Day 19: Hospital De Orbigo - Astorga

Approx 17km

Via VILLARES DE ORBIGO, SANTIBANEZ DE VALDEIGLESIA and SAN JUSTO DE LA VEGA.

I decided that today was going to be my first 'day off', because my energy levels have really dipped over the past couple of days, and the next few days are going to have some very steep inclines. So, to treat myself, I only walked 17km! I was lucky enough to get a late start from Hospital De Orbigo - they were more relaxed on leaving times than most other Albergues, so I had a 'sleep in' until 7.45am and treated myself to breakfast in a cafe before hitting the road at 9am.

There were two routes to choose from again today, and after yesterday's terrible choice, I chose the route as far away from the main road as possible!! It was a great decision, and I spent 3 hours walking through little villages and forests - so much calmer and nicer!

I was walking through one little town during morning Mass, and would you believe it - the sermon was piped through loudspeakers throughout the village! I stopped for a little while to listen before realising that I had absolutely no idea what was being said and decided to move on! As I left the village, I entered a forest and about a km or so in, there was a scarecrow dressed as a Pilgrim, standing along with a cross and other tributes.

I arrived in Astorga at about midday and the first thing I did was find a bar for a much desired cafe con leche, and it was soooo good! After my coffee, I was wandering around the town square looking for somewhere to stay and not looking wheere I was going, when I almost walked into a man on a bike. He was a very cheerful, eccentric man on a bike! Who was absolutely delighted to see me! "Ahhhhhh, Peregrino!". He gleefully pointed out Farmicia and Albergue for me with a HUGE grin on his face.

I checked into the Albergue and had a hot shower, which was so good, as it was very cold. Then I tucked myself into bed for a little Nana nap. I woke up a while later and was happy to see my 3 French singing friends once again! I got up and headed out to explore Astorga. Of course, the minute I stepped outside it began to rain and hail. I bought a brolly and continued on looking for somwhere to hide from the weather. I ended up in a museam/exhibition about the interior of the Cathedral, which is very special as it was created by a pupil of Michealangelo. The man running the exhibition spoke english and gave me some advice about what was worth checking out in Astorga.

Astorga is a part of the Maragateria region, and has some regional specialities that I indulged in - mantecadas, which are a lardy kind of cake and chocolate covered oranges (Astorga used to be the chocolate centre of Spain in the 18/19th Century). A bit of interesting history here: the people of Astorga and the 45 villages to the west and south are known as Maragatos. Their ethnic origins are unknown, but are perhaps Phoenician or Berbers ffrom the 9th C. They are a completely different race from the rest of Spain, and for centuries they were the muleteers of Spain, doing the job that is now done by 38tonne trucks. Amazing. The Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) has figures in the traditional Maragato dress, which chime the bell on the clock tower.

I took myself out for tea tonight, and I just cannot believe the value for money over here! I was alone, and I was given a whole bottle of red, all for me, haha! I couldn't understand the menu, so I just picked randomly, and for starters I had a salad - huge plate full of lettuce, tomato, tuna, ham and cheese with a tasty dressing. That would have done me......but then out came HALF a chicken, no joke! On top of that there was desert, plus half a loaf of bread. All for 7 Euro.

And no, I didn't finish my meal. But I did give the wine a good crack! Who could want more? A nice red, a huge feed, and a great dinner companion - Karouac!

As I was going to sleep I realised that apart from small talk to people in shops, I hadn't spoken to anyone all day, which is just how I wanted it. A very satisfying and relaxing day...which was needed before the horrors of the next few days.....stay tuned!

How do you like my hand tan?!

Day 18: Virgin Del Camino - Hospital De Orbigo

Approx 23.5km

Via VALVERDE DE LA VIRGIN, SAN MIGUAL DEL CAMINO, URBANIZACION SANTIAGO DE COMPESTELA, VILLADANGOS DEL PA'RAMO, SAN MARTIN DEL CAMINO.

