Camino 3: Sunday 27 October (Astorga)
This won’t reach the internet tonight because the wifi is down in the hostel, but I want to write something tonight even though I am crazy tired after walking nearly 35 km in about 8 hours. The last three km were torture, but I finished with no blisters and only on little hotspot that seems to be ok now after dinner.
I walked the day with a companera — a companion for the day. She is from Wisconsin, just 50 and is an ex-academic at one of those crossroads. She started in St-Jean, and knew how challenging the day would be, so we paced each other and made it. Had I rushed on, I think I would have struggled to make the distance. You need something in that last hour to get you through the pain barrier. We talked all day and it helped. I told her we would meet in Santiago and I would shout her a drink to here if she had resolved her dilemmas! Dinner was good fun with a German, a Swedish girl, my companera and an Aussie girl from Melbourne. She thinks she may have met Rachel, from the tour.
Last night was a great meal at the albergue in Villar de Mazarife. Four courses, with the highlight a veggie paella and several bottles of red. Tonight is not so good as the municipal albergue is noisy and full and the menu peregrino not as good. But bed and board for €15? I can do that!
It has been pretty country, mostly country lanes but more and more hill paths as we move into the country. If I have time in the morning I will find the pictures. Tomorrow, I want to set out alone and see what the road brings. Actually, I know. It’s the mountains. Temperature drops, altitude increases, rain forecast. A challenge, but I have already learnt a lot…
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; * they will be alway praising thee.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; * in whose heart are thy ways.
6 Who going through the vale of misery use it for a well; * and the pools are filled with water.
7 They will go from strength to strength, * and unto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion.
