Day 29 elevation profile
After a beautiful walk in the warm sunshine yesterday, we are looking forward to the same forecast today. We are in luck, the sky is clear and the sun is rising on cue and a beautiful day is unfolding. The guide book promises us a picturesque walk back into the hill country. We are not disappointed. After spending the last few days walking through the flat lands, the gentle hills are a friendly reminder that our heart will need to work a bit harder in the future as we hit the mountains in two days time.
Meeting one of the locals.
At the top of our small climb for the day we meet David. He has set up a mini “hippie” centre – la Casa de Los Dioses. He is excited as we approach and greets us with a big Spanish hug. He has lots of goodies to share and we enjoy a fresh lemonade and a piece of fruit – payment is just a donation. Characters such as David are scattered all through the Camino. We feel blessed to share a moment with him and his friends.
Our Spanish “hippie” friend, David, with Narelle.
Astorga is close now and we stop to take in the view of the city from the top of the hill – the Cathedral dominates the skyline. We catch up to Alan, Janette and Eileen and share a cola on the outskirts of town before we go our separate ways. We all have our own agendas and whilst it is wonderful to share them with others, it is also good to be able to journey on our own. We will all probably meet up again when God sees the need for us to do so.
Astorga is a lovely city, its Cathedral and palace are a unique gift from the past. We enjoy a tour of them both soaking up the history and art. As hunger starts to gnaw us, we look for a place to enjoy a meal together. We sit in the Plaza Mayor and enjoy a delicious paella – yum.
Another perfect ending to another perfect day. Someone once said, “yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery and today a gift. That is why it is called the present”. Today certainly was.