08/06/2024 – Walking the walk 13

Day 24 - back on our feet again today. We walked 22km to our pick up point, once again, being ferried to another village for a bed.

Carey is at what I call his “lustrous” stage. It’s his way: start well, stumble early, then bounce back fiercely. He is currently nut brown, feet silky and supple from five days of applying 20% urea cream, his back straight, his stride confident…. Meanwhile, I am enfeebled, increasingly tired, scratchy/sunburnt/lumpy!! Carey works hard to keep me cheerful. We laughingly brainstormed a murder-mystery concept: a Buddhist monk, village priest, Spanish police officer solving pilgrim-related crimes, an international “Midsomer Murders” with backpacks…

We took the alternative path today, which nevertheless included 11km of road walking, but did finally take us on a dirt track, through flower meadows and fragrant patches of lavender and lemon thyme.

We were collected and deposited in a smartly refurbished hotel with lots of open communal space, which is why we are currently (comfortably) trapped in the guest lounge waiting out a torrential thunderstorm. It’s a 20m dash across a courtyard already 6-7 centimetres deep in water and filling up rapidly!

It was a challenging 29 degrees today, so the rain is cooling, the thunder/lightning clearing the static tension. We can hope for kinder weather tomorrow, which is just as well: we have 32kms to go!

Day 25 – I did Carey a big disservice yesterday, suggesting he is “lustrous”. In fact, he has a nasty raw patch on the ball of his foot, giving him considerable pain. He insisted on walking today. They say the Camino is “a mental game”. It would be so easy to just hop in a car… There is every kind of option to “support” the pilgrim, up to and including not walking at all!

We were ferried back to Mazarife around 9am. We reached Astorga at 4:20pm. We were both concerned about today, so we stopped just shy of halfway, and enjoyed a beer, a sit down, some olives at a quiet bar. Hospital de Orbigo is famous for its extraordinary Medieval bridge. The original bridge was destroyed by the locals to slow Napoleon’s march into Spain, but was restored to its extraordinary glory more than 30 years’ ago. The “hospital” in the name is the pilgrim’s refuge established by the Knights Hospitaller in the 15th Century.

We again took the alternative (Mountain) route. We came into town downhill, from the Maragateria hills/mountains. This gave great views of this gorgeous Roman town, though we were too tired to look up very often!

We arrived just ahead of another heavy thunderstorm, to find our bags missing. They were tracked down to a hotel nearby, so I ventured out to collect them (with success). I went out into the storm again to a nearby supermarket. We’ve spent the evening in our room, with red wine spritzers and choice picnic items, meaning that Carey avoids walking a single additional step today. He’s earned it!