Tuesday, Sept. 15: The Road to León

 

Friday, Sept 11: Carrion de Los Condes to Terradillos de Los Templarios

Saturday, Sept 12: from Terradillos to Calzadilla de Los Hermanillos

Sunday, Sept 13: Calzadilla to Mansilla de Los Mulas

 Monday, Sept 14: Mansilla to León

We’ve spent several days traversing the high plains between Burgos and León. The Camino here is laid over ancient Roman roads, roads that once brought Legions of soldiers and Roman culture to the hinterlands of Galicia, and brought Galician gold back east to Rome. 

Lost Roman Boot?

The countryside here changes little, stretching to where the sky and the earth, two parallel planes, come together in a far away line. It’s strangely disorienting – for one moment, I had the feeling that I was walking on the ceiling with my head pointing down at the firmament of the clouds.

The towns we’ve been passing through have been decidedly rural. Here’s Libby walking into Calzadilla, popl’n 200, like Marshall Dillon heading into Dodge.

We had our first day of rain walking to León. We arrived wet, tired, and a bit disheartened. But again, our hostel was welcoming (and dry), the food delicious, and our afternoon tour of the cathedral was simply fantastic, huge walls of stained glass that seem about to take flight.

We plan to head out tomorrow morning after two nights in León. We’re well past the halfway point on our journey to the end of the world (Finesterre). The landscape promises to shift again soon, up into the hills and mountains of Galicia, where we expect to find Druids and duendes (elves and fairies) who will greet us along the way to Santiago. 

An evening picnic on the albergue patio

 

 

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