She's Gone Walkabout

The thunderstorm brought rain last night but is was gone before we left Villarente this morning. Once again the morning sky was dark and threatening and we kept looking skyward, waiting for the rain. It had been an easy 12 kilometre walk this morning and a few spots of rain fell as we entered León.

It was a nice walk through the newer part of town, it was interesting and well signed and we were not disappointed when we reached the old town. We arrived through the old city gate Puerta Moneda with a very extensive city wall that has seen several updates.

We spent a good couple of hours exploring León and it didn’t disappoint. The old city streets…

Gaudi’s neo-Gothic palace, Casa de Botines…

and of course Leon Cathedral. It is having renovation work at present but it didn’t distract from its beauty.

We hadn’t made plans on where we were staying or what we were doing. We looked skyward again and feeling brave -or foolhardy- we decided to head out. In Plaza San Marcos a life size pilgrim sandals off has a rest under the cross.

Light spitty rain had us guessing again as to whether we would get wet but we held off putting on the waterproofing. We eventually stopped at La Virgen del Camino – dry. It has a modern church built in 1962. A modern church is a rarity on the Camino. The sculptures depict Mary and the Twelve Apostles. Outstanding.

We sat on the terrace of a bar and enjoyed a wine. Grandpa Dave decided his babysitting services was needed to keep the two 11 month olds at the next table entertained. They were certainly enjoying his attention but I don’t know if their carers were quite as amused. The two littlies had been sitting quietly and happily beneath the table until Grandpa Dave intervened. Now they were crawling under tables and not being the perfect angels there were before. Bad Grandpa Dave.

We had a decision to make this morning. Would we take the main route to Hospital de Orbigo which ran mostly along a busy road or would we take the road less travelled through the countryside. We opted for country. The first half of the walk was nice and interesting.

We had wild grapes for breakfast

…and we hit the 300 kilometres mark to Santiago.

But they were the highlights of our day. The second part was a 10 k stretch on a treeless country road.

And we didn’t make it to our destination of Hospital de Orbigo. After travelling further than our days plan we were still 4 k short of Orbigo and we stopped for the night at Villavante..

Garbo Dave has left the Camino cleaner than when he arrived. To date he has picked up approximately two shopping bags of rubbish. Not really a lot of rubbish left behind considering the overall people traffic and nearly 500 kilometres that we have travelled. But it was today’s bit of rubbish that had Garbo Dave rethinking his quest for a cleaner Camino. Picking up what he thought was a plastic drinking pouch with a spout. He carried it for some distance until I took note of the writing and diagram on the packet – for when nature calls. Drop it Garbo Dave that’s one bit of garbage that can stay here, it’s a she pee.

Today we only had the 4 K to Hospital de Orbigo that we didn’t do yesterday and then 16 K to Astorga. There was no rush to get going but by habit we were still out of the door by 7. The morning was very dark and with just the light from our head lamp we could see that the landscape was dramatically different. We took our time. We arrived at Puente de Orbigo and I so wished that I had made it here last night. The Puente de Órbigo a long 21 span 13th century bridge was what we now needed to cross to arrive in Hospital de Orbigo. The bridge looks far to big for the river but a dam had been built and now the river that had been so much wider was reduced to a two span flow.

The final spans of the bridge in Hospital de Orbigo go over a canal, the reflections vivid in the early morning light.

We stopped for a break in Villares de Órbigo. While ordering the cafe con leches blood began pouring from the war wound on Little Aussie Bleeder Dave’s hand. The barista grabbed a long length of toilet paper and shoved it into Little Aussie Bleeder Dave’s hands. Little Aussie Bleeder Dave returned to our terrace seats still bleeding as David with his two ladies Heidi and Kelly walked past. On one of our first days out we had met David. I had called out to David and instead of my David turning around a fit looking guy had turned..oops wrong David, but a cute one so no complaints there. David is walking with his partner Heidi and her friend Kelly. After our first brief encounter we have bumped into them several beer times. We hadn’t seen them for a few days and we thought that they were well ahead of us so it was a pleasant surprise to see them again today.

Prettied streets with mud brick houses and extensive paving now lead us out into the countryside.

The flat terrain didn’t last long.

Soon we were walking through hills and farmlands with small plots of wine grapes being harvested.

Our walk was interesting.

With the normal unusual

We walked hills, fields of stubble, through pine and oak groves and past a boot with a view of the plains.