Horrible, horrible morning! I had to be out of the Albergue by 7.30am, so it was still pitch black when I set out. There was a choice between 2 routes out of Virgin Del Camino, and I was knackered, so I chose the shorter route - 24km instead of 31km. Big mistake! The path was along the highway - 4.5 hours of walking (trudging?) along a fuel infused path. The route markers were almost non existant, and if there were arrows, they were pointing in all different directions. So many times I panicked that I was off the path, or going the wrong way. I had one particulary horrible moment of panic that I was walking back towards Leon. Talk about annoying, and as I was completely alone, a bit scary!

About 2 hours in I was bursting for the loo, starving and desperate for a coffee or three! Of course, nothing was open, and being beside a road I couldn't even hide behind a bush! I finally came across a road house in Urbanizacion, which isn't even a town, more like a truck stop. The bar was full of truck drivers and road workers who all started at me like I was a monster! But, it had a loo, coffee and a toastie, so it suited me just fine.

On the road again, it was 7km to San Martin. I got my passport stamped at a panaderia in Villadangos and then continued to San Martin along the dusty, polluted path. I had been walking like a little old lady, with blisters killing me and very achy legs. As I walked into a bar, I didn't see a step and landed very heavily on my bad ankle, so I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to continue on. Ahhhh, the life of a peregrino - stinky, sore and tired!

I had read that Hospital De Orbigo's main claim to fame is the Bridge of Paso Honroso - 20 arches, 204m long and one of the oldest bridges in Spain. I love bridges. Bridges make me happy, so I hoped that I wouldn't be let down by this one!

To my glee, it was everything that it was cracked up to be! It was massive and paved with cobblestones - loved it!! There was an area next to it which looked like a jousting area, like from 'A Knight's Tale'.

I loved Hospital De Orbigo. The Albergue reminded me of camping cabins, and there was a beautiful front courtyard which was cobbled and had a huge mural on one of the walls, spectacular. I was happy to see my French friends again - the 3 older men who sing. Oly and Ava were also there (an older French couple). Oly loves to call out my name - 'Yessica!'

Over the past few days, I had seen strange little houses built into hills along the side of the road. They have small little doors and the dome of the hill is the roof, with little chimneys poking out of the top of the hill. They reminded me of The Wind in the Willows, and Ratty and Mr Mole. I had to walk right past a few today, and they were all derelict and filled in with rocks. I spent a lot of time wondering who used to live in them and why they were built like that.

A little later in the evening I asked someone, who told me that they were houses before Christ. In more recent years they have been used as Bodegas, where people would meet to drink and maybe have a pre-dinner snack. Now, they are largely abandoned or used as wine cellars by wineries. So that ends that mystery!

I had a funny text message from Rosie Roberts today, asking me what song I was singing today. embarrassingly enough, I had been singing 'Waving my Dick in the Wind' by Ween when she sent it! I think that was because it was windy and I was waving my 'stick' in the wind!

In the evening I was in the grocery store buying some supplies, and the owner spoke some english, thank God! She was asking me if I was traveling alone, and when I told her I was she looked shocked and said 'Brave Girl'. I said maybe brave, or maybe stupid! It meant a lot for her to say that though. I guess I don't realsie how big this journey is sometimes, but it really is a big deal. I am walking over 700km across Spain, a country whose language I don't speak, and where I don't know anyone. I am doing it alone. I will spend 5 weeks without any creature comforts, not even a hair brush. I am filthy, sore and tired, and even though I have some bad days, I am really enjoying my time. But it really is an amazing journey and I will be very proud of myself to finish the whole Camino De Santiago!

The man running the Albergue tonight is young, and a bit strange. I spent a lot of time in the courtyard writing in my diary in the evening, and he kept standing next to me and staring at me as if he didn't like me, but then he wouldn't leave me alone! Maybe he has a thing for smelly, dirty girls with sunburn? He was trying to tell me that Australia was named after a dynesty of Spanish kings..hmmmm!

Day 17: Mansilla De Las Mulas - Virgin Del Camino

Approx 25km

Via PUENTE DE VILLARENTE - ARCHAHUEJA - VALDELADUENTE - LEON

Weeeelll. An interesting day today. I headed off on my own again, but found it very hard to get going with the ol' energy levels at an all time low. It wasn't unitl I had walked the 10km to Archahueja that I had a chance to refuel with some coffee and finally felt human enough to get into the 'groove' of my walk. It was still a bit of a struggle though, and I must have stopped every 5 steps to eat something. I think I was eating for Australia for most of this walk!


