El Camino de Santiago - 2017
Day 20: Villares de Órbigo to Astorga
Michelle wrote:
26 Sept. Tuesday
We left the albergue at 7:30 am and began walking in the predawn light. We couldn’t get a good picture of the end of the meseta because it was too dark. We climbed a hill and looked out over the vast flatness and said, “Goodbye meseta!” It is good to be back in the hills with vistas to look forward to.
A short 2.5 km walk brought us to second breakfast, or Santibanez de Valdeiglesia. Then up and down the hills we went. Near the top there is a man who lives on the camino and he offers fresh fruits to the pilgrims. His house is right there and kind of open. It is called La Casa de los Dioses (the Abode of the Gods). He is a New Age/42nd Parallel kind of guy. Just after passing his place we reached the top of the hill and could see Astorga below. That was nice to see where we would be at the end of the day.
As we came into the suburbs of Astorga we met a fun Irish couple that hike a part of the camino for 5 days every year. They will probably finish this year.
Astorga is an ancient city up on a hill and surrounded by a big wall. There are some ruins of a Roman home with a beautiful mosaic floor. It is right in front of a church. I am glad they are trying to preserve the ancient history here. We check into a big 150+ bed albergue - Siervas de Maria, and were lucky to get a small room with just one bunk bed for 5 euros each. The bathroom is across the hall: 3 showers, 3 sinks, and 3 toilet stalls. All coed. It is not quite as comfortable as other private rooms but costs 25-35 euros less. Ironically, those mattresses on the bunkbeds were the most comfortable of all of the albergues we have stayed in! The albergue is very clean and smells good, too. The volunteers there were 3 Americans and a German. We haven’t seen any other American volunteers on the camino.
We had to wait in a line to do our laundry because there were only 2 working washing machines. After we hung up the clothes we walked through Astorga to the big beautiful cathedral. We went into the gift shop, but didn’t take the cathedral tour. Next to the cathedral is the Palacio Episcopal (Camino Museum now) built by Gaudi. We took the tour of that fascinating and beautiful building. I’m not sure if someone like an archbishop lived there or what, but it doesn’t look like a house to me! It is very beautiful and ornate. Now it is home to a lot of art that refers to St. James (Santiago). High arched ceilings and stained glass windows that are different in each room. Very impressive! In the basement there were a lot of Roman artifacts, mostly stone.
26 Sept. Tuesday
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| Morning Selfie at Albergue Villares de Orbigo |
A short 2.5 km walk brought us to second breakfast, or Santibanez de Valdeiglesia. Then up and down the hills we went. Near the top there is a man who lives on the camino and he offers fresh fruits to the pilgrims. His house is right there and kind of open. It is called La Casa de los Dioses (the Abode of the Gods). He is a New Age/42nd Parallel kind of guy. Just after passing his place we reached the top of the hill and could see Astorga below. That was nice to see where we would be at the end of the day.
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| 2nd Breakfast at a bar in Santibáñez de Valdeiglesias |
Astorga is an ancient city up on a hill and surrounded by a big wall. There are some ruins of a Roman home with a beautiful mosaic floor. It is right in front of a church. I am glad they are trying to preserve the ancient history here. We check into a big 150+ bed albergue - Siervas de Maria, and were lucky to get a small room with just one bunk bed for 5 euros each. The bathroom is across the hall: 3 showers, 3 sinks, and 3 toilet stalls. All coed. It is not quite as comfortable as other private rooms but costs 25-35 euros less. Ironically, those mattresses on the bunkbeds were the most comfortable of all of the albergues we have stayed in! The albergue is very clean and smells good, too. The volunteers there were 3 Americans and a German. We haven’t seen any other American volunteers on the camino.
We had to wait in a line to do our laundry because there were only 2 working washing machines. After we hung up the clothes we walked through Astorga to the big beautiful cathedral. We went into the gift shop, but didn’t take the cathedral tour. Next to the cathedral is the Palacio Episcopal (Camino Museum now) built by Gaudi. We took the tour of that fascinating and beautiful building. I’m not sure if someone like an archbishop lived there or what, but it doesn’t look like a house to me! It is very beautiful and ornate. Now it is home to a lot of art that refers to St. James (Santiago). High arched ceilings and stained glass windows that are different in each room. Very impressive! In the basement there were a lot of Roman artifacts, mostly stone.
We ate dinner at a bar that served pizza. It tasted really good because it wasn’t a pilgrim meal! We have to get an early start in the morning for a difficult day that is mostly uphill. Curtis’s toe is still hurting, but he's trying to tough it out for 3 more days.
Curtis writes:
Leaving Villares de Orbigo we immediately walk through the hills. We stopped for a quick breakfast and bathroom break while it was just getting light in Santibanez. (Actually it was second breakfast because the Belgium woman had hot chocolate and toast for us at 7 this morning when we left her place.) Shortly after that we passed these cows along the road.
Climbing the gentle hill we looked back over the meseta. The picture with the sun coming up does not adequatly show the expanse of the plain, but the lighting has it's own interesting effects.
We are staying in a huge place with more than 150 beds. The people running the place are well organized volunteers. We were fortunate enough to have a room with our own bunk bed in it.
I liked Astorga. They seemed to be more sensitive to the tourist trade than other small cities we've been through. Leon had a different feel to it, mostly because it's more of an industrial center. Next time I visit Astorga, I want to tour the Roman excavations, tour the cathedral and stay in a nice hotel where I can sleep in. I should check and see when their Feria is, and plan accordingly. The feria in Logroño was a blast!
Curtis writes:
Leaving Villares de Orbigo we immediately walk through the hills. We stopped for a quick breakfast and bathroom break while it was just getting light in Santibanez. (Actually it was second breakfast because the Belgium woman had hot chocolate and toast for us at 7 this morning when we left her place.) Shortly after that we passed these cows along the road.
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| When she was younger, Michelle's friends named a calf after her. Baby animals have a special place in this girl’s heart. |
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| Sometimes she's a tease |
Climbing the gentle hill we looked back over the meseta. The picture with the sun coming up does not adequatly show the expanse of the plain, but the lighting has it's own interesting effects.
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| Sunrise over the meseta, from the western end. |
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| We stopped for a break in the shade provided by this planted grove of trees along Arroyo del Valle de Rozas. |
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| Our first hint that we are approaching Astorga: you can see the Cathedral through an opening in the trees and maybe even the Episcopal Palace designed by Gaudi. |
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| Astorga from the East Beyond Astorga you can see the mountains we cross 2 days later. |
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| Entrance to our albergue in Astorga: Siervas de Maria |
We are staying in a huge place with more than 150 beds. The people running the place are well organized volunteers. We were fortunate enough to have a room with our own bunk bed in it.
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| A simple clean room with bunks that don't squeek every time you roll over. |
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| View from our room in Astorga, looking south away from the city. |
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| View from the wall. Our albergue is the building on the far left. |
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| View from the wall the wall adjacent Jardín de La Sinagoga |
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| Self-portrait with Calle del Jardin in the background |
I liked Astorga. They seemed to be more sensitive to the tourist trade than other small cities we've been through. Leon had a different feel to it, mostly because it's more of an industrial center. Next time I visit Astorga, I want to tour the Roman excavations, tour the cathedral and stay in a nice hotel where I can sleep in. I should check and see when their Feria is, and plan accordingly. The feria in Logroño was a blast!
1 comment:
nice article with wonderful photos
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