Catching up!

I've neglected blogging for a few days but have a good Wi-Fi connection, pronounced "wee fee" in Espanol, so I'll catch up.

I did get out and explore Leon on my rest day and had a kebab at the fiesta 

I also found this pilgrim statue and a German couple took this shot

I left Leon early the next morning and walked 16 miles to a small village San Martin del Camino for the night. I bunked with Fabio from Italy and Jamie and Gerard from Barcelona. Four Frenchmen were in the next room and it made for interesting dinner conversation as Fabio was the only one besides me that spoke English. The owner of the albergue gave me a local fruit that she called "ojo" but I'm not sure.

It tasted good, reminded me of some of the fruits in Jamaica. 

The next day was to Astorga. It was a beautiful sunrise 

but the trail got rather rocky later in the day. On the steep downhill walk there was an interesting statue of a pilgrim drinking from his flask and a local man took great joy in showing me how it worked. 

Everyone has been more than welcoming all along the way.

In Astorga  I again ran into my Australian pastor friend Ray and his wife Pura as I was looking at the Cathedral.

The next day was a much longer day because I have moved away from the flat plains of the Meseta back into the mountains. I wanted to get most of tomorrow's climb out of the way so I extended myself and hiked 17 miles to stay in an albergue in Founcebadon. The trail was rocky and steep in places but I was at my destination and checked in by 2:30. 

Founcebadon is an old village that really only survives by providing services to pilgrims. There were 35 of us this evening and for once I met up with several Americans and a few Canadians. The most interesting to me though were two seventy year old ladies from New Zealand who were walking the trail together.

Our meal was a riot when the chef brought out his masterpiece paella

This was probably the most filling meal I've had so far. Muy bueno!

There was this interesting sign in the coed bathroom that I need to add

The next day was a hike past the highest point of the Camino (4934 feet) where the Iron Cross, La Cruz de Ferro, stands.

 I've made a practice the past several years in my recovery to leave my recovery chips in different places. I was planning to leave my 24 year sobriety coin at the Iron Cross.

It was raining as I left the albergue so I suited up in my poncho

but as I was climbing up the mountain this was the view

As I approached the Cross

 thinking of my sobriety and also our friend Clark who has been gone for two years this day I once again ran into Ray and Pura. I recognized God at work here giving me someone who could witness my ritual.

This is Ray, my brother from another mother, but as he says "the same Father"! with an Austrailian accent.

It's good to be sober and it's been very easy to have agua solo with meals, instead of wine. Cheaper too for the restaurant!

Unfortunately, what goes up must come down and the rest of this day, some 20 kilometers, was spent descending to 2000 feet. I find the descents much harder on my feet and knees than ascents and this was a painful, rocky trail.

I had been passing a group of guys from Brazil for the past three days, one wearing a cowboy hat. I commented on his hat and he started calling me "Oklahoma" whenever he would see me

The trail continued down forever it seemed until I reached Molinaseca, my destination for the day. I was very glad to arrive and I stayed in a hostal with a private room to get a reprieve from the snoring. As I arrived the rain began again but I was safe inside!

Dinner was oxtail stew,

and I ate with Kristof from Berlin who I had met at an earlier stop in Granon.

A good night's sleep does wonders and my feet have healed enough that I didn't need to treat my heels today. The toes still take a pounding but are getting better as well.

I left later than usual this morning and arrived in Ponferrada to see this

Castillo de los Templarios, a 12th century Templar castle, now a national monument. I wish I had the energy to explore, but I don't.

It was a reasonably short day, 14 miles to Cacabelos. This will allow another 14 mile day tomorrow before I need to climb the last mountain before Santiago. I'll climb from 600 to 1300 meters in 10 kilometers. These mountains separate Castilla y Leon from Galicia. The rest of the Camino is through this ancient Celtic land, much wetter than I've been used to.

I'll let you know how it goes. For tonight, resting my feet in Cacabelos!

Buen Camino!