Camino francés - Page 11

Hospital de Órbigo - Rabanal del Camino (ca. 36 km)

We had a super sunrise today, the landscape becomes hillier and more beautiful again. However, it went the first 16 km only through small villages, so that we got our breakfast only in Astorga. Shortly before, however, there was a mountain on which a young hermit built a hostel, the Casa del los diosos. He had set up a stand where we could get some coffee and some fruit. Everything was on a donation basis, but that was a matter of honor for us. Jana later translated her conversation with the man. He had traveled the world, often as a pilgrim, and now saw it as his calling to run a hostel for pilgrims.

He was a very positive young man and somewhat reminiscent of flower power and the Woodstock generation. Strange but very good. In Astorga then, after the break, we looked at the very beautiful cathedral and another building by the architect Gaudi. Klaus, who photographed less people, but especially buildings, was no longer finished taking photos.

10 km further, it was already going tightly uphill, we ate a good pilgrim menu. With full stomachs we also took the last 10 km in attack. The landscape became more beautiful and more beautiful. Klaus, however, could enjoy this less, his foot pain was became more severe. But he still tortured himself until Rabanal, where we moved into a cozy private hostel. A moaning Dutchman lay here in bed. Jana talked Spanish with him for a while, but then shook her head and rolled her eyes. She translated everything for me later. He would have been pilgrimaging alone for days, we would be the first people he met.

He was completely exhausted and depressed. Jana's interjections that she had met people who came from Germany and Poland and had already traveled thousands of kilometers behind her, he did not want to hear. That would have shaken his self-pity. Wimp is the German term, I said to Jana, and she explained to me the the Spanish equivalent. I did not understand correctly, from her sign language I took a kind of wobbling penis 🙂. In a cozy kitchen we then took the dinner cooked by the hospitalera to us. Afterwards we sat for a while in front of the fireplace and chewed chestnuts. By the tone of voice I suspect to have recognized that the Dutchman was still arguing with Jana and the hostel mother. But Jana was tough and at some point even the wimp got tired. Klaus was on the phone with his girlfriend for a long time, there were probably problems again. I felt sorry for him today, with his life, which never runs smoothly, and the pain on top of that.

Rabanal del Camino - Ponferrada (ca. 34 km)

We still had breakfast at the hostel and then tackled the mountains. The Dutchman tried to stay with us for only 1 km, then he was gone, thank God. The weather was beautiful, the scenery a pleasure, but it was very icy up here. Jana told us that some weird folks live up here. There was a village near here, whose predominantly German residents live alternatively in the form that they are self-sufficient, especially vegetarian, often on marijuana and partly walk naked through the countryside. Well, in the weather we would have had there anyway nothing to watch.

So we walked through to the Cruz de Ferro, a wooden column around which a cone of pilgrim stones was raised. Already on the way we had looked for a stone, If you throw it here, a wish will be granted. We rested briefly and started the long descent. An unconditional stop had to be made at the hermit. He thought he was a successor of the Templars and that's how it looked there.

In a smoky hut lived three men and three women, a few dogs and tons of cats. We drank here coffee and ate undefinable pastries, again all on a donation basis. Jana said later that the scrawny figure was looking much better this year, the last years he would have been only on drugs. One could also spend the night here, however, it was the only hostel where you would get small animals. The further descent was steep and went to the knees, but the wonderful view let us forget that.

There were no cafes on the route, but we found a small store where we stocked up on food and drink and a moment sitting in the sun enjoying the mountain air. In Montesecco there was Pilgrimsdinner, I eat normally no soup, but this was uniquely good. The Dutchman was also sitting here, he had probably overtaken us while we were at the hermit. To Ponferrada it was no longer far, but went only along the road.

The hostel was very modern, everything necessary was available. Besides the Dutchman and us, a few homeless people were accommodated here, a good thing, I think. The old hospitalero was a bit cranky, but still quite nice. In the evening we went to a bar across the street. Klaus and I had to laugh, as the Barmaid emptied the ashtrays. They were dumped on the floor. When the guests are gone in the evening, they sweep through here, Jana enlightened us.