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| With the Pilgrim Monument in Villar de Mazarife. |
A small dilemma before leaving León... I had planned to buy a pair of walking shoes in Bristol just before leaving for France, unfortunately though Bristol's Decathlon turned out to be half an aisle in a large Asda, the stock limited to things involved in, I think, weight lifting. So, I was stuck with Asda's own offerings. Well, they've got me over 400km, and in fact are largely OK, but for the somewhat collapsed heels, and the degree of wear on the soles - too soft a material there. So I could walk to León's Decathlon and buy a new pair... But I decide against it, there is another Decathlon at Ponferrada in a few days... Anyway, walking, a short day, good as I get a late start. The route according to my GPS looks dull, more Leon suburbs, then many kilometres alongside a main road. I'm pleased then to see that the guide I've downloaded suggests a different route, which on the ground is signposted as an alternative. This takes me away from the traffic and into beautiful countryside, much more like it. Glorious walking leads to my destination for the day, Villar de Mazarife, and I am quite struck by the charming albergue across from the church. Sadly it turns out to be a bit disappointing - can't really blame them for my inability to eat fatty meat, but the bar service is terrible, and then they stop serving at 8:30 - obviously it is the only bar in town as well. Ah, whatever, will do me good to not drink much I am sure.
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| Walls of Astorga with Gaudi's Palacio Episcopal rising above them. |
Out of Mazarife, and after many days of more or less flat walking, some actual up and down. Hills today, and I can see mountains ahead - well, it isn't hard, my pack is tiny after all. Lovely up here in the high country, there are evergreens, birds variously flit around or glide above me, all is good. Well, a small problem when I hit a decent sized town, Hospital de Órbigo, I had hoped to get a cheap lunch from a supermarket here, as it can be surprisingly expensive at cafes. But of course, the shops are shut because it's Good Friday, what am I thinking. It is no problem as it turns out, a little later there's a village with a bar that provides me with a beer and an inexpensive, and very tasty, sandwich. More hilly country, a long day today, good to do a proper day's walking. I am tired on reaching Astorga however, I happily check into the first albergue I see, and it is fine, good home cooked food. I make it far enough into the city for a beer or two after dinner, but proper sightseeing can wait until tomorrow, as it is time for another day off.
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| Roman remains in Astorga. |
In fact I walk a fair bit, day off or no. There's a lot to see, this is another city dating back to Roman times, more impressive walls, and even a substantial mosaic floor still in its original location. Many other historic buildings too, I have one of those maps with a numbered list of sights, I have time to visit and indeed photograph all of them. For ease of later identification of said photos, I go to each place in order... which involves much walking. Rather than a sensible route, it often seems the numbers have been chosen so that I have to visit one site, then walk to the other side of the city, then back again, multiple times even. Well, good exercise, and I need to get to my hotel for my second night here, of course it's a mile out of town. Then back for more sightseeing - substantial Roman remains, and murals - and another evening in Astorga. I must say, this is the most alive place I've seen on this trip, there are actual young people having fun here, I can almost believe Spain won't be an uninhabited wasteland in fifty year's time. This is a big enough place that I can get a burger, and a big beer too - although, oddly, the afternoon duty barmaid at the bar I go to both nights insists that no big beers are available, odd, given that after the shift change, big beer is back.
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| Highest point of the trail! |
Time to walk some more then, out of Astorga, the terrain rises ahead and clearly I am going to climb, but honestly most of the time the grade is so gentle I barely notice. Nice to be in high country though, there is heather, gorse, stone buildings - I could be in Britain. There seem to be a lot more people on the trail today, come the morning I am one of a long line of pilgrims, all making our way west. Well, it is April now, getting into high season, and I think a fair number of people started from Astorga. Lunchtime finds me in El Ganso, not a big place but there are several bars - but of course, it's Sunday so they're all shut. Fortunately one little albergue is open, I get an empanada de carne from their shop, most tasty though best not to investigate the meat too closely. Then more climbing, and fewer people as it's now the afternoon. I'm approaching the highest point of the trail, and I think tonight's stop, Foncebadón, is probably the highest town. A tiny place, it seems to consist entirely of albergues.
So, just a few kilometres out of Foncebadón and I'm at that highest point, there's a pole here surmounted by an iron cross, the pole emerging from a massive cairn, formed from stones brought here by pilgrims over the years. I add a small pebble of my own, and then walk a lovely high altitude trail - well, some 1500 meters above sea level anyway. It is very flat, but after as while I start to descend, in fact there is a thousand meters of descent to come, it's even kind of steep at times. Ponferrada is visible below, can't help but notice more hills the other side of town, well, that is for tomorrow. Still, for the Camino this is a long day, nearly 4pm when I get to Decathlon, yeah I need those new shoes now. Then to my albergue - I have reserved one, worried about the number of people I'm seeing now. And, a bit of a struggle to find food, this is a big place, but most restaurants are closed - Monday after holy week I guess. Well, I find a bar, and the usual thing of free food with every beer means lots of fried potatoes. I am too full to eat a plate of proper food when their kitchen opens, a bocadillo works though.
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| The very splendid Castillo de los Templarios at Ponferrada. |
Photos to go with this post can be found here and here. 
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