After the heavy rain and hail of the previous afternoon, the morning was rather fresh. We went through village Moratinos while the sun was still not up and when we reached village San Nicolás del Real Camino, the local bars were slowly getting ready for welcoming the passing pilgrims, so we took the opportunity and sat down to have breakfast.
A square in village San Nicolás del Real Camino as the sun is just starting to rise
Having finished our breakfast we continued towards small town of Sahagún and soon we left Palencia province and entered León province.
The place where we leave one province and enter another
Town Sahagún is very interesting and there are lots of things to be seen there, but our decision was just to go through it more or less and only to sit in a bar for refreshment. Admittedly, we did think of going to a local church in order to get a certificate on covering a half of the French Route, since Sahagún is considered to mark a geographic half of this particular route of the Way of St James. However, it was Sunday and as it turned out the church starts to work for visitors only around 11 am. As we didn’t feel like waiting, we simply gave up the idea.
Still, we took an opportunity to take photos at one particular point where there is an inscription on a metal plaque saying that Sahagún is the centre of the Way, and there is also a metal pilgrim’s walking stick, as well as metal cast of a pair of shoeprints, so one can stand onto them and see what it feels like to be in the shoes of a pilgrim.
What would you give to be in my shoes?
Then we sat at the nearby bar that belongs to a small albergue and we ordered drinks. While we were sitting there quietly, suddenly we heard and saw our dearest Angela who had spent the night precisely at that albergue! This could no longer be a mere coincidence and it was obviously some providence that was indisputably bringing us together.
Joyous reunion
We were all delighted because of the new meeting and then Angela and I went to visit some of the interesting buildings in Sahagún even for a short while.
Clock tower in Sahagún
Church of San Tirso, one of the oldest churches in León province built in the Mudejar style
After this break and a brief sightseeing tour, all four of us moved on together, but first we had to get out of the town going over an old Roman bridge. This is only one of the numerous bridges that have survived from the times of the ancient Rome and many of them have been in use to the present days.
Roman bridge used even today
To our final destination of the day, village Bercianos del Real Camino, the Way of St James practically just follows a motorway which itself is called Way of Santiago (Camino de Santiago) and the section is not particularly interesting, while one needs to cover around 10 km.
On the other hand, it was not too demanding especially on account of the numerous trees that grow by the path and render divine shade, which did bring a significant difference to our experience of the section. Francesco, who walked this same Way a dozen of years earlier, told us that there had been no trees there at the time and that it was very tiring and hot.
When we got to Bercianos del Real Camino, we checked in at one of the new albergues which proved to be fantastic and after a brief break during which we all drank something in order to refresh ourselves, Angela continued the walk on her own.
The yard at the albergue in which we stayed
Following the shower and washing of clothes, I could report to my friends via internet:
Day 21: “Miracles on the Way”
Yesterday late in the afternoon, the sky got dark and it started to rain. Then it rained more and more, almost a real flood, followed by hail. A lot of the ground became white, including a lawn within the albergue. One can’t help worrying if some pilgrims were still somewhere out in the open or they have all managed to hide at least under some roof.
This morning we left early again, of course, before 6 am. It was fresh and at first we kept looking back since the weather forecast said it could rain in the morning, but we comforted ourselves that there were settlements every 2.5-3 km, so we should be fine. However, as it started to brighten, we could see the clouds were not too dangerous and we just continued walking without turning back.
We stopped at a bar along the way in order to have breakfast and then we continued to town Sahagún. There are beautiful old churches in the town and it is located exactly in the middle of the “French Route.” Out of all the possible bars we were passing by, we chose to sit in one that was already close to the exit from the town and that was a part of one of the pilgrims’ hostels in Sahagún. As we were relaxing, each one of us with the refreshment of his or her choice, we suddenly heard a cute female voice – yes, it was Angela. And that was a proper miracle! We were all absolutely delighted and after having our pictures taken and sitting for a short while, we moved on, all four of us together.
Along the way, Angela told me about a Davide from Italy with whom she had walked for a couple of days and who had by now become almost a legend of the Way, on account of what had happened to him. Namely, somewhere at the very beginning of his Way, he lost his wallet with money, credit cards and documents. Still, he continued with his pilgrimage. After a couple of days, his wallet, carried forward from one pilgrim to the next, reached him again with everything inside intact as it was when he lost it.
