Astorga to Foncebedon (16.64 miles / 26.79 kms)

 

Today started off as a great day. I had a good night’s sleep and I got up early and had the breakfast buffet at the hotel right at 7:30 when they opened. I stuffed my face, and my pockets. I was out the door by 8:00 and immediately on the Camino as it runs directly in front of the hotel.

 

I am still a little in awe at the number of people on the Camino Francis, especially compared to almost two years ago when I first trekked it. I looked at my blog from then and realized I was walking over twenty miles most days, but I was doing that partially to get out of sync with the majority of the pilgrims that follow the guide book and stop at the same major places. Usually those stops are bigger cities and villages like Astorga. I am sure that is why there were so many people on the Camino today.

 

One of the stopping points in the guide book after Astorga is Rabanal Del Camino, which is about twelve miles from Astorga. I am hoping to loose some of the pilgrims by going a little further to Foncebadon, which was almost seventeen miles from Astorga. However, that extra five miles or so is a tough climb to one of the high points of the Francis at almost 5,000’. The climb today was about 2,100 feet.

 

I have forgotten most of the sections on the Francis and how long or steep they are, and I don’t have that guide book anymore, which is probably a good thing so I don’t anticipate a tough or easy day and rather just take it as it comes. I don’t like getting up and thinking I have a tough climb that day!

 

The Camino actually started uphill right out of Astorga, but at a gradual incline most of the way. It ran next to the road most of the way and went from a wide trail to very narrow in sections. The vegetation started to change as the elevation got higher and you could still see some patches of snow on the surrounding mountains.

 

The day started out sunny but it never warmed up and got colder as the day went on. In the afternoon the wind picked up and blew fairly hard to the point it felt like it was pushing me back.

 

Rabanal Del Camino is a nice little village and it had lots of alberques and other places to stay. It is one of those villages in Spain that I always mention that gets steeper as you walk through it, and from there to Froncebadon it keeps climbing with no real downhills or any level areas.

 

I had walked short sections on the road since the Camino runs next to it, but out of Rabanal Del Camino I moved onto the Camino because it moves away from the road. As soon as I did that bad memories of walking this section came back to me. The Camino narrows to the point it’s hard to pull the Wheelie through the brush and in areas it’s very steep and rough. I tried to find a path to the highway and got caught in thick brush and turned back. Just a little further up it did cross the road, but just before the road it went almost straight up and then there were six or seven concrete steps to the road. At this point, probably four miles from Froncebadon, I stayed entirely on the road. The road wasn’t any less steep because the Camino still runs next to it and I could see the pilgrims that were in front and behind me on the Camino.

 

The view going up the mountain was very scenic as you could look back towards Astorga.

 

Once I finally got to Froncebadon I remembered my visit here last time and I was a little shocked by how it looks now. Two years ago the short road from the highway to Froncebadon was a badly rutted dirt, gravel, and rocky road. Most the buildings were old and falling down, and the only real place we and other pilgrims stopped was at a little store and bar. It actually look like an old rundown dump of a village. Now, there is a new wide concrete and brick road going into the village and there is a new cross statue in the median at the entrance. There are now several alberques here and two hostal, including the one I am staying at. There are a few restaurants now too. Some of the falling down buildings are still here though. This shows how the Camino has a positive financial affect along its route. I think because of this too the Spanish make sure it is a safe place for pilgrims.

 

The hostal, El Convento (The Convent), is an old building that might have been an old convent. I don’t remember it being here as a hostal. The rooms are all new and fairly nice, and are more the Camino price at €36.

 

The altitude here is near 5,000’, and with the cloud cover and wind blowing, it is in the low fifties.

 

I got here about 2:30, which gave me time for my daily chores of washing my clothes and running out the hot water while taking a nice long hot bath. Ok, I can get an alberque next door for €10, but I am enjoying my private rooms, hot baths and showers, and might have to do that all the way to Santiago.

 

I am having dinner here at the hostal and plan to hit the Camino fairly early again tomorrow. I felt my rhythm again today, even with my blister and steep uphills, and it felt good to get here early and have time to relax. It’s not a race, and I don’t try to hurry, but when you have that rhythm going it doesn’t seem as hard to go a long distance in a shorter time.

 

Applying the antiseptic on the blister and covering it with thin gauze, and then wrapping it with the thin medical tape seems to work. Even though I could still feel the blister it wasn’t as painful as it was the last few days. I’ll take it as a positive and a good sign that it is healing.

 

I’ll sit down and figure how far I can go tomorrow and will try and reserve a private room in an alberque or hostal for tomorrow again. Last night I had called El Convento, on a recommendation from the other hostal here that was full, but with my rough Spanish I wasn’t sure if the reservation was confirmed. When I got here today they didn’t have a reservation under Ted or Theodore as I had told them on the phone. I stood at the counter for ten minutes stressing out thinking I was out of luck, when the young woman said that it was probably reserved under the name Edward. Hey, if it means I get a room, my name is Edward! They need to see your passport to check you in, so they know my real name, I just hope Edward can get a bunk at the alberque?!

 

Best wishes to all,

Ted

 

As always, please excuse the typos, grammar, and spelling, etc., because I am writing this on my phone and don’t always review my blog. And, even if I don’t review it, it’s s good a good excuse for my mistakes!

 

Leaving Astorga in the morning through a quiet plaza

Walking by the Astorga Cathedral

A new modern church seems out of place

Walking through little village of Santa Catalina, and the hostal where I stayed last time

The Camino through a village

Walking through Rabanal Del Camino it just gets steeper and steeper. Picture doesn’t really show it

The Camino looks great here but it changed

Beautiful but hard to pull the Wheelie through the narrow path and brush

Steep and rocky

Looking back as the Camino climbs

Entering Foncebedon on the new road

El Convento, my home for the night

The view from my room. Note the falling down building

View from my room

My room

My own bath!

Look at that climb!