Hospital to Astorga, 13 May (16 kms)

It was very cold and crisp when I set off at 7.30 a.m. after a quick breakfast in the hotel.  I tried to walk in the sun as I made my way to Brierley's picturesque route:  "one of the most serene and naturally beautiful paths of the Camino for a glorious 8 kms".

I stopped at a "kiosk" set up in the wilds by a young hippie couple, where you could help yourself to all manner of drinks and fruits for free  (donations accepted!)  They were even heating water over a wood fire.  I settled for a long rest on their sheltered bench, covered in Indian fabrics.  I passed half an hour watching pilgrims come and go, some reluctant to help themselves, others eating greedily at the watermelon and other fruits.  I finally took a ripe banana and gave them a 50 cent donation.  The French couple with the donkeys also arrived, and the donkeys were reluctant to leave the lush grass growing beside the kiosk.

From there it was a short walk to a splendid lookout, and all of Astorga was laid out below me.  As usual it was a hot hour's walk into town at midday.  The last straw was a footbridge high above the railway line.  When I finally entered the town I had to fight my way through an extensive market, which was packed with people and slowed me down quite a bit.

It was great to spot the Cathedral up ahead, with Gaudi's Episcopal Palace on the right and the Hotel Gaudi on the left across the square.  My room was €45, not bad for such a historic spot.  There was no plug in my bath, so I went down to complain.  It took the lady ages to find one for me, but I was persistent.

As I was leaving my room at 1.30 p.m. for a late lunch, I met the couple from Sydney I'd chatted to in Leon.  So we went off together for a traditional Maragato meal at Las Termas Restaurant:  tomato salad, meat stew (with many different kinds of meat, including tripe and pigs trotters!), then chickpeas with cabbage, followed by cinnamon pudding for dessert.  There was a generous amount of red wine, too much for me!

I had to sleep it all off before going out for a 6.00 p.m. visit to the Episcopal Palace (not quite as fanciful as the Gaudi buildings in Barcelona, but getting that way!) and finally the Cathedral, a mix of Gothic and later styles.

There was no Internet at the hotel, so I had to go round the corner to the Albergue to use theirs. I just had a hot chocolate before going to bed.  On the news it showed the funeral of the politician Isobel Carrasco, who had been assassinated outside her home in Leon.  The funeral was at Leon Cathedral, where I had been watching the wedding on Saturday.

Wall painting

The Way

Roadside stall

Resting at the stall

Mules

Reluctant to move on

Episcopal Palace, Astorga

Interior of palace

Maragato meal

Mazarife to Hospital, 12 May (15kms)

It was another perfect Spring morning.  I had a latish breakfast and set off down the road at 8.15 a.m.  There were storks flying around and frogs calling from the fast-flowing irrigation channels.  I saw big clumps of red poppies, brilliant in the sunshine.  Ahead there was a mountain range in the distance, snow covered.

Poppies

The road into Villavante seemed never-ending.  I walked right through the town, ignoring the tempting bars (now quiet since I was just about the last pilgrim going through).  I went on till eventually I found the Molino Galochas, where I would really have liked to stay the night, but it would have made the stage too long.  The conversion of the mill was a superb job, with the millstream actually going underneath the house.  There was a fairly big wild garden, set about with grinding wheels for tables and lounge beds on the grass.  I had to ring the bell, as no-one appeared to be about, but just at that moment Jacotrans turned up with 2 suitcases to deliver.  The friendly lady of the house served me a beer and a baguette with a freshly made French omelette and York ham (€4), and then I made use of a lounge bed for 15 minutes "descanso".  I also went inside to the loo, and was able to sneak a look at one of the bedrooms: what a pity I had missed out on staying there!

Molino Galochas

It seemed a long trek from Villavante to Hospital, especially in the hot midday sun.  It took me a long time to locate my hotel, El Paso Honroso;  not a good choice, as it turned out to be a modern, motel-type place on the main road, rather than in the pretty old town centre. However, the quiet room I requested was just that, situated looking over fields at the back.

The famous Hospital bridge was certainly worth seeing, the longest medieval bridge in Spain, with 19 arches, though only a few were actually over water now.

Bridge at Hospital

The place I chose for an early dinner was not the best, though it boasted the local speciality: trout soup.  I had this, followed by some very overcooked chicken and chips.  I chatted to a S. African woman, who was doing huge distances every day on a very tight schedule.  She told me something useful:  her son had put an ap on her iPhone, which would automatically send any photos she took back to their computer at home.