I made it into Leon (one of the major cities on the walk) by about midday, after another uninteresting morning of walking along a motorway. Once I got into Leon, I couldn't get out fast enough! I had spent so much time in tiny little villages over the past few weeks that I had forgotten what big, busy cities are like! In the smaller villages, everyone you pass stops to talk to you and are so pleased that you are undertaking the pilgrimage. In big cities people don't look at you and push you out of their way, regardless of the fact that you are wearing a huge backpack and have no centre of gravity, not to mention the fact that you can't move very quickly! It was horrible!

I made the HUGE mistake of going to a supermarket while I was in Leon. Stupid girl, never again! Again, I had the pack was on, again, people didn't care! I almost fell over at one point when a person shoved their trolley past me - get me out of here!!!!

I had intended on having a nice, relaxed lunch, but the hecticness that is Leon just got too much for me, so I had a very quick bocadilla and headed out of town. On my way, I stopped at the Chapel of Santiago, and seeing as the sun was out, I spent about half an hour there before heading on my way.

It was bloody typical that I had arrived at Leon at 12pm, just when the Cathedral and other museums close. I didn't want to wait around until 4pm, when they all reopened, so I missed out.


The 7km from Leon to Virgin Del Camino were pretty horrible! I'd go so far to say the worse so far - 7 long km of housing estates and industrial estates. For the first time on the Camino, I was honestly concerned for my safety while I walking through this area. But, I lived to tell the tale!

The entrance to Virgin was right on a motorway and looked horrible. Thankfully a few km in it became a nice, busy little town. I was horrified when I arrived at the Albergue though - it was incredibly ugly from the outside, like a huge school demoundable. Inside was a different story though - the best I've been in so far, with a complete kitchen, lounge with new couches, TV, the whole works! Don't judge a book by it's cover Jessica!

When I unpacked, I was incredibly annoyed to discover that my adaptor for my phone and MP3 had been left behind at the last town. A guy who was staying in my room had unplugged my phone to plug his own phone in, and left my adaptor there. I managed to buy a new one after a particulary halarious game of charades with the shop keeper. The only problem was that the edges were too high for my plug to fit, so I spent the better part of the evening on a basketball court trying to file it down. Finally I had success......after about 4 hours hard work! Ahhh, the things we do!

A while later I was sitting in the lounge area when a man came over to me. I was hoping that he wouldn't because it was very important to me that I spend time alone, but in the end, I was glad he came over. His name was Alf, and he was German. Today had been his first day and he was incredibly nervous about the journey he had embarked on. I guess he needed someone to talk to and some reassurance. I told him some of my stories and have him advice, which I think he appreciated.

Alf also taught me a very important lesson.
He had been telling me that he was worried about how far to walk each day, and did I think 10km was a lot? I was very dismissive of him in my head, thinking to myself,
'This is a fit, young bloke. 10km? I've been averaging 25km!'
Then he was speaking to me about the weight of my backpack, as his was about 6kg, which he was having trouble with. Again, I was confused,
'6kg? That's nothing. He's bigger than me, if I can carry 10kg, he certainly could'.

Then Alf says to me that he had spent the past year in a rehab clinic after a horrible accident. And it was a miracle that he could walk. Let alone walk 10km per day. Carrying a 6km backpack. And how proud of himself he was. To say I felt like a bitch is an understatement. This man is remarkable.

My lesson. Do not judge others, you don't know their stories...

Day 16: Bercanos De Real Camino - Mansilla De Las Mulas

Approx 27km

Via EL BERGO RANERO and RELIGOS

The walk today from Bercanos De Las Camino to Religos was VERY long and boring - the track was right next to a main road, so there wasn't much to see. I was absolutely stoked to walk into Religos and headed right to the bar, where I proceeded to sit over a 'cafe con leche' for a veeery long time. I was so happy to be sitting down. I had woken up with my shoulder aching so much that I was actually feeling sick, so the day was a bit of a struggle, especially with the 10kg backpack weighing me down!

