|
When
you sleep well, awakening is almost like coming back from the beyond. We
quit Villadangos at half past six in the morning. Our bodies will still
take a while to cast shadows. Paca and I walk a few kilometres half-asleep.
Walking along the modern path, beside the road, is monotonous. I joke : « Paca,
wake me up in Puente de Orbigo ! ».
Paca
crosses the Bridge of Paso Honroso.
When
we arrive at his village we should take a picture, we are crossing the
bridge of « Paso Honroso » which was the place where old knights
fought. After a while in memory
of Don Suero de Quiñones, we have breakfast in Puente de Orbigo. Honest
gipsies and pedlars are setting up Wednesday’s market in the village.
When
we leave Hospital de Orbigo we have two choices : The first one is to
follow the modern path that is parallel to the road ; the second one is
to follow an old path that goes through Villares de Orbigo and Santibañez
and which crosses a woodland. Paca and I choose the wooded one, as we
usually do. The path is stony but exciting. When we are at the steepest and
wildest part of the path I stop. « Look ! », I exclaim to
Paca. We can see two pilgrims in the distance. They are the Brazilian sumo
fighter and his maid. Nothing can amaze us at this time. After a while we
overtake them and lose sight of them in three minutes.
When
we arrive at San Justo de la Vega, the number of walkers has increased. We
see cyclists without luggage, walkers without rucksacks and well dressed
people that do not sweat and some of then wear designer knee and
ankle guards.
Waiting
for the Astorga pilgrims' hostel to be opened
We
arrive at Astorga pilgrims’ hostel at quarter to one in the afternoon.
There are eight os us waiting for the hostel to open. We know two of the
eight pilgrims. The hostel opens at its time (one o’clock p.m.). We stamp our credentials and
leave to get lodgings at the Hostal La Peseta. We check our feet and
heal our blisters and... bad news : We phone my mother and she says
that one of our friends, a doctor, a good and loving person, was operated on,
after suddenly discovering he was ill. He is in a critical stage. My mother
asks us to keep this man in our minds for the rest of our pilgrimage. We
will do it in all honesty and we hope it will serve him.
Town
Hall of Astorga
We
have lunch in the hostal restaurant. After having a siesta we go for a stroll
around the town and we see some actors whom we recognize in Astorga. People tell us they are
shooting a film of pilgrims. We have dinner in the same place we had lunch, it
is expensive but good. We greet Alvaro, from Malaga, who has his dinner at
another table.
We
cannot help thinking about our friend during the whole day.
Stage 20  Stage 21 |