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Hi,
Finally got to start the walk for real on Sunday. Great day out of Leon on the way to Vilar de Mazarife (15mls). Hot, hot and hot and glad to get there. Left knee not happy but by dint of good fortune the guy who runs the place is a physio. Did a number on the knee. Great place to stay if you can cope with the vegitarian meals. Very peaceful.
Met up with two good guys, James (a teacher from Canada)and Rob (a Classics student at St. Andrews). Enjoy the chat though why they put up with an old duffer like me I don´t know (nor ask).
Walked to Astorga today (20mls). Fine cool weather which was just the dab. Bit tough going but it is a nice town.
One of the main reasons for pushing on to Astorga was to visit the "Bishop´s Palace", a Guadi creation which is now a museum. It looks superb from the outside, a bit of a Walt Disney castle. Inside it looks, well we did not get inside. It is Monday and the bloody thing is closed on Mondays. Happy bunnies one and all. Image of the Palace at website:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Astorga_Cathedral_Bishops_palace_2005.jpg
The building on the left is Astorga Cathedral. It does not have the same art collection as Burgos but it is absolutely enormous and I mean big. Coupled with the very high position of rather small windows the interior is pretty gloomy. As usual there are side chapels off the main area (I think it is called the nave) but again unlike the other 3 cathedrals visited thus far, all the alter frontpieces are very similar. It looks like all the imagination went into the building and it´s elaborate exterior rather than the interior design.
Lots more to see in Astorga ranging from a whole set of Roman ruins to a chocolate museum. Resisited the temptation of the chocolate museum.
The albergue is great, full of Italians whos idea of quiet is set at a basic loud level. Very nice people but try and get an afternoon´s sleep.
A great benefit of this one (St. Javier) is that it is associated with one of the posh resturants in town, the Guadi Resturant no less. Great big dining room and only two of us sitting in there dressed in the t-shirts, shorts and sandals. Had the head honcho all to ourselves. They even changed the cutlery for the second course. Luxury. This may all seem very mundane but when you are eating what we having been eating, this is a big deal.
Off up the mountain tomorrow to stay in Rabanal del Camino, one of the nicest albergues on the route. Will report when I can.
cheers,
ajl
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3 comments:
I bloody love Rabanal. Enjoy it you lucky B!
Hi Arthurian legend - Am off tomorrow to Aiberdeen for a few days, (As I started this comment the heavens opened outside and rain (unpredicted) came p-dumdiddly -ishing down) So we will sse what the Buttery Rowie capital of the world can come up with. Mallorca was good (setting aside the grand larceny in Pollenca) - and tings is okay here too. All the family and pals and hangers on etc, send benedictions. (Dinna scratch the bites by the way) x Sandy
Hi Guys,
All is well.
Sun is burstin´anything that is out after 1pm and that includes us.
Just finished a Cerveza Grande so not feeling too much pain and have calmed down a bit about the bloody turistas that are now mobbing the Camino. Day pack bams.
Let us pray that St. James will visit large blisters on them.
Prilgrimage does have such a beneficial effect.
cheers,
arturo.
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