The pebble

A high point, in more ways than one on the Camino is to place a stone taken from home and place at Cruz de Ferrol, as I understand it, the size of the stone relates to the size of my sins, but that would have put my baggage allowance well over at the airport, so instead I took a small pebble to relate the size of my innocence. I am informed that you can also place all you worries into that stone, throw it over your shoulder to cast all your worries away.  I had to contend with another the mountain today, this brought back the physical pain I have had on this pilgrimage, but I am now in the Albergue in Ponferrada had my shower and on my daily hunt for food. Life is good.

Todays path !

Old Templars castle at Ponferrada

Stone from home left at Cruz de Ferro

The Small pebble

San Martino de Camino to Foncebadon

I left San Martino de Camino after breakfast and my first lay in, If you call getting up at 7 a lay in. My shin was still causing me great discomfort, but hey ho it’s better than a trip to the dentist. I walked into the town of Hospital de Orbigo and stopped to buy some supplies. This town is great with it’s long and narrow medieval bridge with it’s flags displaying different Coates of arms. Legend has it that a knight for the love of a woman stood on this bridge and laid a challenge to fight all knights for a month after this he went on a pilgrimage to Santiago. Hospital De Orbigo as the name suggests was a rest stop for pilgrims run by the hospitallers of the order of the Knights of St John, who took over caring for pilgrims after the Templar Knights were outlawed by the king of France and the pope who was under his control.
After getting my suppliers I stopped by a water fountain to replenish my two water bottles after filling one I noticed that the water was cloudy so I tipped it out. I carried on with just 200mil of water left in the other bottle, oh well looks like I’m gonna be thirsty. I stuck with the original route which still followed the road, the other route had plenty of stopping points and watering holes, but longer. I found an old hut with what resembled a bench outside it was narrow but if I was careful and laid on my side I could have rest, so I took my boots and socks of and went to sleep, I was past caring what other people might think. After about an hours rest I moved on still following the road which was flanked each side by woodland. There was a garage the other side of carriageway and I managed to buy some water, and a couple of chocolate bars. I strolled into Astorga (ok I limped) late in the afternoon and looked up the steep hillside road, I could see the Dutchman I had given the knee support to he was standing at the very top by a viewing area next to the church and waving frantically at me. He pointed me in the right direction for the albergue. After finding my bed and having a shower one of hospitallers treated my leg, I was skeptical at first as all he did was drape my leg over his knee and put pressure on the swelling around my shin (I know some of you are thinking where is he going with this, and your wrong and you should be ashamed of yourself) anyway it worked so there. I was there for about an hour and went to do some shopping and had returned and was sat on the edge of my bed when I heard a familiar voice say” I recognize those sandals “ it was Juliet, I thought I was way behind her. Half an hour later in walked the Americans and to cap it all Maurice was there as well but I didn’t see him. So this morning I set off from the albergue. No lay in this morning, at 6:30 they play Gregorian chants as the alarm call, what a great way to wake up.
On my way out of Astorga I stopped at a cafe and had a toasted ham and cheese sandwich and coffee. After walking about 5 km to the next village, I saw outside a cafe bar, a rucksack I knew was Maurice’s, I stuck my head in the door and said “how did I know I would find you in the first bar I come to” he jumped up shouted my name and shook my  hand till I thought it would fall off. We walked and joked together for most of the day, I told him it would be nice to get to Foncebadon, he looked doubtful, so I said we’ll see how we feel at Rabanal. Before we got to Rabanal he sat down by a tree to rest, I stayed with him a while shared some chocolate with him and left. I am now in Foncebadon a little deserted village in the mountains in an Albergue just about to have dinner with other pilgrims.

