Walking The Way

10/1-10/3- Walked a few days on the Meseta to my destination of the city of León on Oct 3. Because there wasn’t a ton to comment on each day, I decided to combine the three days into one post.

My first stop on the walk on Oct 1, was the small little village of El Burgo Ranero. As usual a beautiful sunrise as I left Sahagun.

Upon arriving in El Burgo Ranero, I found so mamy other pilgrims I had met and walked with throughout the Camino. We agreed to get together and have a “family” meal instead of eating a prepared meal by our various Albergues. One of the guys from Israel decided to cook for us all and treat us to a traditional meal, Shakshuka. It was amazingly delicious and the company amongst the pilgrims was just a special time to remember.

Heading on from El Burgo Ranero, my next town and destination for the evening was Mansilla de Las Mulas. Another very small town that caters primarily to Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago.

Mansilla was a very small place. They had been hit hard by COVID as all Albergue’s were closed and many of them were never able to reopen. It was a good stopping point to rest my head and get some food.

Getting up early on October 3rd I hit the trail with Mike and Viola heading toward the city of León. León is a very historic city and a large one. But it’s kept it’s history in Spain and are very proud of it. To me, hitting León is a marking point on the Camino. I remember looking at León on the map when I started and thought it seemed so far away.

Probably one of those most fantastic things about León, beside it’s European feel and friendliness, is their amazing Cathedral. I am taking an extra rest day here and will explore the cathedral and the rest of the city. So far, this is my favorite larger town I’ve visited to date. Really incredible.

I had a big treat yesterday as my friend Victor, from a company we used to work for, visited me and showed me the town himself. It was awesome to see it through his eyes as he had lived here. It was a very special time I won’t forget. The weather was perfect (77 degrees).

My thoughts: overall I’m doing great! Feeling stronger every day, blisters are gone, I’m super happy, with an awesome outlook on this journey and the future. I’m excited to keep moving on the Camino and reach Santiago. From here, the Meseta is behind me. No more flat plains. The Camino will now move to hills and valleys with some steep peaks to climb as I leave the León province and move toward Galacia. This journey has been an experience I doubt I’ll ever forget, and will shape my life significantly going forward. It’s a rare opportunity to let go of everything but what you carry on your back; and just be in the moment each and every day. One I do not take for granted. Feeling super appreciative, humble, and strong.