Day 12 Astorga to Rabanal del Camino 21.4 km

Day 11 San Martin to Astorga 23.5 km

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 Leaving San Martin very early - it was still dark. I wanted to run out and leave somebody behind me. I did it, I ran away and never saw him again...





Clouds on the sky predicting rain...

And it rained in Hospital del Orbigo the first time when I am walking. While I was taking photoes and walking on the medieval brigde in Hospital del Orbigo it started raining cats and dogs. A thunder strom! A hostal owner opened the bar door I just ran in to the warmth and to the smell of coffee.

Graham was sitting there having breakfast and soon I was doing the same - fresh jugo de naranja con tostados y cafe solo. Great! Last night he stayed in San Martin too but at the other albergue further down in the village. And the two Franks were staying there, too. 

See the rainbow in Hospital del Orbigo. From here and now on I met the Spanish speaking group for the first time and kept on walking with them all the way to Santiago de Compostela.

This is how the sings look - yellow arrows or chonchas and other sign posts.








Before Astorga this guy is serving freshresments (juice, fruit, nuts and caring thoughts) on a donativo basis to everyone who needs it. It is nice with the freshresments - the walking before Astorga gives no shadow at all.

At the cruceido before Astorga I met Tine again and we changed cell phone numbers just in case we did need to get in touch with each other. And Angela came - the Spanish group was going to stay at Siervas. - And good news - Tine told that when in León somebody  found my guide book and they gave it to Justin from Australia living in Freiburg (studying law) because they knew that we were staying at the same albergue in León. And he was on this way to Astorga, too but on another route.!!! Surprise surprise I was to get my book back anyway. Now I only have to find Justin whom I never met before - I was told that  he looks like a Jesus. - From the Cruceido you can see Astorga but it is pretty long walk anyhow.

Later in Astorga I went to look for Justin and found his friends in the Siervas with Johannes. John gave me my guide book, he took it out of Justin´s rucksack. Justin was out for shopping. This is how I met Justin and John and later Sophie and Chantal and followed up each other the rest of the walk to Santiago de Compostela.

And in the evening I had dinner at the nice Gaudi Restaurant with Frank from Switzerland, Victor from Logrona and Five Star Frank from Germany.

And the clouds predicting rain again.

Day 10 Leon to San Martin 26.5 km

Last night before the bedtime at 2200 having beer with Johannes aus Bamberg (studying to be a teacher in History and French) and Ulrike aus Saarbrucken (?), David and Matrha from Washington DC and Anja. Friends friends everuwhere when you need them. Johannes had a knee problem and Ulrike some kind inflammation in a overstrained ligament in her left foot. Urike is having her resting days in León. Johannes bought a walking pole and is going to continue tomorrow.

Martha and David decided to return home and are waiting for the night train to leave for Madrid. We changed e -mails and are going to keep in touch.

 Leaving early in the morning walking by the Parador on San Marcos Square. It was not easy to find out your way out of the city but finally Anette an d I did find the yellow arrows which show the way to us to Virgen de la Camino.

 On the way to Virgen there are many bodegs like these. Sometimes when you buy a house in Spain you will become an owner of an bodega (wine cellar with a terrass), too. Many of these were well kept and in use.

My first meeting with Francesco who whistled after me - I was walking in a wrong direction. Thanks!

And Graham a teacher from Sydney, walked all the way from St Jean Pied de Port.

13 days later on we arrived in Santiago and were very happy!!!

 A sign post on the way to San Martin. It was a hot day and a long walk. The last three hours in the afternoon were almost killing hot.


I stayed at the Albergue Vieira - Fran told that the municipal was closed.

Vieira is all right - nice garden and washing clothes was ok - close to the highway. I was sun- bathing the rest of the afternoon.

I met Angela and Alberto from Mallorca, Dani and Manu the young kids from Bilbao, Fran from Malaga, Fra from Italy and the Spaninsh family here for the first time. And we were to follow each other on the trail from now on the end.