But, the greatest miracle on the Way was that I did not feel like talking! Angela was the one who was bubbly and talkative all the time, a little with me and a lot with Francesco. I observed myself who for once enjoyed being silent, although I did try to converse with her when we walked side by side, and I also observed her who was like a small bird chirping all the way, chirp-chirp-chirp, and I believe that I find her so adorable, as she is, also because in fact she reminds me of myself at my most vivacious.
In front of me: 368 km
Behind me: 499 km
The albergue in which we stayed was a very pleasant place and in the evening we had excellent dinner with unavoidable wine. This wine was also interesting because of its label:
A wine on the Way
Still, the dinner was particularly pleasant because we shared the table with a wonderful Italian couple of cyclists – Serena and Alessandro, who were celebrating their Honeymoon on the Way! May they be happy in their life together!
I decided not to walk the following day, but rather to take a coach to the next place. Francesco and Gabriel left the albergue very early, but I could sleep in. After the morning coffee and breakfast, I packed up all my belongings, the big backpack included, and headed to the part of the village where the hostess of the albergue told me the bus stop was. I got there much ahead of the time when the coach was to arrive, but I preferred to be the one to wait for it rather than to hope it would wait for me.
Of course, when I got there, I took the big backpack off and killed the time by walking around the bus stop. There I noticed manhole covers that had the symbol of the Way on them. Generally speaking, the symbol of the Way is used for many different purposes, for this is a route people have been walking along towards Santiago de Compostela for over 1000 years!
Manhole covers
The time for the arrival of the coach came, but the coach was nowhere in sight. I was already starting to worry, but a few other local people came in the meantime and I felt more relieved. The coach did arrive eventually, so I transferred in this way to town Mansilla de las Mulas. In one of the places we were going through, a couple more pilgrims hopped on the coach, so my conscience was somehow clearer, for I was not the only one moving forward by public transportation.
I got to the hostel before it opened for pilgrims, but the restaurant-bar that was a part of it, as well as a spacious garden were fully functional.
Garden of the hostel/restaurant-bar
Gabriel and Francesco came soon after, so we enjoyed together the tasty Serrano ham sandwiches. By the way, the restaurant-bar also sells cured meat products, but no matter how attractive as an idea, it was not practical for me to buy anything here and carry it later with me.
The lunch
A part of the restaurant-bar in Mansilla de las Mulas
After the wonderful and tasty break, I could rest a little, post a text on Facebook and take a nap.
Day 22: “Joys of life”
The Way that passes through the autonomous community Castilla y León is in one of its sections very monotonous. Flat, flat, straight, straight, and then a little bit more of the same. It’s not that it is not pretty, far from it, but one just treads along without any memorable visual stimuli. On the other hand, as the Way approaches the city of León, it is possible to see more often the not quite picturesque overhead power lines and one often walks parallel to the motorway. There are numerous large bushes of weaver’s broom with the wonderful fragrant yellow blossoms, but the influence of the civilisation is felt, seen and/or heard.
I have been walking for days now without band-aids on my toes or my heel, the pain in my ankle has significantly subdued thanks to the massage of the other day, but also thanks to the regular intake of painkillers, application of some camphor-based ointment on my leg and ankle, as well as good rest after several hours of walking. Still, the ankle is mildly swollen and I don’t like the look of it. A dozen or so days ago, that seem so far away now, a couple of English women told me that a friend of theirs who had walked the Way had told them that the section before León was completely uninteresting and that it may just as well be skipped. On the other hand, more interesting parts start after León and they include at least one very demanding section. That’s why I’ve decided to make a prudent move and cover 26 km by coach. Gabriel and Francesco left before 5 this morning, but we did meet at the agreed hostel within half an hour. The thing was that the coach uses only a suggestion of a running schedule, but I was still very happy about it since I’ve been incredibly lucky. Namely, the coaches link the two places of importance for me only three times a week, including precisely today!
When we made plans about today, in terms of where we would stay, we decided on a hostel that has a wonderful garden, nicely cut grass, tables and chairs under parasols, as well as a fountain that keeps pattering which contributes even more to the relaxing impression. The weather is great, it’s going to be up to 28 degrees Celsius, but with a breeze that cools nicely, while it’s rather fresh during the night (around 12-13 degrees Celsius). Namely, this is all happening at +/- 800 metres above sea level and in fact, we have been walking over a plateau for days.
