We enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Albergue this morning to serve us for a short walk of about 9 miles. We left Villares de Orbigo about 8:00am, and were in sight of Astorga by 11:00 and in town by 11:30.
The walk was a pretty easy, but with no services along the way. But then we came across a young man with his little stand of organic food, fruits, and drinks, and even some hammocks to relax in. Again, this was for donations only. It’s marvelous to see how folks seek to serve and support the pilgrims on the Camino. We had a few small hills to get us ready for what’s to come starting in the next day or two.
Every day the Brierley book offers a Spiritual passage – something to talk about and think about while walking. Today’s passage was about getting up when you fall, about persevering when times are tough, referencing Knights and Bishops who failed but “rose again, dusted themselves off and started afresh.” The message: true greatness is not in never failing but in picking ourselves up every time and beginning again.
Once we were in Astorga, we found our hotel easily – very nice, a luxury hotel. We’re on the 3rd floor with a great view. Then we went out to explore the town. First, we walked down to the Chocolate Museum, hoping that it might still be open – but it is closed on Monday afternoons. Lesson: If you want to see certain attractions in any town, make sure to check their availability on the day you’ll be there. We landed in Astorga on a Monday. No Chocolate Museum on Monday.
Evan’s knee was acting up, so the down and uphill to a closed museum was a struggle. But then we found lunch at the Plaza Catedral. With beer & sangria, and a shared bocadillo, we both felt better.
What was once the Bishop’s Palace, designed by Antonin Gaudi, is now a museum commonly referred to as the Gaudi Palace. It’s a beautiful structure, quite gorgeous, both inside and out. The museum houses more religious artwork beautifully displayed. We entered at 1:15 and were ushered out as it closed at 2:00, but that was enough. One room is dedicated to the Camino de Santiago. Evan took photos of a few “Santiago Matamoro” images.
Then we moved on to the Cathedral and its museum. Again beautiful statues, artwork, baroque gold rimmed altars in chapel after chapel as well as he main nave of the cathedral. Another fascinating hour.
Back to the hotel for a nap (Sara), showers (both of us) and work on the blog before heading out to dinner. Wanting to sample the local cuisine, we found a restaurant serving the cocido maragota which includes a huge plate of meats (beef, pork, cut bacon, pig’s ears, and other unidentifiable animal parts) followed by a second plate of cabbage and chick peas, followed by a third bowl of stew broth, very rich and salty. We wanted to just share it, but the restaurant would not allow. This is meal for one only. So Sara ordered a salad, and just enjoyed watching Evan try to face this meal. He is definitely not a fan of pig’s ears or the various other fatty meats in the maragota style collection. But he tried it, tasted it all, and probably won’t order it again. Oh well, you don’t know unless you try.
Happily, we shared our mealtime with Bill and Jean from Portland and with Karen from Australia. And the wine was quite good. Now that we’re both quite full, it’s back to the hotel to prepare for tomorrow.
Although our Camino walk was only about 9-10 miles, we ended walking another 4 or 5 miles in the town!
