Day 21 - to Leon

As always, I am very grateful for my day and 5000 step sponsors and for all those whose prayers make my backpack feel fractionally lighter.

Mansilla de las Mulas was a really interesting place to stay. It was obviously not as wealthy as many of the similarly sized villages that we had passed through. It was also the first time that I felt like the pilgrims really had no impact on the life of the town. Their life would have gone on, much as before, without us. 

Yesterday was obviously their market day. When I entered the old town, in the first plaza, their was a fruit and vegetable market. About a dozen vendors were seeling their wares and most of the surrounding district seems to have come to town for the day. As I wandered through the town, I then came across a very extended section where there was a market selling every type of junk imaginable - like any market back home!

Mansilla de las Mulas was once upon a time a very important town on the crossroads of two trade routes. The walls of the city are still visible to this day. I spent quite some time wandering around the town, seeing the four old gates to the city and all that remains of the walls. What remains is still very impressive.

I tried to rest for the afternoon, but every time that I dozed off a new couple or group of Germans or Frenchman would walk in to the dormitory area. Upon arriving, they all had very many important issues to discuss with each other, as loudly as possible. Unfortunately, it appears as if illiteracy is a major problem in Europe as not one of them was able to read the sign asking them to show respect for those who were resting.

After dinner, I went to an 8pm Mass in the town. I was surprised to see so many locals there - about 40 or 50 people.  

Upon returning home, I retired to bed to read and relax. Thankfully, my fellow backpackers were fairly quiet in the evening. Best of all, no one woke up really early and creted chaos getting ready for the day. It was wonderful, knowing that I only had 20 kms to walk, to be able to lie in for a while and sleep soundly.

So, at 7.20am, I exited the hostel. As I walked out the door, I put on my backpack, did a mental check and thought how wonderful it is that I have not lost anything for about a week. I walked into the old town and headed for a bar that I knew was open so as to get a double espresso. As I approached the bar I saw a couple of Italians, whom I had encountered in previous days, exiting the bar with trekking poles in hand. At this moment, I realised that my hands were empty and that my trekking poles were back in the hostel. That added an extra kilometre to my day's journey.

The first kilometre of the journey out of town was lovely - I hoped this would auger well for the rest of the day. It was not to be. Several kilometres were along a barren patch next to the highway and then, for a couple of kilometres, we had to walk on the edge of the road. It was not until after a coffee stop that the walk improved and about half of the journey was spent on a new custom built pilgrim path.

The journey into Leon was interesting. Leon is truly a city. It is ringed by hundreds of 6 to 8 story apartment buildings - housing, obviously, thousands upon thousands. In many ways, it is like walking through any European city. There comes a moment then, when one walks through the walls of the Old City - and glorious walls they are - and one is in a large old city full of winding streets and magnificent old buildings.

It took me a while to cross the town to my hotel, which is only about 50 metres from the Cathedral. I have a magnificent little room with its own terrace. Delightful!  After cleaning up, it was only a little after noon, so I took the opportunity to make a visit to the Cathedral and do the audio-guided tour. What an amazing building, rightly compared to Chartes Cathedral for its glass. The most amazing fact - a small town of about 5000 inhabitants built this Cathedral in about 50 years. 

I have now enjoyed a hamburger and a refreshing beverage (photo to come). It is time to explore and to rest. Tomorrow is a rest day. Gracias a Dios.

Hasta el luego!