Onwards to Astorga

Hi all,
With the departure of Mark for pastures west, the Caminoistas were reduced to a party of two, Greg and myself. We hoofed out of Leon looking forward to an easy day with only 20km to Villamazarife, a reportedly small and very intersting village on th road to Astorga. Easy day it was and we arrived early enough to surprise the albergue manager still organising for that days intake.

We had looked at the other three albergues but one was a bit too far out for our liking and the other "Tio Pepe´s" was a bar with accommodation tacked on as an afterthought, ie thinking about the pennies that could be made from peregrinos.

The one we choose (name escapes me just now) is a really interesting albergue. the owner, Pepe, had made a promise that if he was cured of a significant and life threatening disease he would open and maintain an albergue on the Camino. His Camino was successful and he fulfilled his promise by establishing the best albergue in the village. Pepe is a qualified physio (with whom I could do with just now) and offers massages to those in need. We did not discover this until massage time had passed.

This was the albergue in which we also met Mark and Marion, the parents of the baby Mare for the first time. We keep crossing paths with them as they plough through 40kms per day. How they do this I have no idea and whenever possible (ofetn enough) they camp out rather than use the albergues. Very, very nice people but tough or what.

It was alos the albergue were we had our first really good meal for some time. It was a vegitarian dish and there was more than you could eat and believe me we tried.

Next morning we headed out for Astorga, 33km further on. Walked through some really nice countryside, reminded me very much of a French landscape. The day moved ahead on the heat and we arrived in Astorga round about 1.00pm. Had lunch, which has now settled into bread and sardines or tuna (the diet is going well) and an afternoon siesta.

Astorga is a lovely place, quite small but all the better for that. It houese one of the most famous of the Gaudi creations. It is not beyond the bounds of possiblity that Walt Disney got the famous castle image from this building. A representative image can be viewed at:
http://www.diocesiscastillayleon.org/astorga/palacio_episcopal.htm#palacio.

The outside is stunning enough but the inside is out of this world. More columns and arches thatn you could shake a stick at and all very Moorish too. The artefacts are superb from the early Roman crosses to two amazing frescos. The place is just outstanding. The cathedral next door was closed but hey, after the Gaudi palace, who cares.

Aside: A small town in Spain with a Gaudi palace and a cathedral next to each other, what a planet.

We eat the famous local dish, Cocido Maragato, for dinner. The dish is a local favourite consisting of a plate of all sorts of bits of pig (and I mean all sorts of bits), chick pea platter and pasta soup (in that order). We had the best glass of wine for some time. All of that and a interesting time talking with the owner who spoke only Spanish and Greg and I speaking Spanish gibberish. We did though find out the the man´s wife spoke good English but she was not in the resturant. Funny what you find to say when you really want to talk to someone. Ended up with a "on the house" local drink made from berries. Hot or what. Puts one to sleep I tell you.

On the walk back through the town we came into two of the main squares (plazas). It was approximatelt 10.00pm and they were bursting at the seams with families having their evening meal. We have often been struck by the presence of families out together for meals, everyone from granny to the weans. The kids are as kids are, running about mad, but it doesn´t seem to matter to anyone. It is like big happy familes, with every family joining in.

Astorga is another venue for the return trip.

cheers,
Arthur