20. León to Hospital de Órbigo

Camino Frances - Day 23 - September 18th. 2013: León to Hospital de Órbigo (20th.day walking)

Contour Map: Copyright John Brierley click here to see notes

Contour Map: Copyright John Brierley click here to see notes

NOTE: I started in  León today and ended up in Hospital de Órbigo but I used the alternative route from my guide book so it will not correspond with the contour maps above.


























Sleep abandoned me last night kept at bay by the caffeine from the two americanos and compounded by the sad news from home. 

I made an easy exit from León picking up the signs I noted yesterday. I walked as far as La Virgen del Camino before breaking for breakfast.  After I left I made a call to my sister to ask about her friend. I had to stop to take on the magnitude of what was happening. (see Topic: Desensitised - Resensitised) I stopped briefly at Villadangos del Parome to buy fruit and a couple of energy bars. I should have taken a proper break here because I intended to keep going all the way to Hospital de Órbigo today. 

Socks are so important:

I stopped in San Martín del Camino sat on a bench and took off my boots but left my socks on. In hindsight I should have taken the socks off too in the hope that they might have dried out a little bit and I could have let my feet cool down. I lost a pair of socks somewhere along the way. (See Topic: Socks, below) and was now down to just two pair of heavy socks. 


I finally reached Hospital de Órbigo and checked into Don Suero de Quinones with a great view over the old bridge. After my shower I took a nap for a couple of hours, there goes my chance of sleeping tonight. 

I developed many new blisters today but they are small and mostly on the tops of my toes so I hope they don't bother me too much while walking. I completed one and a half stages today and I was considering doing the same tomorrow if my body, especially my feet, held out. This may be too ambitious, as it is 16Klms to Astoga and another 22Klms to Rabanal del Camino. That kind of distance immediately after the long walk today may just take it's toll on this old body, I will review it as I go along. 

I went for a walk around the town. It was so quiet, much the same as all the small towns along the Camino. I found a pharmacy and purchased more compede for my growing collection of blisters. I also bought an after sun cream because my legs were a bit red. My legs tended to get most of the sun during the day. My head was always covered with a wide rimmed hat protecting the top of my head, my face and neck. I also purchased a couple of energy bars and some fruit for tomorrow. 

Back in the hostel I had a beer while waiting for the evening meal. I know, no willpower. There was just one couple at a table over looking the bridge and myself at another table in a large dining area. When the owner came to take my order I asked for the menu he said there was no menu but he told me my options. I made my choices and he went off. The food was fabulous but I was surprised when he hit me with the bill. This clearly was not the pilgrim menu option. I paid it but I would advise anyone eating here to get the prices ahead of ordering their food. I enjoyed the food but felt a bit ripped off. Not that it was not value for money, if I was eating in Ireland or even one of the big cities I visited along the Camino. My sense of being ripped off came from not being advised of the prices up front. However, I did not let this spoil my overall sense of well being and good will towards all the people of northern Spain who were generally very welcoming and never, up to this point, exploitative. 
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Other Links, relating to this section of the Camino, you may wish to follow 

León:
Images of León on the internet
Wikipedia on León
Hospital de Órbigo:
Images of Hospital de Órbigo on the internet
Wikipedia on Hospital de Órbigo
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Topic: Socks
Socks, Socks, my kingdom for more socks.
Looking back on my Camino I know I just did not have enough socks. While it is essential to keep the weight of the loaded backpack as low as possible I think I would definitely bring more socks next time.

I lost a pair of socks somewhere along the way. This is unusual because we all tend to lose just one sock at a time in our washing machines. On the Camino they disappear in pairs. I also lost one of my undershorts. Now maybe 30 years ago, in a moment of extreme vanity I could have given a brief thought to some stalker taking a souvenir (only joking) but now, in my early sixties I can only assume some crazed cat or a rabid dog snatched them off a washing line somewhere along the way. Anyway, I digress, back to the importance of socks. After the loss of my socks I was down to three pairs of under socks and two pair of heavy socks. Ger had suggested to me that changing socks during the day long walk reduced the risk of blisters and also made you feel refreshed, especially on the more difficult stages. If I was going to change my socks, using two pair of under socks and two pair of heavy socks each day I would have to wash my socks every night and hope they would be dry by morning. This I knew would not happen so I made a short clothes line out of a spare boot lace. When I set off each morning I wore a dry pair and had the other socks dangling behind me on my makeshift clothes line and fully exposed to the high sun. It may have looked a bit strange but it guaranteed I had a clean dry pair to change into along the way and helped maintain my feet in relative good condition. 

