Day 23 – Calzadilla de los Hermanillos to Mansilla de las Mulas
24k – 452k to date
Sometimes there is a cost to diverge from the norm, today, there was a cost for traveling the road less traveled. Was it worth the cost? Probably, but my feet need a few more hours to let the advil kick in, as 80% of today was on old Roman roads, which are trails that have rock covering. Those rocks have been half buried over time, so almost every step is an uneven step on a partially exposed rock. It really beats your feet up.
Beyond the feet, today was a good day to be out. The views were nice, with mountains far off in the north and farm after farm, which I appreciate. There was nothing exciting until about 15k in, which was a preserved section of the Roman road that had something special happen to a pilgrim priest and from then on, pilgrims had to walk to the side of that section (as best I could determine from the Spanish sign). As I entered the first town of the day, there were several more hobbit houses. I am a days walk from the next big city, Leon. I am only 11 miles, which seems like nothing in our normal lives, but without a car, that is still a day off, amazing how perspectives change.
When I arrived at the hostel today, there are a ton of familiar faces. It is a amazing how you travel about the same pace as a lot of pilgrims, you think you loose them then all the sudden they show up again. It will be interesting to see how many of those faces show up when I do in Santiago.
It seems there is a gradual increase in the number of pilgrims since Burgos, and I am told that is expected. I was told that in another 5 or 6 days, there will be another influx of new pilgrims that are just doing the 100k to 150k. it seems like the hostels and bars are bigger to accept that addition. Effectively, except let night, things look busier in the resting places at night.
Someone asked if I was homesick as I have stated how much I have missed family and friends. I am not homesick, but the feeling of being away from everyone you have relations with does leave a large hole. I will definitely be glad to be back, when this adventure is complete. I think that is the way life is supposed to work, home needs to pull us back, if it doesn’t, then we would be absent some very important things in life. I will also mention that when you are living a simpler life as I am right now, the communication time with God is a lot better. I think we all know how our normal busy lives interfere with that relationship.
A day further down the road…
Jeremiah 33:3