April 24, 2025, Leon

I was really disappointed with my lodgings last night, but by this morning I was trying to remind myself to not have expectations and to be happy that I had a place of my own with my own bathroom, be it without hot water. Before I stopped walking yesterday, I was talking with another woman who had to sleep on a wood bench in the entry hall of a municipal alburgue. The next morning every pilgrim from 4:00 am on that left, opened the door about 6 inches from her head and some left it open for the outside air to come in. I was in my bed by 8:30 last night and up at 6:30 this morning, I was on the trail by 7:15. I opted for a stale muffin from my hostel the morning before that was in my pack.

I had walked around Mansilla de las Mulas some yesterday, but the best view was on the way out. I had seen the city gate when I entered, but I didn’t know so much of the city wall was still intact and the Roman bridge was still in use.

I planned on getting breakfast about 4km up the road in Villarente, I took the turn into town and followed the yellow markers to a closed cafe.

There were 3 others that had done the same so

we made our way back out to the main road. I was planning on trying in the next town when I smelled a bakery. I looked around and spotted a tiny bread bakery with sweaty windows, a sure sigh of what was going on inside. However, the door gave no indication that it was open. The case was about 1/4 stocked and it was primarily a bread shop. It was run by a grandma and grandpa team. I had another pilgrim with me and he decided it wasn’t for him. I really didn’t want a loaf of bread, but I saw a pastry with Spanish chocolate filling spilling out the ends. She spoke no English, but I pointed and asked if it was chocolate in Italian, I got a si, I motioned I would take one. For 1.50 euros I got a croissant like pastry filled with a bittersweet chocolate, something like I had enjoyed in Pamplona 2 years ago. I looked over on the counter as now saw a round loaf of Easter sweet bread. I used the Portuguese work for sweetbread, she was a bit confused, but I could tell she said it was sweet. I didn’t buy it due to its size, but I was sure that there would be a Spanish equivalent to our Portuguese sweetbread.

During all this grandpa baker was standing in the back by his oven not looking happy that someone came into the shop so early in the morning, after all it was 8:30 and everything starts later here.

So I was back walking with some food in me. Today’s walk was along the side of the road, no walking through the wheat fields like yesterday.

I did walk with a man by the name of Darcy who was 66 and currently lived in Washington DC, he walked part of the Camino with his wife last year and wanted to walk the entire Camino this year, I got the feeling she told him he was on his own for that. Concidering he walked it last year he didn’t get the memo to carry as little as you can. He had a full sized backpack and a TJ Max shopping bag hanging from his shoulder, he kept walking to close to me and hitting me with his bag. We walked together until he needed to shed his top, so I took that as my opportunity to continue on alone.

Today was a walking day that required trecking poles at times so I was constantly getting them out to use. Luckily I have devised an easy way to carry them when not needed. They help going up hill and generally move me faster, but their main use for me are a breaks when coming down hill to take the pressure off my knees.

While I thought I was lucky to not have to climb this hill, it all turned out to be the same because I had to climb the hill through town.

Eventually the path was to head down hill towards Leon my goal for the day. There was probably 8 km of walking through the city.

I almost got some water from this until I used my google translate on the sign.

This is Darcy, he passed me up on the outskirts of Leon

Leon has some of its wall too

The Camino works it was through the old city until you pass the cathedral, it just pops up around the corner.

I made my way to my hotel, and was able to check in at 12:15. You could say it’s a little nicer than last nights. I took a shower with hot water and headed out for an afternoon meal. The cathedral was closed when I got there and didn’t open again until 4:00. I did the Spanish thing and had a long, multi-glass of wine lunch and at 4:00 headed back over for a tour and a stamp for my pilgrim credential.

The cathedral is a beautiful piece of gothic architecture, hard to believe they built it when the population was only 5,000 people.

3rd down, far right is the sello from the cathedral

Tomorrow my goal is Hospital de Orbigo.