The desert; Mansilla de Las Mulas – León (18.5km)

July 9, 2026

The night’s sleep was very warm, and for some reason, everyone was awake and loud so early, despite the 18km short day.

I was at my own pace and decided to go slowly. Had a leisurely breakfast, and talked with everyone I could to distract myself. An American girl (studying insects) from the other room said she found bedbugs, and this paranoid me. I hoped and prayed that they weren’t in my room or my bed.

I finally got my shoes on and started walking slowly, low energy. This was the first day that my bag felt heavy. 

The industrial walk gave me such low motivation. No beauty to see.

I decided to have a tea in the albergue, so my energy was crashing without coffee. I finally stopped at a cafe at 9am to caffeinate.

I put on my music to drown out the drone of the cars on the highway. I remember so clearly that I also listened to music on this exact spot on my first camino.

A reminder that life will not always be easy, but you will get through it.

I think I was particularly sensitive to the heavy industrial energy after all the desert peace and quiet of the last few days.

I walked alone with few breaks and around 5km before León, I ran into Polish and Korean 1. We walked into Leon together – unplanned. The people you need will find you. 

This motivated me through this last stretch of metropolitan drag.

We arrived in Leon, checked into our hostel (which felt like pilgrim luxury with white sheets), had beer and pimientos and calamari, then the best nap of my life.

Polish engineer and I went to visit the Leon cathedral – an experience I didn’t have when I was here prior. We enjoyed the relief from the heat for 1.5 hours, enjoying the stained glass windows. It was so nice to have friends to explore with.

Korean 1 joined us and we went to the Gaudí casa. This was definitely less interesting to me, but I still found some beauty.

After sightseeing, Engineer and I met in the kitchen and there was a Swiss teacher who finished camino Norte this week, and was on her way home. She gave me albergue suggestions, and I was so grateful.

I also dropped off my laundry at the hostel. Was so nice to machine wash instead of hand wash.

The three of us had drinks and tapas, drinks and tapas, drinks and tapas. I met lots of pilgrims and watched some of the France game before coming home after midnight. It was social, but I was happy to have this experience.

To come back to the camino and rewrite is a privileged. To reflect on the lessons and grow. To evolve.

Even in the desert in a heatwave, the sunflower grows, lifting her head towards the sun. Metamorphosing from the subterranean darkness.

Things were looking up, but also coming to an end. I was exiting Camino Frances and moving onto San Salvador. Goodbye desert.

Cooler mountain temperatures were waiting for me…and new inner landscapes. But first, a rest day.

xoxo sweet surrender