kedd, november 07, 2017

November 6, 2017, Day 11

We already started the first preparations for our day on the mountain: even though both our guidebooks plan a stopover in Astorga, we decided to go a bit longer until Murias de Rechivaldo. That means a 27km walk today, but after our day off in Leon we feel much better and stronger.
We had a comfortable breakfast (including a second pot of coffee and having our leftover bread toasted) at the hostel (La casa verde):

To start the day we had an 8km walk until Hospital de Orbigo where we planned to have a second breakfast. We were quite soon there and found a nice bar just at the famous bridge of the town.

In 1434 a lord made an advertisement: to get rid of his unlucky love, he and 9 of his friends called upon any lords near and far to match them in lance-fighting, 31 days long. His idea got quite popular as Spain was kind of in peace at the time, so tournaments or other kind of fights were not so easy to find. There were 166 other lords coming, but our lord (and his friends) won all the fights. If his love got lucky then, we don't know.
After Hospital there were 2 options to go on, a longer road through the countryside, and a shorter one alog the road. As we were already walking along the road yesterday we decided to make a compromise: the first 45 min we walked along the road, then switched over to the back-country road, reaching Santibanez de Valdeiglesias.

It was a good choice: a nice road along endless fields again, but here and there some small forests were along the road as well. We went uphill and downhill and uphill again, and when I was just getting hungry again, suddenly there was an ashram-kind of thing. Big signs on the last few meters informed that this is a place of freedom and peace and love, help yourself and everything is free.
The guy "running" the place claimed to have lived there for 8 years already, without water and electricity. Some people were already there, so I also joined them for an apple and some nuts. It was really the perfect place for me there for a rest and some food, and with our "donativos" hopefully he will keep on having this place for the pilgrims.


From here it was not so far till Astorga anymore - but by getting there I was already getting quite tired and sore. Just at the right moment we turned a corner, and there it was: a candy shop. Ca 50 m2 full of chocolate and sweets. They also had candy you could buy by weight (kimérős cukrok), so I could compose a bag of Gummibärchen and fruit jelly (zseléscukor). The perfect rescue food.



2 corners away there was also a small supermarket where we bought some things for supper - it was quite clear that our accommodation won't offer dinner. The last 1 hour from Astorga to Murias de Rechivaldo was a long way - as the last 4km / 1 hour always is.
Arriving to the village we first didn't find our hostel - I was getting quite uneasy then, as there were not many options there to stay overnight. But then we saw our house, and the landlord was already standing there in the door waiting for us - again we got to a hostel where we were the only guests. The landlord then said he'll sleep in the house (in an extra room) overnight so that we are not alone. Marti couldn't sleep half the night she was so afraid that he's going to do some harm to us. Of course nothing of this kind happened, and he even prepared a small breakfast (yoghurt, chocolate and some dried fruits) for us.
(Even though I have to add that being afraid in this area is not quite without reason: in 2015 a woman was killed here, also while doing the Camino, and this section is dedicated to her memory. Knowing this leaves a hint of a bad feeling, even if the killer was caught within a few months).

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