I couldn’t sleep last night. I didn’t sleep well the night before either. I think I’ve had O Cebreiro on my mind. I have been getting more and more worried about climbing this hill and things came to a head in the early hours of this morning… Hence the lack of sleep.
Who am I kidding… I’m fat and fifty (one) and forgetful and feckless and I feel like a fraud… I should not be doing this. Continue reading
Today we had the choice of three routes. We’re on our way to O Cebreiro. One of the highest points of the camino Francis and a climb I’ve been dreading for a while! Tonight we’re planning on staying overnight in the foothills so that we can tackle the steep ascent with fresh legs. Continue reading
Last night we stayed in a very nice hostel opposite the templar castle in Ponferrada. I had my own little room and it was kind of strange to have so much space and quiet… I think I missed everyone!
Earlier we had toured the castle but it made me feel homesick. I was there last year with Gerry so it felt too familiar. I felt oddly lonely, so I left Teresa and Pam to finish their visit and waited in a nearby cafe. We ate out in a wonderful pizza restaurant in the old town and went off piste from the pilgrims menu… Good choice too and we left stuffed and happy. Continue reading
Last night we stayed in a very rustic albergue in the centre of what seems to be a single road village called El Acebo. We had cabbage and potato soup for lunch, a local speciality that wasn’t a hit with Pam… whilst a very kind man washed, dried and folded all our laundry. Continue reading
At dinner last night Sherry told us she was going to carry on alone. Sherry walks quickly and hates the albergue (well the communal bathrooms). And she is really keen to get home. So we had our last supper as a four. It feels odd now that everyone is starting to talk about the day they are planning on reaching Santiago… And even I am starting to think that maybe, just maybe I really could get there.
So overnight it rained and it rained and this morning I was expecting the worst… But the weather man was wrong and it has been dry all day.
We left Astorga at around 7.45 with a full moon still in the sky. The streets were wet but nothing falling from the sky! It is however a tad chilly… And I am loving my new long-sleeved t-shirt. It’s great to be walking again around people and walking through villages every hour or so.
So our day of being tourists is over and we are back to being pilgrims again. We left Leon before the crack of dawn and wandered our way out beyond La Virgin del Camino. Our plan today was to take the scenic route and avoid the slog beside the motorway. Continue reading
WOW! I thought Burgos was the jewel of the camino but I was wrong. Leon is an amazing city and feel a bit like Barcelona.
Then We Walked 