Category: Camino Frances

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September 30 Astorga New Sticks


I had told Ruben, the man that’s been so helpful, that I had to buy poles. He said, one moment…

And he brought these out to me. He says they have been here for a year. They seem to be ok. I can’t find a brand, but they have shock absorbers.

As they say, the Camino provides…

And then there is the bag. The cheaper transport would not get the bag to me until Wednesday.

Here’s what Ruben did: He called Jacotrans to transport the bag to Sahagun. (The 5€ already attached to the bag pays for it) He has a friend in Sahagun who will carry it for free to León. Fingers crossed. He is verifying with the friend who is going to León anyway. Jacotrans will transport from León to where I’m staying tomorrow night. 10€. Sure hope this works out.

I’ve also borrowed charging equipment from the hotel. Another well-appreciated service.

Heading out to the farmacia for tape.
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September 29 Astorga We Can Work it Out

This place has been so wonderful. The staff has bent over backwards to accommodate my needs.
My table is the one before the window.
And the man that tried so hard at the desk is now my waiter. He translated the Sunday menu for me. His name is Rubin.
And then he took my picture with my phone!
I’m wearing my new sweatshirt… Does it make me look fat?!
(John says no!)
[John: Right answer…]
The meal was one of the best on this Camino, including a fresh salad, pork tenderloin medallion, potato, peppers…
Meanwhile, Getz and Gilberto are singing Girl from Ipanima.
In the meantime, I’ve skipped ahead further than I had thought! 60 miles! Hmmm not sure how to mitigate that. Will look at it carefully and see if I should backtrack some. Who knows what I thought. I’ll ponder this tomorrow.

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September 29 Astorga Love is All You Need

My bag is not at the hotel.

This nice desk lady called Jacotrans. They will call her back shortly. I was afraid there might be a problem since I jumped ahead so far. I had fallen asleep on the train. Nearly missed my stop. Jumped up and ran off right before it started moving. My hiking poles are still on the train. I could cry. These are the kinds of things that happen when I need a rest day. I did not call Jacotrans about long-distance transport because I was so tired.

Jacotrans will get it here tomorrow for sixty euros. The man at the desk says too much.

And it’s Sunday. That means only the Pilgrim shop is open. I’m going to see about buying clothes…

Image result for pilgrim hats


The staff has worked very hard to retrieve my bags at a reasonable cost. I’m going to give the desk people a good tip for working so hard to help me.

The good news is, I now have wine. And a little snack came with it.

And I’m in a large town. There will be an outfitter store to replace my sticks.

The dining room is now open. What a day! Furthermore, as my nurse boss once said, “Nobody died”.

It’s so great to be in a place where people are nice, as has been my experience throughout this journey.


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September 29 Sahagun I’ve Got a Ticket to Ride

As you may recall, our traveler was last seen marching across the Meseta.  Much has happened since:

Here it is from Mary:

So, here are the facts:

  • At the outset, I gave myself 40 days to walk the Camino.
  • Today I’m at the halfway point and it’s Day 22 leaving 18 days of my 40 days.
  • Originally, I was going to take two days in Muxia after I finished the Camino. The new plan is to cancel that. That would leave 20 days more to walk.
  • It may take two days to get my Compostela in Santiago (Certification of completion). Subtract another day.


Here’s the bottom line: My travel for the first two weeks was too short (too short for my body’s capabilities then; too short for my departure timetable). Today I walked the 10 miles to Sahagun (and another three miles in the town) and I am now on a train to Astorga. I’ll take a rest day tomorrow. I’ve essentially skipped the rest of the Meseta to make up my time. Perhaps four days of Meseta photos will be enough? If not, current fares are $350 R/T from US to Paris… Go for it!

Mary’s current location is Astorga. But wait, there’s more…

See next post…

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September 29 A Stop at the 2nd Bar – San Nicolás Del Real Camino Second bar!

Ok. So I’ve had roaming on because I thought my SIM card wasn’t working without it. That might explain the shortfall on the AT&T bill I ore-scheduled before I left .
In a village with more than one bar – Do I stop at the first or the second?
Is the first bar crowded? Stop? No
Is the first bar crowded, but I see people I know and feel like visiting? Stop? Yes
Is the first bar empty and I’m dying for a coke? Stop? Yes
Is the first bar empty, but I feel like company? Stop? No
I take the top bread off.