The bar that I had stumbled into was amazing. The walls were covered in sayings written in many different languages, and there was an fantastic camino mural.

A few of the sayings really caught my eye:

"I bet God has a great sense of humor" (Very relevant to a pilgrim!)

"Beauty: what was always there, but not truly realised".... Jake Ballinger

I had a really surreal moment while I was sitting there. The bar was in a tiny village, somewhere in Spain, and I was listening to the same album that I had spent hours listening to in a coffee shop in Katovice, Poland. (Back to Black by Amy Winehouse, if you're interested). Two massive extremes, yet the music just slipped in and was so right!

I had been suffering from a bit of a cough, and as all of the bars in Spain are filled with smoke (no smoking regulations in Spain), it got worse while I was sitting there. It didn't help matters that the owner was trying to light the fire place and flooded the bar with smoke and ashes! Anyway, I was having a bit of a coughing fit, and the owner came over and plonked a mug in front of me, gesturing to his throat, as in: 'drink this for your cough'. I will admit, I was a bit scared to drink it, but I didn't want to be rude, so drink it I did. The most interesting thing I've ever consumed! Sweet, then hot, it made my lips numb for the rest of the day - probably thanks to the chunks of chilli I discovered floating in it!

After a few hours, I finally dragged myself to my feet and slowly wandered the remaining 6km to Mansilla. I had a glorious, spontanious, who-gives-a-f*@k moment in a spot of sunshine, dancing to 'Going, going gone' by Jack Johnson.

The Albergue in Mansilla was really nice, and full of people (including quite a few nice looking boys wandering around in the lycra bike shorts. Nice!). My biggest concern this evening was trying to decide if I should save money and have packet soup, stale bread and questionable meat, or go out to eat.... It wasn't a concern for too long. I was wandering through a shop when I ran into Xavier, a Catalan who I had been passing by and waving at all day. We decided to cook dinner together (Jess's famous Camino soup), and then popped out to a bar where I had my first introduction to Liquor de Herbas, which would quickly turn into an addiction on the Camino...more on that in a later post!

Day 15: Ledigos - Bercianos De Real Camino

Easter Saturday

Via TERRADILLOS DE LOS TEMPLARIOS, MORATINOS, SAN NICOLA'S DEL REAL CAMINO, SAHAGUN, CALZADA DEL COTO

Approx 27km

Today I hit the road alone. Completely alone.
I decided it was absolutely time for my solo journey to start, and I picked a good day to do it!

It was a nice day, and despite having quite a few vinos the night before, I woke up ready and raring to get going. To start the day I walked 16.5 km to Sahagun, where I stopped at about 11.30 for a coffee, an early lunch of an amazing bacon and cheese bocadilla, and a sneaky glass of red - all for under 5 euro. What a country. What a life! I relaxed at my outdoor table for a while and then decided it was time to get going again before I got too comfortable and stayed all night.

As I was leaving the city, I was stopped by a very old man, who chatted away madly to me in Spanish. He kept pointing to me and saying 'Italian'. I kept saying 'Australian', but he had decided that I was Italian. He kept pointing in the direction of the Camino - giving me directions (in the direction I was already headed). He blessed me, crossed himself and then waved me off. Very nice!

The afternoon stretch was tougher, with my feet deciding to cease up on me about an hour in. But, with the aid of a lot of breaks, I made it to my destination, Bercianos de real Camino by about 3pm. It wasn't the most scenic of routes today - the beginning of the horrible 'mesita'. The highlight was a field of yellow flowers (which were more than likely weeds). I was so excited to see colour that I must have stayed there for an hour smiling like a special kid at them.

At one point when I was giving my poor little feet a bit of a rest, I sat down by the side of the road and was having a nice little daydream, when a car pulled up next to me and honked. The driver was pointing to the back seat and laughing. The second time I've been 'accosted' by a Spanish driver who thinks it's funny to offer Pilgrims a lift between towns!

