Astorga to Foncebadon

We were up very early this morning, and not because we wanted to be.  The albregue floors/celings were. Vey creaky old wooden beams, and people were up and moving at 5am.  Some people also do not now how to do things quietly - there  seemed to be a lot of shouting and to-ing and from-ing.  Never again, we decided, will we stay in an albergue with only one layer of wooden beams separating the floors, as did the lovely Spanish couple was had met the night before in Hospital de Orbigo.

We were on our way just after 6:30, and making good progress out of Astorga.  We even walked past a couple of cafes, which was not a good idea, because  their facilities would have been useful.  However, we did stop at a small "ermita" or roadside chapel, for a "sello" or stamp in the Pilgrim Credential (passport), and there we met up with Isobel and Josep again. We had a photo taken, and then said goodbye to them, as we continued on.

We stopped at the next village for breakfast, and I think I was overcharged, it was the most expensive bar breakfast we have had.  By now the sun was up and  the Camino followed alongside the road, so it was getting hot.   We kept walking.  We walked throughout the next village, Santa Catalina de Somoza,and on to El Ganso, where we decided to stop for a drink. I wish I had been  able to get a picture of the bar, it was called El Cowboy, and was a strange place.  I was also offered another boy, the son of the barman, to take with me so he could learn about work!  I declined the offer.

We walked on again, and eventually arrived at Rabanal, which is the suggested stop in the Guidebook.  It was about midday, and getting very hot, so we stopped for our usual lunch of a bocadillo each and a cold drink, and looked to see how far the next village was.  We decided to walk on.  It was hot, it was all up a steep mountainside, covered with heather and Scottish broom, there was little to no shade, and we climbed.  It got hotter, and steeper and still there was no site of Foncebadon.  I began to doubt our sanity, and my ability to continue.  I was also getting anxious about running out of water.  

Then, suddenly, we came over the crest of a hill, and there, beyond the next crest, was the tiny hamlet.    We waked past the first albergue, which was full of the young crowd, and advertised its food, not its beds, and on to the second.  It only had one bed left.  By now I was losing the will to continue, so we walked further up the street to the third albergue and I sent the boys in to ask if there were beds.  There were, and the welcome we got was perfect.  It is a small parish albergue, and runs on donations. There is a shared communal meal, cooked by the guests, and others do the washing up.  I volunteered us for washing up duty, and breakfast the next morning.  The Hospitalera was from America, and took one look at me and said, "there is a washing machine, I have to charge you 3 euros, but with the three of you, it will be worth it, just give me your clothes when you have showered."    We showered,gathered our clothes, gave them to her and went to bed.  With hindsight, I think I was beginning to suffer from heat exhaustion and dehydration.  The boys picked out the bed in the darkest corner for me, and I was soon asleep.   I woke up to hang the washing up, and went back to bed with another large drink of water.  Even the water tasted wonderful.

When we had rested, we went down to the little shop for some fruit, and I chatted with the owners.  They were really fun.  We took the fruit back to the albergue - some of it was for the sangria for the meal, and chatted with other people there.  Supper was at just before 8pm, and was salad with pasta. It was great.  One or two people went out for a walk, but the boys and I did the washing up, chatted with a grandmother and her grandchild and went to bed.  I don't even remember the lights being turned out, and I slept really well.

The next morning I wAs refreshed and ready to continue.  As I left, I asked the Hospitalera her name, it was Martha.  I got goosebumps, remembering the Bible story of Mary and Martha, with Martha being the one seeing to everyone's needs.  She truly lived up to her name with me, and I left there in a great mood, ready for the next day.

Communal meal in Foncebadon