Today was fairly easy walking. It was foggy and cool most of the day. I went through Ponferrada with a glance at the Templars’ castle. I sat over a cafe con leche and giant croissant, reading a Spanish newspaper. The front page story about the Paris attacks was already out of date, so I read…
Blisters are improving, shin pain is long gone, but I am still tired every evening! I usually leave a little later than the eager pilgrims, so sometimes I see very few people unless some keen walkers from prior villages catch up with me. Today I saw only 3 pilgrims until my destination! Short walk to…
Goofing off to do blister care. First I had to take care of my blister. Sorry I didn’t keep a good photographic record, but here it is before the sock and shoe went on. It was an absolutely perfect morning to be walking – sunny and cool, with a good dirt path. By the afternoon,…
How to turn a small blister into a big one… The path was MUCH nicer this morning on the route to Astorga, and it included the Casa de los Dioses where the legendary David is busy as always. Astorga is where I started my first Camino in 2012 with my sister-in-law N, so I have…
Or: A glorious day along the N-120 highway I tried to avoid it, but missed the turnoff to the nicer (but slightly longer and hillier) route. In the “yellow German guide”, now available in English, Raimondo Joos writes “This route is only recommended for pronounced masochists, hardcore car enthusiasts, and people who want to purge…
Today really was a short day. This morning I hoped to sleep late, but somewhere in the hostal an alarm clock started beeping at 6 a.m. and didn’t stop. It wasn’t loud, but woke me anyway. At least I slept well before that. In between a leisurely breakfast and a trip to the laundromat, I…
That sounds like a short day, right? However, it was preceded by 2 hours browsing in a museum and followed by a ramble through and about Leon, so my feet are sore. I highly recommend the Museo Etnografico in Mansilla. It is very well laid out, with information in English and Spanish, and gives insight…
Nothing exciting is happening. The weather has turned perfect – mostly sunny with temperatures up to about 19 C. While walking, one has time to look and try to figure out the agricultural practices. What do you think about this crop? Is it rocks or winter wheat? Today being Saturday, the villagers gathered in the…
Seeing Clarely 