I came across a grave with a headstone on the side of the road a bit later. It was for a Pilgrim who had died on that spot in 1998. The grave is at least the 5th that I've come across since the start of the walk, and the dates are all relatively recent. Apparently on average, 4 Pilgrims will die on the Camino each year. So far on my journey there has been one - a girl died crossing the Pyranees about the time I started the walk. 4 of my friends have had to go to the hospital so far, Makes it all seem a bit scary really - it's certainly not just a stroll in the park...

The reason I chose to walk to Bercianos is because the Albergue had a communal meal and church service, and seeing as it is Easter I thought it would be really nice to try and capture the 'family' environment. The welcome I recieved on my arrival brought tears to my eyes. The lady, Suelee, from Mexico, was so sweet and friendly and greeted me with a huge cuddle and even bought me a cup of tea! I was really looking forward to meeting some new people. The 3 singers from a few days before hand were there and they were really happy to see me!

After having a shower and rest, I decided to explore town (ok, look for a bar..). I walked into the first bar I came across, sat down and ordered a beer, before looking around and realising I was the only female in a very crowded bar, and everyone had stopped their conversations and were staring at me. Akward!! There were a lot of groups of old men sitting around and playing dominos - it was a very surreal moment! I finished my beer very quickly and found another bar, with my Amigos, Jaoquin, Fernando and JuanJose sitting in it! I was happy to see them. They are Spanish, all teachers who have been walking over the school holidays, so it was their last day on the road. They have all been so friendly to me - (I remember being in a bar one day trying to order lunch to a horrible woman who was misunderstanding me on purpose, and I was so frustrated because I couldn't get my point across, when over my shoulder a man shouted at her in Spanish and she hurried off to get my order - It was Fernando, so he's been a bit of a favourite ever since!).


After a few drinks, I headed back to the Albergue to do some sun worshipping! I had a lovely hour or so hanging out in the sun, stretching and meditating before dinner. The communal dinner was lovely, and I was so lucky that there was a really special group of people staying. The prayer session was after dinner and was very nice - no open flames this time to my relief! I've already blogged about this bit, so if you want to read the prayer from this session, go to: http://whatkindofparadise.blogspot.com/2009/04/like-prayer.html.

Songs of the Camino - Part II

Ani DiFranco.

This woman has been there with me for almost every situation in my life since I was 15 years old. I can relate a song to just about anything that happens to me, and every day on the Camino I had a 'DiFranco moment'.

Her lyrical abilities leave me breathless at times....

Her poetry is lyrical. Her lyrics are like poems. She is an outstanding woman with passionate views of important issues. She is my number one on my list of 3 people 'dead or alive who I would invite to a dinner party'. Love her!

Here's a few 'snippits' of her, as written in my diary on Day 15 of my Camino:

"One day you might find you are hungry, and all of those words you just said"

32 Flavours.

"You are a china shop, and I am a bull. You are really good food, and I am full"

You Had Time.

"You are a party, and I am a school night. I'm looking for my door key, but you are my porch light"

School Night.

On the Road

My book of choice for the Camino De Santiago was "On The Road" by Jack Kerouac.



I had been told about this book by someone who made a very brief, yet lingering impression on my life...who taught me many lessons about life - and how we should, or probably more appropriately, shouldn't, live our lives.....

Anyway, the passion this person had for the story of the life-altering journey of young Karouac always sparked my curiosity - and what better story to read as a young person embarking on what would be my life-altering journey?

My copy of "On The Road" was a given to me as a gift from Lucy Mann - the day before I left for Spain. I read it every day of my journey and it really spoke to me. It was written in 1951, and is a largely autobiographical tale that is based on a serious of road trips across America. The story is considered as defining work of the Beat Generation, and much of it was inspired by jazz, poetry, and drugs.

Karouac's style of writing ('spontaneous prose') is different to anything I've ever read, and I can understand why this novel is so important to so many people.

Highly recommended - especially if you're having a 'what the f@#k am I doing with my life' kind of time!

"the most beautifully executed, the clearest and most important utterance" of Kerouac's generation - New York Times.