Day 7: Powering across the Meseta (Carrión de los Condes to Mansilla de las Mulas)

Distance: 51.1 mi / 82km

Climbing: 1,329 ft / 405m

I’m over half way to Santiago! The kilometers really fly by when it’s flat.

From a bike touring perspective, this is one of those flat days on a long distance route that you just push through to get to the more interesting parts. I covered three walking days of distance and still finished soon after lunch. If it wasn’t almost 100F and the last day of a heat wave, I probably would have pushed on to do more. I had a stiff head wind the last 25km too, which made me ready to get in and done. Tomorrow the temperature is a high of 77F with a little tail wind, so I figured I’d leave my final Meseta day for tomorrow and get to Astorga.

This day has two options, and I decided on the traditional one that does not follow a Roman Road. The route I took is recommended for cyclists, and the walking path is directly alongside a quiet road, so it makes sense to just ride the road and leave the walking pilgrims alone. There is a line of shade trees lining the walking path, and if you ride against the traffic and the sun is right, you can benefit a little from these trees. The Roman road has a bit of cobblestone, which is supposed to be annoying for cyclists. Since both routes are somewhat monotonous, I think the consensus is just to get through it faster on the quiet paved road.

Both Sahagun & Mansilla are interesting towns with a variety of cultural and historical sites, so it’s worth taking the extra time to visit the churches and museums and take a break from the bike.

In contrast to Carrion, Mansilla feels quite empty. The heat and siesta hours empty the streets, but at night people come out for a 10pm dinner. I had a nice evening talking with an American father/son and Danish mother/daughter combo who were both walking the Camino together, one in full and one over a few years.