Day 23 – El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas

One of the things we have found interesting about the Camino Frances is how widely the numbers of walkers near us varies. Many times we have found ourselves alone for miles in front and likewise behind but many times we have also found ourselves in bunch of walkers, or with walkers as far as the eye can see in both directions. We’re not sure what causes this: it seems that if we leave late we walk alone but rest stops can either create bunching or get rid of it!

Anyway, we had a steady stream of walkers ahead and behind as we left El Burgo just after sunrise (we left at at 8:40am – Alison has never seen so many sunrises!) to continue our walk along a minor, but busier today, road, the LE-6615. Once again we had trees for shade along the track and it was pretty easy and fast walking. Once again, only three towns on today’s journey, El Burgo, Reliegos and Mansilla. We are on the last stages of the meseta and it has been completely different from our expectations – flat farming country at a bit of elevation rather than the high, dusty plains we were thinking would confront us.

Yesterday was the quietest, least interesting day of the journey so far, and today had the last of the really quiet and lonely sections up to Reliegos. We’ve been watching the mountains to our north and the camino come closer together and today we’ve had glimpses of the mountains in front of us. Just before Reliegos, the terrain changed and then suddenly, after Reliegos, we were in the outskirts of León with more traffic, workshops and other signs of a nearby large city. A bit of a shock after 6 1/2 days of almost eerie quiet!

Mansilla was a real revelation – it looked like a small industrial area, which it is to some extent, but inside the walled old town it is a beautiful little village. We missed all the bars in Reliegos and made it to town in time for lunch, which we had at a restaurant, La Curiosa, the owner of our pension recommended. Best food on the camino so far!

19km today, making it 444km so far, with the video of today’s journey here.

We’re going to bus into León tomorrow to avoid the normally boring walk into a large city and to give our feet an extra bit of rest, and then bus out the first 10km, so we’ll pick up the trail at La Virgen del Camino on the western outskirts of León. Looking forward to a couple of days off and the Barrio Húmedo!