Day 20: Bercianos to Mansillas de las Mulas (Wendy)

 Since leaving La Rioja, the Camino signs have all said “Castilla e León,” indicating the region we are now in. While the tensions between Catalan and Spain and the Basque region and Spain are well-known, I did not know there was an issue between Castile and Leon or between this region and the rest of the country.  Gentle reader, let me tell you, there is.

Soon after leaving Rioja, we saw that many, if not most, Camino signs had been defaced, with the “e León” crossed out, or, in one case, amended to say “León es Castilla”—León is Castile. 

As we get closer to León, the defacement has changed. Now, “Castilla” is crossed out on many, if not most signs so they read only “León.”

In addition, since yesterday, I can no longer order my go-to gluten-free meal: a slice of tortilla, also known as tortilla patatas or tortillas española. Instead, I am offered “omelette.” Sometimes, bears a close resemblance to the potato and egg dish I’ve grown so familiar with. But more often, it is closer to a traditional omelette: a couple of eggs with some cheese and maybe some jamón or chorizo folded into a nice flat little half-moon shape, bearing little resemblance to the potato-heavy wedge I’ve grown accustomed to.

When we asked about this at one albergue, we were told, “We are not Spanish, so we do not have tortilla. We have omelette.” I assumed that the owner meant that he personally was not Spanish. However, when I was again denied Spanish tortilla at the next two establishments and was offered omelette instead, I determined this is a regional and not personal difference.

I don’t know that other Castillians or Leónese would claim they are “not Spanish.” But there is definitely some political statement affecting the food available to me. I find I am now quite fond of not only the Spanish tortilla itself, but also the ritual of stopping for a wedge and a cortado in the mornings, a couple of hours into our walk. I hope they can sort this situation out soon and get back to providing my Camino comfort food in every albergue, bar, and restaurant I happen upon. An omelette is not a tortilla.