Lisa and I got away from our lodging on another chilly morning well before the sun came up and, as with many mornings, we followed Venus. As the sun arose at our backs, the surroundings became clearer and we walked along a mostly flat path lined with sycamore trees through fields either already harvested or thick with maize. At this time of year, the farmers cut off the water and let the corn dry in the sun until the decision is made to harvest. This is all for animal feed.
I love to get an early start before the sun is up and get in 5 kilometers before breakfast. The sunrises are always beautiful, but as we are heading west, I need to turn around frequently to catch the glorious colors. The trail today was mostly straight and flat. Here we spotted a most unusual sight: purple flowers growing right out of the ground!Along one section of the path, someone had dressed up the sycamores with colorful crocheted “sweaters”. Lisa, shown here with Leanne who we met early on, found that her rain gear kept her very warm on these cold mornings. Yesterday the sun warmed us up by breakfast. Today, it was cold all day. Since our alberge today is located 8 km out of town and did not offer a very good meal selection, we stayed in Mansilla for several hours. We bumped into Scott and John and shared some drinks and stories. By the time we finished, the supermarket had closed, so our plan to buy cheese and ham and bread for dinner evaporated. However, we stumbled upon this restaurant: The Curious House of Food. We were served one of the finest meals we’ve had on the Camino.The interior of the Curious House of Food. Lisa got a kick out of the framed hot water bottle. I am surprised she did not sneak it out in her backpack and take it to our hostel, where they have not fired up the room heaters yet.
Our hostel sent us a cab and tomorrow will return us to the same place so we can resume the Camino without missing a step. Tomorrow we head to Leon.
El Peregrino 
I love Leon. Especially the town square. I walked in on a lively open air market. Fun times.
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Another beautiful day. Tomorrow Leon!
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I am very much enjoying your posts Jim. Stay strong.
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What a fantastic experience you are having, Jim! Love these photos !
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