Camino Day Twenty-Two- El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas (12.2 Miles)

The walk today was much like the walk yesterday, along a track lined with mature London Plane trees- over 25 miles, and the first real sign of fall we have seen. We love walking through the fallen leaves!

The only town we walked through today was Reliegos, eight miles from our starting point. We stopped for an americano and a café con leche and sat outside in the sun. We are having the most glorious weather- 45 degrees as we leave before sunrise, getting up to 72 degrees at midday. Reliegos claim to fame is the meteorite that fell to earth on December 28, 1947, weighing 38 pounds and 6 ounces. It is the last officially witnessed meteorite to fall in Spain. Walking out of town, the colorful mural with the lady knitting includes the meteorite.

The town of Mansilla de las Mulas is picturesque with the remains of the massive Roman wall that once encircled the town. there were two churches open to us. In the church of Santa Maria there was a special statue of St. Anne. We were unfamiliar with St Anne. We were delighted to learn she was the Virgin Mary’s Mother. The statue in this place is of her holding Mary, who is holding the baby Jesus. She is the patron saint of unmarried women, housewives, women in labor, GRANDMOTHERS, childless people and seamstresses, among others. People pray to her and it is said she will take the petitions to her grandson Jesus and he cannot say no to her.

Tomorrow we walk to Leon, the largest city along the Camino Frances.