Ponferrada

Today was the most beautiful and most difficult day of all. We woke up in Foncebadon, the abandoned village, to clear blue sky. At this altitude the broom and heather are mostly white. It's as if they take their cue from the snow that surely must lie there most of the year. We left the inn at 7:15 AM and were at the Cruz Fer in about 20 minutes. Here, millions of pilgrims have left a stone from home, representing sorrows and short comings. Jeff and I, also, had brought stones from home from the river in Tynehead Park and laid them at the foot of the cross. An emotional moment. 

We had 28 K to go, so off we went along lovely trails with incredible scenery of snow covered mountains and big hills and valleys covered with white, red and pink blooms. So far so good. But what is up must come down. And down we went for 1,000 meters along steep, stony trails. A nightmare for me. The poles helped a lot! The descent really slowed us down and we were on our feet for 9 hours today. This included a coffee break as well as a bowl of lentil soup by a Roman bridge. It felt like I went beyond my capabilities. But here I am in the lovely town of Ponferrada feeling good again after a lovely dinner of salad (hold the oil and vinegar) and broken egg (hold everything else like fries, etc.). Lemon icecream for dessert. And Rioja wine. 

Tomorrow we will have been at this for 4 weeks already. Our days will be shorter now although we still have one mountain to climb. We will see Arlene and Joyce tomorrow in Villafranca Del Bierzo. 

Laying my stone at the foot of the iron cruise, highest point on the Camino.

Stunning scenery on our mountain walk this morning.

A lot of the descent was on rocky paths.

Some sheep shearing in one of the villages we passed.

Early one morning last week. The risen sun on our backs and ever westward!

Foncebadon

We are blessed with beautiful weather again and today's walk was a delight. It was only 7:15 AM when we passed the cathedral and Gaudi's fairytale bishop's palace before leaving the small city of Astorga. 

The Camino took us along delightful paths lined with purple lavender and yellow broom. We passed through several villages so we had lots of opportunity to have a cafe con leche. The trail climbed imperceptibly and the snow covered mountains came closer and closer.

Finally, we entered Rabanal and, after buying bread, cheese, yogurt, chips, bananas and oranges and a chocolate bar, we had a delightful picnic outside near a broken down house.

After our lunch the camino did some serious climbing. But we are all Billy goats now, having walked everyday since May 5. It was not a big deal. The flora changed to alpine plants like heather and gorse. Both varieties presented in white as well as pink. Everything is in bloom. Quite spectacular.

A few more kilometers and we finally arrived in Foncebadon. This is one of the "abandoned" mountain towns around here. Lots of stone houses in complete disrepair. But because of the popularity of the Camino (230,000 estimated this year alone) business has revived. We are in a rather nice place and they serve dinner from 5 PM on, which is unheard of elsewhere. Pilgrims love this. They are tired and hungry. We had to choose from the menu at 2:30 when we arrived. Spaghetti soup, chicken stew, icecream. And bread and wine. All for 9 Euros.  

We are elated that the scenery is breathtaking again, with mountains and hills covered with flowering bushes. We are almost at 1,500 meters and it seems that you can just about touch the clouds!

Tomorrow, La Cruz de Ferro, highest point on the Camino at 1,505 meters. And the place to leave our stones from home!

No weefee ( the Spanish pronunciation of WiFi) here so I will post this tomorrow in Ponferrada, a big town, 28.2 K away. Our next stop.

236.7 K to go to Santiago. Our plan is to arrive June 13 in Santiago.

That's our hotel for the night. Very nice!  Most of the houses are abandoned. This morning, at breakfast, Gregorian chant was piped over the speakers!

We are starting to see a lot more crosses as we are getting closer to Santiago.

Amazing heather all over the place!

Astorga

We were walking by 7:30 AM and got to our accomodation in Astorga at 4 PM. This includes a few breaks but it was still a brutal day at 31.2 K. I can comfortably walk for 20 K and after that it becomes a chore. The feet and other body parts start to hurt. I begin to lean on my walking poles as if they are crutches. We killed off 10 K in a hurry first thing this morning. We were in scenery that reminded us of Ladner, very flat with irrigation ditches and snow covered mountains ahead of us. These mountains got closer as the day progressed and tomorrow we start climbing them. We'll see how that goes!

Around noon we entered the lovely town of Hospital de Orbigo which has the longest Roman bridge in Spain. The Camino goes right over it. We stopped in a garden cafe for an omelet which turned out to be a potato/ egg quiche. A bit bland. We are craving some decent food and are going to splurge tonight. 

After our lunch we entered a lovely, natural trail through meadows and forests. Very nice except for stretches of cobble stones. On the Camino there is a kind of dance pilgrims do. They meander from side to side, always looking for the path with the least stones. We climbed into the foothills and at a crest there was a kind of cantina run by a young couple. They were offering fruit and drinks for free or donation. We had some watermelon but felt suspicious of this gesture. We found it hard to accept something for free although the couple seemed genuine in wanting to serve the passing pilgrims.

