Day 24 – Mansilla de las Mulas to Leon
18k – 470k to date
Today was supposed to be a short day of walking, however, I have found that when you enter bigger towns, things take longer and it is harder to get where you need to be. The route today was described in the guide book as ‘industrial’, that is an apt description. However, when we reached the city proper, something fun happened, all pilgrims were stopped by a police checkpoint, given a hello, a smile and a map with instructions to get to your destination. That was a nice introduction to this city.
After finally reaching the old part of the city, I was amazed at the activity. the old part has been revitalized like Pamplona and the volume of people was amazing. There were a lot of tourist and a few pilgrims, but what was amazing was the number of locals who were just gathering in this area. As evening came, the activity became even greater. The old part has two main tourist attractions, the huge gothic Cathedral and the Real Colegiata, an 11th century castle. I toured the Church and the related museum. It was definitely worth the stop with it’s opulence. I also toured the museum of the Real Colegiata, it was nice with an interesting fresco, but not a great museum. I also just walked around the old town and people watched, that was enjoyable. I am sure there are a lot of additional sites to see in the area, but when you are on foot, you scope is limited, plus I have to turn in early to get my walking rest.
Tonight, I paid 25 euros to stay in a single room at a private hostel. You need to do this every now and then to catch up on washing clothes and just get a good night’s sleep. It is amazing how nice it is to use a real towel and not the ultralite towel I travel with.
I spent the too much time in town, so today will be a little short, but remember, I appreciate your following the blog and I hope it give you an insight into this adventure.
Still placing one foot in front of the other.
Isaiah 46:9