building that houses the museum itself is designed by Gaudi (1852-1926). Walking the four floors of the museum I got an appreciation for how extraordinary and modern his work is, even by today’s standards. As the afternoon got later I really appreciated the bus ride this morning and with tired legs we made our way back to the hotel and a comfortable bed. It was a wonderful experience in Leon even though we only skimmed the surface of the things it offered. Tomorrow the Camino is 19 miles but once again we decided to taxi a few miles instead of suffering the concrete, stoplights, and traffic. The starting point will be at La Virgen Del Camino following the wooded path to Villavante and special a place Carolyn remembers from her last camino, Molino Galochas

LEON