Soon after, we saw Astorga in the distance, below us. It still was at least 6 K away so we trudged on. Like some cruel joke we had to cross a railroad via an accordian-type bridge. We managed! Up one more hill, past the city wall and there was our hotel for the night. This hotel is known for its good food so we are waiting until 8:30 (usual dinner time here) to try to get a decent meal. Yesterday we ate white bread and Nutella for dinner. Hence the splurge tonight.

The Roman bridge in Hospital de Orbigo

The camino goes over this bridge. Set up for a jousting contest soon.

Bert doing the Camino Dance.

This woman is pulling her belongings with a home made buggy!

The cantine with free food for pilgrims. Structure behind the tree is where the couple lives.

Accordian bridge over one railroad track as we entered Astoria. 

Viladangos del Paramo

This morning we departed from The Leon Parador and made our way through an industrial area before hitting the scenic route that led us to Vilar de Mazarife. It was prearranged that a taxi would pick us up and take us to a town where there is a hotel. Where we are staying has the look and feel of a truckstop. It is a comedown from the elegance of the Parador. We are adapting fast. 

The walking went well today. No wind, just a bit of drizzle and good surfaces to walk on. We met some pilgrims we had not seen for days!

We are now 295.3 K from Santiago. Hard to believe!

In Villar de Mazarife this afternoon, with a fellow pilgrim.

Yesterday's pilgrim dinner. We are craving vegetables. Frozen peas, anything!

Making our way out of Leon today. Impossible to get lost with all those yellow arrows.

An underground wine storage place looking an aweful lot like Bilbo's home!

Discarded shoes at a camino marker!

Treated, again, to a flower show.

And, in Villa de Mazarife, more storks. They are migratory so we are lucky to see them everywhere.

Walking out of Leon this morning.

Some of the beauty we passed today. 

Leon Rest Day Two

By hanging around like this we are losing all our momentum. I'm sure we will get this back as we are facing some very stiff hills in the coming days. This morning we explored the old city of Leon. It is quite lovely here. Most fun of all was meeting fellow pilgrims we have gotten to know over the last few weeks. 

Last night we had such a cosy evening with Joyce and Arlene joining us here at the Parador. Then this morning, an extensive buffet for breakfast. Even papaya available. It will be tough getting used to bread and jam for breakfast again! 

We are trying to give our feet a break by staying off them.  Hard to do in such an interesting city!

Enjoying a lovely evening with Arlene and Joyce!

I am sitting on the steps of Gaudi's building. One of the first secular buildings using private funds. Before that it was religious institutions or aristocracy that funded buildings like this. We think that it is a bank.

Jeff, sitting beside Gaudi who is sketching. 

Gaudi's dates

Some of the stained glass wonders in the cathedral

Great stop for a cafe con leche and treat

With all that walking we can afford a pastry, or two. 

Leon Rest Day One

"One...was not only walking across space, but across time as well. " by Kerry Egan from Ultreia! Onward!

We have been reunited with Bert and Diane and are enjoying this beautiful hotel. The Spanish government has taken on the task of converting historical buildings into smart hotels. This chain is called Parador. The one we are in now was once a pilgrim's hostal. Today it is part hotel and part museum. We had fun wandering around the cloisters and statues. One plaque read that in the 1930's this property was used as an especially horrible concentration camp. Today it is a peacful retreat for tourists and pilgrims. 

Leon Parador hotel

Statue of a weary pilgrim taking a break in front of the hostal.

One of the cloisters of the Parador.

Admiring the cloisters from the interior garden.

Yes, we had lunch at a McDonalds. A nice change from all that white bread!

Leon

This morning, while the rest of the group began their walking day, I took a taxi to Leon in order to get an extra rest day. The ride took 50 minutes and covered two days worth of walking. It felt very strange to be whizzing by like that. Within the hour of leaving I was already in my hotel room. I needed to give my feet a break so I had lunch here in the hotel. I was treated like a queen and ordered a fancy salad and some soup which contained a whole poached egg. Later in the afternoon, after a bath and a nap, the phone rings and it is Jeff, downstairs! He has walked today's 24.5 K plus tomorrow's 18.6 K to be here with me. He assured me that I did not miss a thing and that the path was very stony. Needless to say, I am very pleased that he is here. It is now Monday and we don't walk again until Thursday. So, a nice break. The sun is shining, too!

This is the couple who looked after us so well yesterday. The true spirit of the camino! This place was spotless, too. The pilgrim's meal was one of the best. I had pork cheeks!

Diane and I tasting our host's homemade coffee liquer. 

Jeff taking a photo of what I missed today. Not much!

The Leon cathedral we plan to explore tomorrow. Apparently famous for its stained glass windows.