On the other hand, this hostel is also a bar and a restaurant in fact, so we are going to have dinner here, while for lunch we had some sandwiches since they also offer fantastic hams and it would be a pity not to try them. What I want to say is that when one is not walking in nature, it is quite possible to enjoy in some other joys of life.
In front of me: 342 km
Behind me: 525 km
Following the afternoon rest, Francesco and I went for a short walk around Mansilla de las Mulas. Along the way we visited a local church, but we also went to a supermarket and bought some provisions both for that day and for the following morning, in order to have some supplies in case we got hungry during the walk.
Mansilla de las Mulas
Little town Mansilla de las Mulas is yet another of the numerous places on the Way that is very cute, but I was still very glad when I returned to the albergue where I could continue not to move and rest some more.
The following day, we headed for the city of León, but we had to cover around 19 km to get there. Along the way we passed through some small villages, with a mandatory break for breakfast, but some of them we passed only by looking at them from a slight elevation.
Church of St. John the Baptist in Valdelafuente
In one section, the Way of St James goes parallel to the motorway and there we walked by a wire fence on which pilgrims have made crosses out of twigs.
A wire fence of the motorway near León
The Way usually takes pilgrims into the city of León following the route of the motorway, but when I was there, there were some works and the pilgrims had to take an alternative road. We went through, I guess, some suburbs of León and in addition to normal houses inhabited by people, my eye was caught by the relatively numerous houses that were practically finished, but had their openings fully walled up. I suppose that the building of these houses stopped a few years earlier when there was a major global economic crisis that had dire consequences on the Spanish economy, including the construction sector.
Houses in which nobody lives
And then we left asphalt roads and over a hill started to descend towards León, but not before enjoying a stunning view of the city.
View at León
View at the Cathedral in León
When entering the city, my left leg (the inflamed tendon) started to hurt horribly and I could barely walk, which obviously spoiled my enjoying in this exceptionally beautiful and interesting city.
León, of course, means “lion” and in its various forms of presentation, it may be seen in a lot of places.
One of the lions in León
With occasional brief stops either in order to take photos or to wait for one another, we finally reached the square with the Cathedral and there we settled in the terrace of a bar.
Originally, I had planned to make one- or two-day breaks both in Burgos and in León, since these are bigger and more important cities with a lot of interesting places to visit. However, as I was forced to make breaks in other places on account of my physical state, this idea was completely off the table. I brought even the sightseeing walks and tourist visits to a minimum. Although we were sitting in front of the Cathedral which constitutes the best example of the French-style classic Gothic architecture, basically I had absolutely no intention of going inside and visiting it.
Cathedral in León
Moreover, I enjoyed a somewhat longer break while Gabriel and I waited for Francesco to do some of his things, including also buying a booklet with Sudoku puzzles. Namely, a couple of days earlier, we talked about forgetting, mental exercises, etc., so I praised Sudoku as a very good and yet simple tool for exercising one’s brain. Francesco took this seriously, so, while we were sitting in the bar in León, we had our first “lesson” about solving Sudoku. For Francesco, this was enough and the following days, with a lot of dedication we dived into the solving of the Sudoku puzzles.
In the square by the Cathedral in León
Also, we had already agreed that we would not stay and spend the night in León, but that we would take a coach to our next destination, in order to avoid walking through suburbs and commercial zones of a large city. But, in order not to leave León without seeing even just a little bit, we decided to walk to the coach terminal but with a wide circle. Thus, we went through the Main Square (Plaza Mayor), as well as the Grain Square (Plaza del Grano) where we could see the Church of the Market (Iglesia del Mercado).
Main Square
Grain Square with the Church of the Market
Still, there was yet another thing that I had to do in León, while my co-pilgrims waited for me patiently. Namely, the Post Office had already informed me by email earlier that the parcel with my things that I had sent from Jaca had arrived in Santiago and was waiting for me there. But, that mail also said that the parcel would wait for me there for a month and then they would return it back to the “place of origin.” Well, that was not the deal! I had been told that the parcel would wait for me at the Post Office in Santiago de Compostela no matter when I arrived. Since I could not find a contact through internet, I stopped at the Post Office here in León in order to ask what would actually happen to my parcel, since I was planning to arrive in Santiago after the expiry of the deadline. At first they were not certain, but afterwards they checked and told me the parcel would wait for me and I should not worry. Hmm!? Easier said than done, but this was not a moment to worry, but rather to go to the coach terminal.