Thursday, May 3, 2018

Hospital de Órbigo to Astorga



Last night's dinner was a mixed bag.  Believe it or not this was served as vino blanco (white wine).  Check out the bottle...vino blanco.  And it tasted just as bad as it looked.  The woman was so nice and  the wine was free so there wasn't much I could say.


The cabbage soup was delicious.  I like cabbage almost as much as I like beans so this was bound to please.  Then I had rather boring chicken breasts and patatas (french fries).  I skipped dessert.  

You are just not going to believe who I met at breakfast.  Mary Reisert's next door neighbor...Chris Christian. There were five people sitting and the next table and the conversation went something like this...
Me: "Are you guys all traveling together." 
Yes.  
Me: Where are you from?
"New Jersey and well some from Florida...much laughter"
Me: "Well, New Jersey is just a suburb of Florida. (laughter) Where is Florida."
"Naples."
"Me: "Half my friends winter in Naples...I'm from Louisville, Kentucky."
Chris: "Do you by any chance know John and Mary Reisert?"

This was their second day on the trail and we were the only six people staying in this little B & B.  It is a small world.

 

It was very cold and windy today but at least the sun was shining.  I thought this scarecrow was clever.



The first part of the journey was flatlands with miles and miles of young wheat, shooting blades skyward.  


About two miles into the journey it became mountainous.  Small mountains but uphill none the less.  


And the big mountains grow closer and closer (larger and larger too!)


This is my kinda directional arrow.  It was about ten feet long.



There were number of miles with nothing, no houses, no bars, no farms and then suddenly this little stand with coffee, tea, snacks, etc.  All of free for the Peregrinos.


Loved the cross with the mountains in the background.


A thirsty pilgrim by a fire hydrant.  The fire hydrant had a spout with potable water.


Love the old with the new! 


Kids travel first class in Spain. Their regular school buses are also luxury tour buses with head rests and  seat belts for each child.


Look at this ingenious way to get us over a major railroad track.  It was ramped the whole way so if you were pulling a card or in a wheel chair or whatever...it would work.


Sculptors would starve in Spain without the Pilgrims.  Many tributes to us.

You will get a second blog from me today.  I spent the afternoon...to heck with getting cleaned up...playing tourist in Astoria.  It is a beautiful city...worth a visit.



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