Six Kilometres from Astorga a donativo oasis.

Coming into Astorga at San Justo de la Vega one of my favourite views. A cross with the village of San Justo de la Vega in the background and behind it Astorga.

As we enter the townscape of San Justo de la Vega this incredible statue. While the fountain’s waters run the statue also drinks from his flask.

Through maize fields, along old mud brick wall and over modern zig zag bridges we followed the arrows into Astorga.

The Astorga Cathedral…

Gaudi’s Episcopal Palace

And the streetscapes

Some simple but brilliant.

And the perfect way to end a perfect day.

An hour after leaving Astorga we had another brilliant sunrise. The best part of needing to look behind to see the sunrise is that when the sun does rise it is at our back.

Maybe the sunrise was the reason this staff was left on a way marker. Propped there so the owner could capture a brilliant sunrise shot and then forgotten.

Santa Catalina de Somoza once a large town now reduced to a permanent population of 50. The village is typical for the area and has a real beauty with its many, many stone fences…

…and stone buildings in different styles from different eras..

and incredible views.

Before reaching El Ganso one of the more famous monuments on the way and the most elaborate. The wayside cross for Trudy Boukas. She was an avid volunteer along the Camino and her untimely demise has been commemorated.

Just as we were entering El Ganso the rain that had been promised began to fall lightly. We made for the Cowboy Bar and after a cafe con leche and a chocolate croissant we donned rain gear, took a deep breath and headed out.

Trendy Dave looked around to see that amidst the rainbow of coloured ponchos the man standing next to him was wearing exactly the same one. We’re making a fashion here the man told Trendy Dave.

A little off track between El Ganso and Rabanal del Camino are the remnants the Roman gold mine La Fucarona which is one of the oldest farms from the Roman era. The Romans extracted approximately 6 tons of gold a year from this mine. In pre Roman times the Castira peoples of the Maragata region also mined the area but removed only small quantities of gold. There is a delapidated rest area with an information board that gives general directions to the area of which water pools used in the extraction of the gold can still be seen.

The path to Rabanal del Camino was a small indicator of what lay ahead.

We passed fences of crosses and walked along roads. The rain gods were kind to us today and the rain remained light as we enjoyed our walk to Rabanal del Camino.

Another beautiful old village that has been caring for pilgrims for many centuries. The Knights Templar are reputed to have been here since the 12th century and to have built the parish church of Santa Maria.

We ended our rainy day with a nice meal and complementary liquors made from the seeds and skins left over in the production of wine. So, so nice.

This morning was our coldest morning but it was so worth it for the incredible sunrise. The most brilliant we have seen.

We arrived to Foncebadon through hills of wildflowers.

We walked into a cloud covered mountain at the Cruz de Ferro – the Iron Cross. We waited as a young man stood solemnly just meters from the cross. An older couple walked up and with great reverence they stood together before kneeling and placing their tribute at the base of the cross. The young man remained, motionless with head bowed. The woman next to us told us his story. He had lost both his parents and on his birthday his sister had died. His journey to the cross was an emotional release for him. The couple moved on and I walked up to the cross and placed my stone from home. I’m not too sure what I was asking. Was it to absolve me of my sins, to release me of all my cares and worries or was it to ask for a safe journey to Santiago. I’m not sure what my stone was meant to represent but I do know that walking back down on the mountain of stones I felt incredibly close to tears. The young man placed his tributes and walked down. Emotional Dave gave him a hug and he clung to Emotional Dave.

The Cruz de Ferro is said to represent the highest point on the Camino at 1504 meters above sea level. Approximately 6 kilometres further on Alto Altar at 1.515 meters is the highest point. From the Cruz de Ferro we have passed through Manjarin with it small lonely cemetery on the hill.

Manjarin a ghost town of tumble down stone houses. One establishment, a novelty humpy of chimes and flags is all that now remains in this community.

As we are about to begin our huge decent to El Acebo at Altar Altar we have reached the pinacle of 1,515 meters. I didn’t see a sign proclaiming that it was the Alto Altar. There may have been one, if so I missed it. We now begin a nice but difficult and cloud shrouded decent to El Acebo.

From the hilltop looking down on El Acebo’s black rooftops the town looked new. In town the black slate rooves covered houses both new and old.

In front of a church on the way out of town a monument to a German cyclist who died in an accident in 1987.