24.7km

We wake up to have a leisurely breakfast. I share some of the instant coffee I brought and have some reheated pasta. The Koreans who were here with us have left silently in the early morning before the rest of us woke up. They’re all good at doing that it seems.

I leave with Ingrid first. We walk towards stormy grey clouds in front of us. Looking back, it is sunny with friendly puffy clouds behind us. Ingrid says it’s like we are walking into Mordor.

It’s 2°C and I’m wearing my puffy, although the environment around us doesn’t look wintry. The weather app says it “feels like -3°C because of wind”, but at least it’s not like yesterday.

Mansilla de las Mulas seems like quite a pleasant town, and a nice place for pilgrims to sleep at as well. We stop for coffee to warm up—I get a cortado, a tortilla picante (spicy potato omelette), and a pincho con guindilla y queso fresco (green chilli and fresh cheese skewer).

Heading out of town, the route goes next to highway towards León. Strong winds pick up, with a sprinkling of rain. After some time, the sky lightens up.

At the benches before Puente Villarente, we take a small break. I have a single Taki, some chocolate bread (stuff a small bar of chocolate into a bit of barra de pan, as learned from Edoardo), and magdelena (sponge cake).

We reach Puente Villarente after a short distance from our break area, and enter an inviting confitería. Apart from some coffee, I get a cróqueta with cheese and jamón, and we share some special-looking cookies.

The way out of town is windy with a light drizzle. I put on my rain jacket on top of my puffy, fleece, and T-shirt—it’s the most layers I’ve had on so far. It then suddenly becomes sunny, and it feels good.

Strong winds like yesterday start after departing the next town, Arcahueja. There is 8km more to León. Bits of…snow(?) fly towards me as I walk.

We find Edoardo sitting with his back against the wall of a cemetery, eating yesterday’s pasta from his lunchbox. It’s a clever resting spot, with the wall shielding him from the wind. We take a stop to relieve ourselves, sit and chat for a bit.

Some snow then drifts around us amidst the heavy winds. More and more until suddenly…it’s snowing! I take note of the time of this momentous occasion: 2.40pm. The “Winter Camino” finally begins.

We leave the comfort of the cemetery wall back onto the path, with the wind pelting snow into our faces. I have my sunglasses on to protect my eyes from snow, and my buff up the bottom half of my face. The buff is not water resistant, however, so it gets cold and wet. Snot is running down my nose and mixing into the wet buff pressed against my face, and I mentally steel myself to accept these sensations for the next few kilometres to León.

A woman pulls up in a car next to me and says she is going to León, and asks if we want a ride. I check if there’s enough space for three and call out to the other two. We hurry into the car, to warmth and relief. Camino kindness!

A short walk from where we get dropped off, we check into Albergue San Francisco de Asís, a modern-looking one. We get a room with two bunk beds and its own bathroom, which is luxurious compared to the squeeze of past nights’ albergues.

We check on Gerlinde, concerned that she might have been caught in the snowstorm as well. She replies that she’s checked into a hotel, where she can get a good comfortable rest. All is well.

Ingrid and I take a walk around our area of the city to explore and find something small to eat. We pick up a delicious, warm napolitana chocolate from a small shop. We then chance upon a charming bookshop cafe called Tula Varona. There, we get hot chocolate and I get some cake and enjoy the warmth for some time. While paying, the owner asks me if I enjoy the food, and if it is my first time at the cafe. I say, it my first time in Spain, and my first day in León! And share how we are pilgrims who got caught in a little snowstorm on the way into the city.

We want to catch the pilgrims’ blessing at 7.30pm in the church adjoining our albergue. Areum, who is still in town, rendezvous with us at the cafe before we leave. We are happy to see each other again, even if only for a short while. She has a dinner with others at 8.30pm, but has some time till then, so the timing of the pilgrims’ blessing is just right for her.

We sit through a Mass, of which I barely understand anything. There doesn’t really seem to be a formal pilgrims’ blessing so after the Mass we go to the front and catch the padre to ask him about it. He gives an informal blessing right there and then, praying for strength for us.

It’s snowing tonight. It’s nice when it’s gently coming down and not being blown in your face, and with the knowledge that your room is nearby.

For dinner we get ingredients from a supermarket to make chicken pumpkin soup, with some additional carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, cebollinas and pork bones for flavour. There is also freshly-squeezed orange juice from a machine and affordable local wine. The kitchen has some extra rice and I cook it plain to accompany the soup (oh, how I miss rice). The soup is delicious and comforting. Spanish food is amazing, but the home-cooked meals have been my favourite so far. I also try kefir for the first time, which I really like.

After dinner, Ingrid goes up first while I have some tea with Edoardo, talking about the Camino.

León is a big city, and we decide to stay for two nights, our first break, or zero day, as they call it. We will rest and check out some sights tomorrow.