Peregrina sola

Pilgrim statue, Mansilla de las Mulas

Hello at last to all to all you faithful followers - I am online and active!

I didn´t expect to get a chance to update the blog until arriving in Leon, but here at Mansilla de las Mulas, where I began my Camino Frances in 2010,  there is a wonderful albergue with excellent facilities, and so the story so far can continue!  As I mentioned in my mail, it´s been lonely without Frank but I have never wanted for company and have enjoyed taking my time each day and having good rests whenever needed.  The first few days after he left were wet and windy, but since Thursday there has been nothing but clear skies and sunshine, with soothing breeze in the afternoons to temper the heat.  I have met up with lots of people from all over the world, and move from conversing in French to Spanish or English at will.  There is a wonderful almost-75-year-old from Paris whose roots are Vietnamese and we often have dinner together.  He began his Camino in Vezelay in northern France and is going all the way to Santiago - quite a feat.  He and I are often walking at the same pace, though he has got ahead in the past day or so.  There are two lovely college graduates from Utah who cheer me up when flagging, and many other young people who are solicitous for my well-being : it's all part of the wonderful camaraderie of the Camino.

My lodging has been a series of albergues or hostels, most of them run by the municipalities of the towns and villages along the way, and some by voluntary groups associated with the Camino.  Even though I usually don't arrive until after 6.00 pm there has always been a bed available, and after the less than perfect sleeps of the first few days,  now I am asleep almost as soon as my head touches the pillow, which is probably not surprising after walking averages of 20km per day with a 5k load.  Earplugs keep any extraneous noises at bay - especially the snoring which many complain of : I haven't heard any for days now.   Getting the washing done is a bit trickier.  Because I arrive so late and am usually hungry, there is little time to get the few possessions washed and dried, so my backpack becomes a traveling clothesline during the day!

For the past week the terrain has been very flat which helps a lot as there are no climbs.  Huge fields of ochre earth are being ploughed and planted with cereals at present, and while the little villages seem quite poor the quality of farm machinery is very high.  I have seen many storks' nests on the church towers, but only one resident, which is apparently quite late - he or she must have missed out on the migration.  Many of the older buildings in this area of Leon are made of adobe and use very little wood, though bricks are used today.

There is a great sense of celebration this evening as I feel I have truly completed the Camino Frances - in Spain at least!  Tomorrow I will be in Leon with its wonderful cathedral, and as I am a day earlier than I expected there will be plenty of time to explore the treasures of this city.  I will give a description of what I find while there.