Next time, should it ever happen, I will bring more socks and under shorts and maybe even one extra pair for someone who may need a pair so badly they help themselves to my stock. : )

21. Hospital de Órbigo to Rabanal del Camino

Camino Frances - Day 24 - September 19th. 2013: Hospital to Rabanal (21st.day walking)

Contour Map: Copyright John Brierley click here to see notes

Contour Map: Copyright John Brierley click here to see notes

Click here for Google Map and my starting point for today
I set off around 7am but never really got into my stride. Feeling very tired from the moment I took my first few steps along the path and through the fields before reaching the roadside. Everyone else seemed to be walking faster than me today.

I made an early start as you can see from this shot of the sun rising sometime after I set off from Hospital de Órbigo

By the time I reached Astorga I felt I had done enough and gave some consideration to calling it a day and checking into a Albergue for a nap. I even thought about checking in, taking a shower and setting off again in the hope that I would find my second wind. I think my second wind was having a nap and unaware of my needs. I stopped at a small cafe in Astorga and ordered breakfast, another omelet, bread and green tea. I sat at the only table outside the cafe, I was joined by Arthur from Melbourne. Arthur is a retired banker, I met a few of them and liked them all despite the fact that a small group of their colleagues, those at the top of the industry, had screwed the world and drove us all into recession, depression. Arthur's a really nice guy so I am not including him in my little rant. We spoke about the global recession, family, and the joy of grandchildren. Our paths crossed many times after this, our first time today. He started from León and was going all the way to Santiago. He would be joining his wife on a cruise when he finishes this trip. He highly recommends taking a cruise as an alternative to other more traditional holiday options. So many people say the same but we have not booked one yet.

I stopped again just outside Astorga took off my socks, dried my feet, reapplied Vaseline and put on a clean pair of liner socks. I did not have a dry pair of heavy socks at this time. I repeated this routine again when I took another break. It was a long day but I actually walked the last 10Klms faster than any of the previous 30Klms. Maybe this sock routine was working? 

I love the array of casual, makeshift, furniture just dotted along the Camino. (See photo on the left and  Topic: Makeshift seating on the Camino, below)

Chance meeting with Terry:
I checked into the first Albergue as I came into Rabanal del Camino, I think it was the Muni. After a cold shower, not by choice but it was refreshing after the long hot walk. I met Terence or Terry as he preferred to be called. Terry, from Northern Ireland, is a great talker and easy to listen to. Over a pint (yes still on the pints) he told me about his family and why he was walking the Camino. His story brought tears to my eyes as so many others did on this very special journey. Terry's story is his to tell so I will not get into that but it is only when you meet people like him you realise how lucky you may be to have avoided similar suffering to his. We also talked about the work he did on the faculty computer network at Ulster University. He was able to go way back and in doing so brought back a lot of memories for me of earlier computer systems. We also talked about the troubles in Northern Ireland and how this impacted on him and his friends.

I  went off to take a few photos before coming back to meet up with Terry again. We went to dinner together. He was great company, sadly I did not bump into him again after this meeting but he did leave a lasting impression on me and I though about his story many times since our chance meeting. 

I really hope Terry's Camino experience helped him realise his expectations. I think perhaps he had already done so by the time we met.  Back in the Albergue I updated my notes but found it hard t forget the stories I heard today. Before too long re tiredness took over and sleep came with greater ease than it had for many weeks. Maybe it was the sleep of someone who felt very fortunate and grateful for my life and that of my extended family. 
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Other Links, relating to this section of the Camino, you may wish to follow 

Hospital de Órbigo:
Images of Hospital de Órbigo on the internet
Wikipedia on Hospital de Órbigo
Astorga:
Images of Astorga on the internet
Wikipedia on Astorga
Rabanal del Camino:
Images of Rabanal del Camino on the internet
Wikipedia on Rabanal del Camino
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Topic: Makeshift seating on the Camino
My photos here represent just a very small percentage of the great number of makeshift seating  all along the Camino. I often thought about the people who put the these seats in place, at random, just at the side of the road, under trees and on remote tracks. Of course I am making the assumption that they have, in fact, been put there by locals for the pilgrims. I could be wrong. Maybe these same locals sit by the side of the road and gaze upon pilgrim after weary pilgrim making their way to Santiago. 


If, as I suspect, they have been put there for the weary traveller then I would like to thank these individuals for their kindness and consideration. 

If they were placed there for the pilgrims then I also suspect that they were put in place by the older people in the community. I say this because it is almost always the older people who actually recognise you while walking and offer a friendly 'Buen Camino'. You rarely get this from younger people.

As you can see from my photographs the seating can be made from almost any material and some look like they would not withstand the assault of a large, or ever a modest size bottom. However, it's the thought that counts, yes?

I never actually used these seats but it's nice to think that these local people are looking after us visitors. Come to think of it I don't ever remember seeing anyone, local or pilgrim, using the informal, makeshift, seating.  I did from time to time use the more formal benches and chairs but that's because I far exceed the modest size bottom that these locally assembled offerings could be expected to support.