Well it is 2:30 pm. Sitting in the sun in the patio of the Municipal albergue in Mansilla de las Mulas after my shower with my feet up on a chair. One day from Leon. Al is around at the corner bar checking email on the net ,no wi fi around.
You know, when I'm walking I think of so many things I want to tell all of you but by the time we get our destination for the day, find an albergue that has a bed, take shower, wash clothes, I'm so exhausted I have no interest in typing on my iPhone. One thing...Spain siesta varies from town to town but basically everything closes between 1or 2 and 5. So site seeing is later and getting food for the next day usually we do after 5.
Today was our second day on the old Roman road in the middle of nowhere. The walk was beautiful. We started a little late, about 7 and it was cold but clear, no breakfast but had three hard boiled eggs we ate before leaving the albergue. I wear shorts and today a fleece and sandals with light socks. We knew there were no towns for 17 kms and no water so we were prepared. The first 17 kms on the Roman road got harder and more tiring with every stone. When I see these roads coming now I always get the same visual image...my feet in a rock tumbling machine. At first I used to see my shoes in the tumbler with my feet still I'm them but now I just see my feet being tumbled with the rocks. Today even Al was saying ok enough rocks. Really hard on the ankles too. Perfect size loose stones for making walking a hazard, round about 2 to 4 inches in diameter all uneven. I'm glad I brought my walking stick. Even with all that misery there are the most incredible little violet colored flowers like tiny day lilies or crocus that come up like little white pointed toothpicks then burst open with about 8 petals of the most awesome color but no leaves or stems.
Amazing country side today. There are rolling fields, mostly wheat I think. Stands of pine, oak and sycamore trees. Huge farm equipment, tractors and irrigation systems, the circular kind. Old and new aquaducts between the fields with deep fast running water. Looking off to the North we can see the mountains clealy now. I think of my Mom and Dad often cause they would love these fields and all the cool equipment .
All is well on the camino. Traffic and a busy highway into Leon in the morning will certainly test are patience.
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to read your blog and to see how your camino comes along.
Buen Camino!
Ivar