I DO NOT WALK TO ADD DAYS TO MY LIFE. I WALK TO ADD LIFE TO MY DAY
Day 20 8.4 miles. Shagún to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos
Short day, as planned. Taking the alternate route on the old Roman Road. Very few people take this route and after leaving the main Camino, I saw no one. Arrived here a 11:30, got checked in by the same woman who checked me in 5 years ago. When walked 5 years ago, I made a video of my walk. I would normally video when checking in and getting my passport stamped. So I played the portion of the video when she checked me in and she was tickled by it. She told me to wait, while she got here mother and uncle so they could watch it too.
My pack had not arrived yet, so I ordered my Bocadillo Especial, which they happily made for me. More pilgrims arrived throughout the day and most of us sat out on the patio enjoying drinks and conversation. Some spent the afternoon glued to their devices trying to book accommodations ahead. When I started walking, the Camino wasn’t too crowded, but that seems to have changed. People are booking ahead, and it is getting difficult to find availability in some towns. I have booked all the way to Santiago, but not from Santiago to the coast. So I started searching for rooms. Many places were booked, even though many pilgrims don’t extend their pilgrimage all the way to the coast. I spent a couple of hours, finding and reserving places with good reviews, so now I can rest easy.
As I mentioned, I have stayed here before. Albergue Via Trajana didn’t disappoint this time either. With a cool shaded patio for beer and wine, it is a great place for recovering from the walk and meeting with other pilgrims. The staff is friendly and accommodating. Not much in the way of eating establishments in this town, but Via Trajana provides a varied menu for snacks and full meals. The nights dinner includes lamb, which you don’t see often on an Albergue’s menu. Great dinner and conversation with fellow pilgrims.
Day 21. 14.7 miles (by bus) Cazdilla de los Hernamillos to Mansilla de los Mulas
I have walked the next section before and I knew I didn’t want to do it again. Flat, dry, hot with little or no vegetation. So, Patricia at the albergue happened to mention that the bus runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So I along with 3 other pilgrims devised a plan to sleep in late, take our time with breakfast and enjoy the ride. It was a great plan as temperatures hit the low 80’s. It was a money saver also. Each day I have been shipping my pack ahead at the cost of 6€. The bus ride cost 4.65€, saving me 1.35€, enough for another glass of Vino Tinto and the end of the day. If I continued doing this I could save a bunch and have the bonus of another glass of wine to boot. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.
I’ve rented a small apartment for tonight’s stay, it adds another bonus for the day with a washing machine. Tomorrow, Leon.
Day 22. 11.7 miles. Mansilla las Mules to Leon.
Easy walking day on flat terrain, but next to a highway much of the time. Got cold enough to put the rain jacket on over my fleece for awhile. Not a pleasant walk in the way of scenery. As you approach Leon, you walked through industrial areas, then an hour or more on city streets before hitting the historic center. I stopped along the way to top up my SIM card in a cell phone shop. A word about cell phones.
Depending on what cell plan you have, will depend on the cost of using your phone in Spain. My AT&T plan want’s to charge me $10 a day for some period of time, pulse for the minutes. If you need to keep your phone number then you will probably have to pay for the privilege. I have found that for my needs, I can purchase a SIM card once I’m in Spain at any tobacco shop. This works as long as my phone is unlocked. As and example, I got a SIM card for Movistar network for 10€. It came with 10gig of internet for use in 30 days. I don’t remember how many minutes of talk, but it was a bunch. This does not include international calling. Anyway, 30 days was almost up, so I added another 10€ today to keep the phone working till I leave Spain. There are other European cell plans available to choose from. Most tobacco shops sell plans for most of them. For communication back to home, I have serval options. I can use Skype, Messenger or old fashioned e-mail.
This is the 3rd time I’ve walked into León and each time the police are there to greet you. Mostly for PR, but they will answer question and give you information about the city. They also give you a piece of candy, so you gotta stop.
THE CITY WALL
HISTORIC CITY CENTER
Most restaurants in Spain close during the Siesta and re-open for dinner at 8 or 8:30. In towns that cater to pilgrims many open earlier, around 7. In Leon, most open later rather than early. So, with stomach growling, I began an hunt for something to eat around 6:30. Finally right on the cathedral square, I found an Italian/burger place that was open. Not too bad of a meal, staying away from the fixed price options I ended up with a really nice goat cheese salad and a not too shabby hamburger with a fried egg on top.
Then off to bed, falling asleep right away. But sleep didn’t last all night. About 2 am, is when the Spanish start heading home after an evening out. In the walking historic center of the city, where my hotel is, the sounds on the street travel far. And the Spanish, after a night of drinking tend to be loud, I mean really loud. And there’s a bunch of them, yelling, singing, making all kinds of noise. It took from 2 am till about 5:30 for all those Spaniards to leave, walk by my hotel, and disappear out of ear shot. And this is a Thursday. Smaller towns can also get noisy early into the morning on weekends.
Day 23 13.4 miles Leon to Villar de Mazarife. Leaving the big city of Leon takes awhile. About 2.5 hours and 5 miles of street waking through business and industrial areas. The first 30 minute through the historic center was pleasant and at 7 am, the only people moving were pilgrims. The first open breakfast stop was packed with pilgrims and only one person to serve them. Most pilgrims waiting in line to order were patiently waiting, but there’s always one or two jockeying for a better position at the bar. After stopping for a Pilgrim’s Second Breakfast, there is a choice of routes to take. One, the original route, is along the highway. The other traverses over open country before giving way to farmland. This route, even though slightly longer, is the one I chose. Mostly flat with abundant wildflowers, the better choice, I think. After 9 days I have left the Mesita and in a few days will begin the slow climb to the high point on the Camino. Tonight I am in a One Stork Town.
That’s one strange place to store your guitar.
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