Walk with Sandra: Camino de Santiago: Day 27 - El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas (July 10, 2014)

What a blessed day I had today, thanks be to God! Two things struck me today: 1) The sun's warm, gentle rays this morning felt like God's embrace to me as it kept me warm from the freezing temperatures. A first in my memory on the Camino, I yearned for the sun in the cold, shaded areas, which reminded me of this St. Patrick's blessing:

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall softly upon your fields.

And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Here's a favorite rendition of the prayer in song:

2) I felt blessed today as well because of my encounter with Rolf from Germany. I first met him yesterday at the Albergue La Laguna in El Burgo Ranero ~ my first impression of him was that he's a happy guy who's always smiling. Yesterday afternoon, he told me that he found his bandanna that he lost 2 days ago. He had left it at an albergue and a lady friend from the Camino had found it and kept it with her hoping to reconnect with him later on, and she did. She met up with him again at the same albergue we all stayed in last night. He was super glad and attributed their chance encounter to the Spirit of the Camino.

I met Rolf again today at a breakfast place in Reliegos and there, he told me that he's making a video of the pilgrims he had met along the Camino and wished to take a photo of me. He plans to share the video with patients suffering from heart problems to inspire hope in them that they will survive the illness and live to do something like the Camino - because he himself is a survivor; he had a heart bypass surgery last September and is now doing the Camino to give thanks to God. I was blown away. I understand the reason behind his constant smiles now. He was beaming with pride, gratitude, joy, and hope for the new lease on life. He has inspired me with his COURAGE, which coincidentally originated from the root word, "COEUR" that means HEART in French. I'm thankful and blessed to encounter a witness in him of God's grace.

So, I walked 4.5 hours today, leaving El Burgo Ranero at 7 am and arriving in Mansilla de las Mulas at 11:30 am; I covered a distance of 18.7 km (or 11.6 miles) today. The terrain was flat and easy, and the sights plenty dull. Mansilla de las Mulas reminded me of Cartagena in Colombia or the French Quarter in New Orleans in the U.S. The locals, "Los Mansilleses", were truly friendly and helpful. As always, here are photos of the day.

May the road rise to meet you, my dear friends. And until we meet again, may you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God.

Above right: Chocolate with tortilla con patata (3.80 euros) at Reliegos

Above left: Dusty feet; Above right: Rolf from Germany (happy, happy!)

Above left: Arriving in Reliegos; Above right: 2-year-old toddler, "Nope, don't take my photo!"

Above left: A greyhound, not a dog I see everyday

Above: These sandals are awesome! In the olden days, people walked in sandals (or similar) too ~ so I'm following in the footsteps of those who had gone before me...

Above: Arriving in Mansilla de las Mulas

Above: Albergue El Jardin del Camino ~ 8 euros a night for a bed (nice, clean, hot showers, WiFi; no kitchen for cooking)

Above right: Puerta Castillo ~ the southeast door of the wall, it is named the "Door of Saint James" because it is through it that the pilgrims on the "French Way" enter the town. In the 12th-C, Mansilla was the first stop in the Kingdom of Leon.

Above: Church of Santa Maria in Mansilla de las Mulas ~ the present building was built in the 18th-C over the former 12th-C church; incidentally, the patron saint of Mansilla was the Virgen de Gracia

Above left: The main altarpiece of the Church of Santa Maria represents a fine 18th-C work of Baroque art; Above right: Austrians Gertraud and Christoph, who also stayed at the same albergue with me last night

Above: Plaza del Pozo ("Well Square") in Mansilla de las Mulas

Above: Plaza del Pozo

Above right: My first course (lunch) was tuna, egg, and potato salad with bread (SO yummy)

Above left: My second course (lunch) was fried trout (fresh from the river Esla that flowed through the heart of the village); Above right: Dessert was flan (delish) ~ 3-course meal for 8.50 euros (near Plaza San Nicolas)

Above left: El Postigo ("The Shutter") in Mansilla

Above: Plaza de Grano ("Grain Square") in Mansilla

Above left: Bell tower of the Church of San Martin (which is now a cultural center); Above right: The 16th-C door of the Church of San Martin in Mansilla

Above right: Casa de la Picara Justina (Mischievous Justina's House) in Mansilla (based on a Spanish novel from 1605)

Above: At Arco de Santa Maria ~ the northeast door of the wall and the best preserved, the arch welcomes pilgrims entering the town from the "Roman Way" or the "Trojan Way"

Above: Torres Albarranas in Mansilla

Above left: Part of the 12th-C murallas that remained in Mansilla

Above: View of Mansilla from a wall tower; the walls sheltered the town and a former royal citadel in the 12th- to 16th-C

Above right: Arco de San Agustin in Mansilla ~ the southwest door of the wall, it was located closed to the former Monastery of St. Augustine.

Above left: Museo Etnografico ~ 3 euros entrance fee for pilgrims; Above right: A copy of the La Picara Justina (ref. earlier photo of the home that was related to this novel)

Above left: La Picara Justina was a novel attributed to Francisco Lopez de Ubeda. This second edition was published in Brussels, Belgium in 1608; the first edition was printed in Medina del Campo in 1605. The novel was set in Mansilla de las Mulas whose main character was a humble, old woman who narrated her youthful adventures.