Day 25 - Astorga to Rabanal Del Camino - 12.8

Being Sunday, no stores were open yesterday and I went to bed very hungry, mostly because last night the restaurant was closed for dinner and the two other bars near my hotel were full of men. This morning all I was able to get for breakfast at the hotel was some toast and coffee, and since it was cold and windy so I wasn't going back into town for food either. As you can tell the morning started perfect!

The topography is really changing now and the weather is also. What a joy to see more and

more green trees, animals roaming about, and rolling hills!! I love climbing the hills!!

Guardian of the Galaxy

I was so excited today because I ran into an old friend from before Burgos. D from the UK walked with J this morning, and when she met me at the first village to have a coffee she said "I met the nicest man" and that was D! I thought he was ahead of me by days, but just like me he took some breaks along the way and we ended up aligned again. The Camino does that, for a while you are on the same schedule, then you're not, and then maybe later you are back together again. Talking to D I found out our friend P from Florida ended up in the hospital in Leon with something wrong with his stomach. His daughter was supposed to be meeting him in Leon to hike the remainder with him, so we are hoping that they were able to get started again. Unfortunately, things can happen along the way that prevents you from finishing the trip. Although sad, even a few days on the Camino can make a huge difference in your outlook. One of the benefits of running into "old" friends is a big group of us are meeting at our hotel for dinner.

I am so much happier in the small towns. There are only a few things to do and a few hotels and Albergue, so you run into everyone! Yesterday in Astorga was another day where I looked and never saw a soul I knew. We are so spread out in our hotels in the bigger places, but yesterday was also very cold and windy and everyone ate and drank inside.

I did go into the two churches in town. One is extremely old and rustic (part of the order of Benedictine monks originally from Bavaria), and the other was newer with lots of gold altars. The monks and historically the Knights Templar follow a tradition of caring for pilgrims and even today they will bless your journey along the Camino if you are there for the right service. It was at 9pm - I didn't make it. 😴