We left Cistierna early in a drizzle, and it alternated between light and heavy rain most of the time until early afternoon. Cameras mostly stayed tucked away, so not a lot of pictures from this section. We were walking through farm country, and a lot of the off-road sections were very overgrown with tall grasses. At one break in the rain we were able to add to our collection of traffic mirror selfies.
By the time we arrived in the small village of Gradefes mid-afternoon, the weather was clearing. As we walked into town, a man approached us from one of the bars to ask if we were looking for the albergue. He picked up the keys for us, stamped our credentials, and told us where to find the albergue on the edge of the village. The only place to eat was a good km away, at a hotel-restaurant across the river and on the main highway; we dropped our packs and walked quickly there just in time to eat. After eating and then returning to the albergue for a shower, we walked back to the village to visit the 12th century monastery. Once the sisters enter there, they never leave; they're even buried in the center of the monastery. There are about a dozen, all old, still residing there.
The building, which went up over a period of centuries, is a mix of Roman and Gothic elements.
Our guide explained the meaning of this carving at the top of one of the columns. It shows a soul being judged, by God on the right and devil on the left. The devil is putting his knee on the scale to try to tip things in his favor.
The albergue is in a modern building at the edge of town, and very well equipped with a complete kitchen, a comfy sitting area, and a balcony to dry clothes.
The next day we set off under mostly clear skies for the last stage of this camino to Mansilla de las Mulas. Poppies are coming up in the already-harvested hay fields.
Lots of storks and their large nests.
Around noon we stopped to visit the former monastery of San Miguel de Escalada, which has been a monastic site since the seventh century. The present church dates to the early tenth century, and is of Mozarabic style: the architecture and design elements draw heavily from Moorish influence.
These hillside caves seen along the path were dwellings for the early monastic hermits in this area.
We passed the 200 km mark right around the time we stopped for a cool drink in this little bar in the village of Valle de Mansilla.
After this, we had less than 10 km remaining to Mansilla de las Mulas, where the Ruta Vadiniense ends and our path met the Camino Frances. We took a bus from Mansilla to the nearby city of Leon, booked into a nice pension, and have a rest day here.
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