Life is good

La Virgen del Camino to San Martin Del Camino

I left Maurice this morning he was going on the new route that kept you away from the traffic, I opted for the traditional route that had now given way to a main road and took you through the middle of a giant a clover leaf junction and a trading estate, this was so that I could pop in and see Ray and Martha. I hoped that Ray might be in a position to help me language wise with my shin problem. After an hour and a half of limping I reached the albergue where they were staying . I was made very welcome by the hospitalera after my dice with death in crossing the busy main road (you try running with a 40ton hgv bearing down on you, with a laden back pack and an ankle that doesn't give a damn about your personal safety) Ray was up and ready to greet me in the garden and ordered some coffee for me. He spoke to the hospitalera for me , who was on his way to Leon. I waited a couple of hours for his return to be told that I will be taken to see the doctor the next day (don't get me wrong I loved the time I spent with Ray and Martha, they are my two most dearest friends, but they were unable to walk, and I was, albeit in pain) it was to long to wait for me as the Camino was calling, as it had since day one, I just couldn't stop, the urge to keep walking was now controlling every single part of me. To get even closer to Santiago. So after Ray gave me some volterol to rub onto my swelling shin, it was yet another kiss and hug goodbye and off down the road that just won't let me quit. I had looked out for a medical centre in the next two towns, but to no avail. I was never going to look to hard anyway if it meant straying more than a few metres off the route. So I've covered about 23km. I walked into San Martin del Comino passing the first albergue and following the signs to the second, which for some reason took me off the main road and right past a large dog that had a penchant for lone pilgrims. The albergue was sparse with little or no facilities. I had a quick shower and was waiting for the hospitaler to show up, when he finally did I noticed that an Italian was speaking and waving his arms frantically (as all Italians do) pointing outside. I went for a walk to see if I could find a chemist and somewhere to eat. I saw the same Italian with a smile on his face , I looked into the distance and could see another albergue. He had figured out that the sign for the albergue we were in, had posted their sign to take us off the route and thus avoiding a much better albergue that even had a restaurant . After a quick packing session, and wearing sandals carrying my boots with back pack slung over my shoulder I made my way with a group of grinning Italians to the other albergue. I saw a Dutch couple I met the night before., he had caught a bus ahead of his wife due to a knee injury, I asked if he had a support he said yes, I produced the one my son Paul had bought for me and got him to try it on, it worked a charm, he was able to walk again. He asked where could he get one, I said I've been carrying it with me since leaving England and not had to use it, I said "I must have been carrying it all that way for a reason, and the reason had just presented itself. (just like the compede I had been carrying but not needing, which I gave to Suzanne for her blisters). All in all today has been slower than I would have wanted but it helped me, it helped me help another, and it put me in a place amongst familiar faces. I spent the evening with the delightful Dutch couple, and when they moved into the dining room the Australian couple I had spoken to on the Meseta magically appeared to share a drink and an evening meal with. Life is not just good it's special!

Pilgrims meet.

Bercianos del Real Camino to Mansila de Las Mulas to Leon. I walked to Moratinos for breakfast and past Suzanne a French Canadian woman who I had first seen on the second day of my Camino on the road from Roncesvalles to Zubiri she wad ahead of me with another pilgrim when a dog ran out from behind a parked car and chased them up the hill. It stopped to walk back to the parked car to startle the next pilgrim, me. But I had seen him and was ready for him I stared at him and walked on, for some reason he left me alone. I joined Suzanne on the walk to Zubiri, which for the last 4 km was straight down with jagged rocks. I hadn't seen her since them. Then on my way out of Najera she passed me on the path and we've been starting and finishing in the same place for the last four or five days. She had been having problems with blisters so I gave her all my compede, as I have been lucky enough to avoid them. Well by breakfast she had had enough and I saw her hug another pilgrim and get into a cab in tears, she's going onto Leon to rest up and stay on schedule for her flight home. I walked with Maurice and Ronnie for a while but soon dropped back. They both took the old roman road to Sahagun and I stayed on the route Frances as recorded in the Codex Calixticus. I saw them again in a cafe in Sahagun I was in pain due to the high curbs I had a severe pain and spasms in the right leg. On the way out a car and a van blocked the road both drivers got out, one had a box of cakes the other a large bottle of coke, which they offered to us, so it was cake and coke on the roadside. Ronnie continued on the roman road we carried on the official route to Bercianos del Real Camino where we spent the night in a very old and special albergue, where we found a bed bug, but hospitalera was great the beds were checked and sprayed and all our kit treated. The next day we walked to Mansila de Las Mulas, which is where I slept last night after doing my washing and minty making himself known again. Had a great night though with a couple of Brazilian pilgrims who I had seen in only in passing. Today's target was the city of Leon. After having a late start, a breakfast of coffee and watermelon, we all set off at our own pace. After about an hour of walking I started to get a pain in my left shin, which got worse as the day progressed. I limped into Leon about 2pm, but decided it wasn't for me. So after a coffee and a tortilla I carried on to La Virgen Del Camino, making today a 31km day. I'm only a few kilometers down the road from where Ray and Martha are staying while their injuries heal. Bumped into the two German girls I have been seeing on and off since day one and the French Canadian guy I last saw at Roncesvalles at the end of day one. I'm sorry there have been a couple of days without any posts but it's been difficult to say the least. So I'm off for my shower then it's the daily hunt for food.
Adios