Day 2 - Villavante to Astorga

20 September 2018

14.0 miles in 5 hours 46 minutes (including breaks)

We left our pilgrim hostel (called an 'albergue' in Spanish) at dawn when it was just getting light enough to see. Temperatures were pretty chilly, but we hiked on, enjoying the cold while it lasted. We knew things would heat up by early afternoon when we hoped to finish today's trek.

Our journey took us through rural farmlands, past ancient villages, and along some very rocky trails before we finally arrived in Astorga, the last major city we will see for a few days. Our legs and feet are holding up well so far, and clear skies promise to keep us free from rain for at least the first week of the Camino.

We should rest well tonight. Tomorrow we walk 16 miles high into the mountains. It will be a tougher day than today.

Locals collect boots abandoned by pilgrims (due to the weight and blisters they cause) and turn them into unusual garden ornaments, like this boot tree.

The Camino is loaded with pilgrims from around the world. We were never out of sight of other pilgrims during today's walk. Last year, over 300,000 pilgrims completed a portion of the Camino de Santiago.

We move along at a reasonable pace (about 18-minute miles). We aren't the fastest people on the trail, but we aren't the slowest, either. Today, we were moving faster than this guy.

We are never left wondering which way to go. Countless people before us have made sure to mark the way.

We feel like we are in the middle of nowhere, then suddenly the trail leads over a freeway. The mountains in the background are the ones we cross tomorrow. 

We crossed this ancient stone bridge in the city of Hospital de Órbigo that was built in the middle ages.

The stone bridge was the site of a medieval jousting contest in which one knight emerged victorious after defeating 300 other knights. 

These unusual trees in Hospital de Órbigo sit along cobblestone streets laid down long ago.

Massive hay rolls form walls in the countryside, all designed to feed . . .

. . . the hungry residents that outnumber the people in this region.

After an especially hard section of the trail, we came to this free food stand for pilgrims. The guy who runs this has been doing this for 9 years, living off the donations that pilgrims put into his box. Coming across this site was like going to heaven due to the relief it gave at a very tough time on the walk.

We came over the hill at about 12 miles and caught our first glimpse of Astorga and its cathedral. What a relief to know the end was in sight.

Here's a water fountain on the edge of Astorga. When you turned the knob to get water, this bronze pilgrim statue also got a drink!

This is the enormous albergue where we stayed tonight (Siervos de María - Servants of Mary), along with over a hundred other pilgrims. We all get bunk beds. The cost per night is 5 Euros (about $5.75). What a deal!

A highlight of Astorga is this palace designed by Antonio Gaudi for the archbishop of Astorga in the late 1800s. Unfortunately, the archbishop died while the building was under construction, and it sat unfinished until the 1960s before being completed and turned into a museum.

This is the chapel inside the building, which is now called Museo Gaudi.

Nearby is the massive Astorga Cathedral, the largest building in town and visible throughout the area for many miles.

We ate dinner tonight in this plaza next to the ancient town hall of Astorga.

At sunset, I took this shot of the Astorga city wall next to our pilgrim hostal. Pleasant dreams until tomorrow's jouney.

Progress Map