The Winter Passage: 01/20/19

I got a horrible night's sleep at the municipal albergue in El Burgo Ranero. It was cold inside the mud building, and the beds were so old and worn out, the springs in the mattress left bruises on the backs of my thighs. I was the first one to leave El Burgo Ranero just after 08:00. The terrain was flat. I saw men in the fields preparing to go hunting on Sunday morning and would hear occasional gunshots. At one point two hunting dogs went sprinting by me on the trail.

I reached the town of Reliegos after a couple hours, but it was completely dead. Mario caught up to me and walked ahead. I got to Mansilla de Mulas just after noon. I was looking to get some more water. I spotted a bakery and cafe that looked open. I went inside and saw Mario eating a giant flat donut type of bread. He offered me some, so I joined him after I bought an orange juice and a bottle of water from the bar. We talked for awhile. He said that he might not make the 37 kilometers to Leon because his feet were hurting. I left about 13:00 to continue walking.

I bypassed the town of Villamoros de Mansilla, walking on the shoulder of the highway, and then walked right through the middle of Puente Villarente on the sidewalk. Mario caught up to me and passed me about this time. I did not see the other four people I stayed with in El Burgo Ranero all day. They must have been way behind. As I was getting closer to Leon, I was seeing more and more snow on the ground. I had to ascend and descend some hills on the way into Leon and this killed my feet. I was walking slower and slower as the day went on. I no longer saw Mario's tracks in the snow or mud, so I thought he might have stopped at the open albergue in Arcahueja.

I finally descended into Leon around 17:00, and it was city walking from there. I saw a McDonald's billboard, a Burger King bag amongst some litter, and a KFC restaurant. I said to myself, "No Spanish food for me tonight." I finally entered the walled part of Leon, the Old City, and checked into La Posada Regia about 18:00. The receptionist was a very friendly African girl.

I showered and then went to Sunday night mass just a few blocks away at San Marcelo church at 20:00. The mass lasted a quick forty minutes. Then I walked to a Burger King I found on Google Maps. I got the Whopper combo with a large Coke. It tasted great after a 37 kilometer day. The streets were full of people in Leon on Sunday night. I would have liked to have stayed out, but I was very tired and needed rest. I fell asleep quickly when I got back to the hotel.