Camino Day Twenty

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Villar de Mazarife to Astorga

31.2 km (19.4 miles)

morning picture: Adam, Rachel, and Lee at Albergue Tio Pepe

This was a Sunday morning, and these people were still out partying from the night before! 

At one point, I counted over 10 types of wildflowers along the side of this road. They were so cheery! So I started taking pictures of them, knowing I would eventually share them with you on the blog.

Hey there honey :)

Puente de Orbigo, dating from the 13th century

getting water at the fountain

Liz and Jody

Trail magic. Read about it here.

From my journal, about the trail magic: Talk about amazing. The guy had many kinds of tea & juice, cherries, dried figs, crunchy cookie-bar things, chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, water, and then his friend brought out curry and a green salad--Yum. It was perfect. They had a little labyrinth, comfy couches, benches, a hammock. And a compost bin, of course. It was so great for the soul. He even had a heart stamp [for our pilgrim's passports]. All for donations.

labyrinth

Cruceiro Santo Toribio

From our guidebook: "Stone cross commemorating the 5th century Bishop Toribio of Astorga who supposedly fell to his knees here in a final farewell after having been banished from the town. It is Astorga's Monte Gozo where we have a wonderful view over the town."

Palacio Episcopal (in Astorga), designed by Gaudi

Read the second line of this sign: You are not allowed to smoke, eat, or heal in the rooms. ?? Not sure if that translated correctly into English. I included the Spanish version of the sign below in case any of you reading this can translate it better. And if it is translated correctly...what?! 

Since we were in Astorga on a Sunday, only small markets were open for us to get groceries. Before realizing this, I stopped by a small mercado, getting just a couple of fresh fruits and veggies, then set off to find a larger grocery store. Upon finding the larger store closed--and not just for siesta--I roamed the fairly empty streets for a couple of minutes until an older gentleman, who was dressed to the nines in a suit and fedora (with a feather) as well as donning a ring on each finger, saw me and motioned me over to him. 

I was not alarmed, as I had seen this man in the lobby of the albergue when we checked in. He asked me a couple of questions (if I was a peregrino, I think he asked if I was German, etc.) and proceeded to give me a walking tour of the city! He first took me to a small church which was pretty unassuming from the outside, but beautifully decorated inside. Before I entered the church, he indicated something about the number seven, but since he was speaking 99% Spanish, I really couldn't tell what he was saying. So I sat in the church for a couple of minutes, and there he was, waiting for me outside. 

He next took me to some Roman ruins. I think he said something there about the 5th century and handed me a little piece of shale which he broke off from the wall. 

Next he took me to a couple of cathedrals (the Gaudi one pictured above) and another called Iglesia de Santa Marta. We did not go in, but he communicated (and I understood via hand gestures and cognates) that the architecture of Iglesia de Santa Marta consisted of a blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles, as well as another I can't remember.

It was at this point that I started to feel uneasy about walking around alone with this guy. He was not at all physically imposing, but I think because the streets were fairly empty (reminder: Sunday afternoon, plus a football/soccer game was due to start soon, so the bars were probably full) and Adam had no clue where I was, my instincts finally told me I should not let myself get into such a situation. A story came to mind in which Adam and a friend were invited to a "behind the scenes" tour of a pyramid, during which they were cornered and the man demanded compensation for the tour.

Fortunately, another peregrino from a northern European country (I honestly cannot remember which one) saw us and joined us. She said something in English to the effect of, "Oh! I've read about this guy! He is like the unofficial tour guide of Astorga!" We were back near the small grocery store at this point, so I begged off, telling them that my feet hurt (which they did, a little bit) and that I had to get back to eat something (which was also true). The other woman's friend joined her, and they happily went off with the "tour guide."

I didn't get a picture of him, but I just googled "unofficial tour guide Astorga," and another woman had written about him as well! Unfortunately the link to her blog did not work. I had hoped to send you to her blog so you could see a picture of this guy! Also, I honestly don't believe he was dangerous, but this situation helped me realize I have to practice saying "no" to strangers and putting my safety above their feelings. 

I found this from a later day in my journal: We stayed in Astorga, which is a beautiful city. There is this older guy who dresses up really fancy (hat w/ a feather in it, suit, rings) and loves to give tours of the city to peregrinos. He was quite sweet, but it was like a guerilla tour, and I eventually backed out because I wasn't sure how much of it my feet could take. Also, I thought he might ask for money at the end, and I really didn't want to pay.