You want to buy an albergue - this could be your choice!!!

 Storks in the church tower.

 Albergue Vieira and the daily obligatory medical foot care after the afternoon routine of making your bedm washing clothes, taking a shower and eating a bit.

In Vieira everybody spoke Spanish so I really had to concentrate just to understand what was said.

To sleep early and I packed my rucksack well so everything was ready for toworrow abd for an early start.

Day 9 Arcahueja to Leon 8.4 km 2 hours

Leaving the Albergue La Torre in Arcahueja with Frank early in a cold morning. Only two hours walk to León. he walke dfaster and we were supposed to meet by the cathedral (like allways all meeting by the cathedarl). Walking to León was easy on the puentes and I was happy to get to a city again. My eye- wear needed some correction and needed to see an óptico. My Spanish has improved now and i can manage pretty well with Spanish now. I understand a lot specially if Spanish is spoken slowly and if I am not tired. So in León I asked my way to the óptico.

When walking to León I met a Leonese who walked with me for a while and spoke Spanish to me, told about León and the cathedral - he was also a hospitalero and told him in Spanish !!! that I just finished my hospitalero course!

 The Municipal in León is open all night so decided to walk to the city and stay with the Benedictine nuns at the convento whicj is a donativo and allright - the nuns are really sweet and they asked me how is was doing (I was a bit sad and tired when in Leon. Sweet!!!

I met Tine aus Frankfurt and Elfin de Malaga by the cathrl later. We were talking about what to do, where to walk tomorrow and other plans - when leaving them I forgot my guide book by John Brierley on the bench!!! Oh my!!!!

I noticed it later and went back - it was not there. Went El Corte Ingles to by another one but there is no way to buy books in English in Spain - so from now on I only had a map of the camino and that had to be enough.

In Saturday there was a weekly Marché aux Puces

close to the cathedral.

León has a population of 140 000 inhabitants.

Worth seeing the medieval walls, the controversial austerity of the neo- Gothic in Gaudi´s Casa de Botines, Real Basilica de San Isodoro etc.

 El Corte Ingles -a big department store chain in Spain had these Swedish books n Spanish though!!!

Good for Camilla Läckberg and Åsa Larsson.

Day 8 El Burgo Ranero to Arcahueja 28.3 km 7 hours

 The night was pretty cold - I was sleping in my sleeping bag and had to use a planket, too.  After a quick breakfast out again. This morning was very cold - I had to wear almost all the clothes I am carrying and a jacket. 










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I had 13.5 km to Reliegos which was the first village Bar La Torre. There we sat again the Spaninh women, me, Theresa and Henry. My walking had gone well so I said I was going to walk 10 - 15 km more. Henry and Theresa were walking to Viliarente 10 km and the Spaninsh women all the way to Borgos 22 km

Reliegos the bar owner:
Dime!

Here Henry and Theresa in Reliegos having breakfast.








Next coffee at Mansilla de las Mulas. Theresa and Henry had picknick. Walked further to Viliarente and had next coffee, orande juice and a little tapas.

Love on the camino

Only 307 km to Santiago de Compostela. A descanse area in Arcahueja about 9 km bedore León. Hot hot hot - nice to be in the shade...

At 1600 I had walked another 28 km and had a beer at Albergue La Torre. And here I met 8 pilgrims from El Burgo Ranero. Even if you are walking alone you are not alone. Johannes had a bad knee and stayed somewhere else before Arcahueja but Frank came in very late about at 2100. The Italian couples were here too and Frans aus Bavaria. I had dinner with them without no common language but I think taht we did understand each other very well.





Albergue La Torre in Arcahueja 9 km before León is a very good alternative if you want to spend some extra hours in León. The walk to León is easy now - the road crossings are arranged with puentes for walkers and not dangerous at all like is used to be.



Albergue La Torre Albergue 18 E with dinner and breakfast.