Day 19 – Bercianos del real Camino to Puente Villarente

Very big day today.  I walked 32.5kms and I am hot, tired and won’t do that again!!!

I am still amazed as to how hot it is.  Most days have been 27ish and cloudless skies but I love it.  

Last nights albergue was very ritzy and I had the best nights sleep I had had in ages as no snorers.  Had a straight 8 hours and felt fabulous.  

Met some lovely people from Slovakia at the albergue.  It certainly is multinational. 

Awoke so refreshed this morning so on the road by 7.10am.  

This part of the walk has been a bit boring because most of the way over the last few days has been walking beside the road which isn’t much fun.  The landscape is also very flat and dry and in the middle of the wheatbelt so lots of tractors ploughing fields and so lots of dust.  

I could be out in the west of NSW.

Another thing I have noticed the amount of houses/sheds not quite sure that are built into the hill

My shoes are permanently white from the white dust and When you touch them or pick them up you end up with a handful of dust.  

As I was walking down the way this morning I swear I saw a UFO.  There were 2 stars in the sky right in front of me, and let me say that I have been out at this time most mornings and watching the sky, but I had never noticed these 2 stars before.   They were very bright in a straight line above each other and then just like that it was if someone turned the light out and they were gone.   Ooohhhh. Spooky!!!

It was 7.3kms to the first town of El Burgo Ranero and the first bar I saw it was breakfast time with the usual.  

What I have noticed is that in the bell towers and rooftops of the churches are massive birds nests.  I am not sure what birds they are for as they are empty but someone has suggested they are storks nests and they only come back to roost once a year.  Probably out delivering babies

On from brekky and it was another 13kms to the next town Reliegos.  Absolutely nothing in between so it was just a wander along the side of the road.  At least there was some shade.   

As I was walking I noticed a man walking on the road rather than the path and a car came around the corner and pulled out to avoid him just as another car came around the corner on the other side.  There was nearly an accident and car horns were beeping and this guy didn’t even move off the road.  

Wouldn’t you know I caught up to him and was about to pass him and it was my Brazilian friend Gil from Orrison and Roncesvalles.  

We walked together for a while and caught up then I left him and headed off into the sunset.  Only because the sun is constantly in my back.

Arrived in Mansilla de las Mulas and I was hot and my feet were starting to hurt so having walked through town turned right into the first bar and ditched the pack and got myself a beer

It was the cutest little bar and the barman was lovely in that he made me sit down and he bought the beer over to me

After a good rest put the shoes back on and headed out of town. 

I am now very close to Leon and will have a day off there.  I wanted to get a bit closer so walked another 6.5kms to this little oasis in the middle of nowhere called Puente Villarente which is about 12kms from Leon.

 

Single beds in the albergue tonight. No bunks. Fantastic. 

So can get up tomorrow and be there by 9.30ish and will have a day wandering around town without a pack on my back. 

The albergue is lovely and would you believe I walked in to the room and there was my Canadian friend Donna that I had been walking with up to Burgos.  She has had a few foot issues but on the mend so will walk into Leon with her tomorrow 

I have had a lot of requests for a picture of a pilgrims meal. There are 3 courses and there are usually 3 choices for each course 

First is usually mixed salad which has lettuce tomato cucumber asparagus egg and tuna. Then there may be pasta usually with just a tomato sauce over it and then just a plain salad without the tuna

Then for main course there is steak, pork, chicken or pasta with meatballs

And then for desert there is ice cream, a flan, fruit or some custard or chocolate pudding.  All washed down with unlimited bottles of red wine and water. 

Tonight I had mixed salad

Followed by chicken

Then ice cream 

Of course there is always bread and unlimited wine

And then here is the communal table that all my fellow pilgrims have eaten together

So buenos noches me Amigos