“Not all those who wander are lost”  J.R.R. Tolkien

 

It was quite a shock to the system to get up early and it also meant walking in the freezing cold until the sun came up after 7am. The yellow arrows and camino signs that point the way pointed in 2 conflicting directions twice along the path today and it would have been very easy to get lost – the last thing you want to do when you’re already walking 30 km! Happily the direction I chose each time worked out and it was a very scenic track through farmland with hills sprinkled with wildflowers and a view of the snowy mountains.

I was approached by another elderly lady as I walked through a small town; she grabbed my hands, patted me on the back and said something in Spanish. I wish I could have understood… (Camino lesson 407: learn Spanish!)

The destination today was Astorga and it’s another beautiful town close to the mountains. The cathedral is the nicest one I’ve been into so far and there’s also a Gaudi building and chocolate museum. The albergue is a beautiful old building with exposed wooden beams and a lovely big kitchen and lounge around a fireplace. I bumped into Chantal again who I hadn’t seen since day 4 and we cooked pasta together for dinner… a lovely end to a wonderful day. 

Palacio Episcopal, a Gaudi building,, Astorga

Inside the Gaudi Palacio Episcopal, Astorga