September 30 Astorga Market

Rest day in Astorga. I didn’t see anything I wanted for breakfast, so went to the Super Mercado. Notice the grocery carts. Those are the large ones. People buy what they can carry home. The lady behind the fruit and vegetable area weighs and bags your purchase. There are other options for bagging yourself, but there is some process I didn’t understand. I just wanted two nectarines…


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.

September 28 Along the Way to Ledigos

Today’s photos are posted late due to power failures back at the home base in Kansas City. Here is a brief summary of the experience.

The journey began by leaving town over the Rio Carrión. The building below the picture of the bridge is the Hotel Monasterio San Zoilo, a complex including (from their website):

The highlight of the monastic complex is the current cloister, designed by Juan de Badajoz in 1537 and finished in 1604 with the participation of important artists who raised its walls and carved the profuse ornamentation, composed by characters from both the Old – Prophets, patriarchs, judges, priests, heroines, and the New Testament – apostles, evangelists, church fathers and civil characters – kings, queens, emperors and empresses- or religious – pontiffs, cardinals, doctors, monks and saints. The lower cloister has two different heights and is built with five arches between thick prismatic buttresses, while the top one opens up with half point arches. The cloister is connected to the church through an arched entrance between vertical columns. The temple, from the seventeenth century, is one nave only covered by barrel vaults and a dome over the transept. It has choir at the feet, with seatings and baroque organ. The doorway is attributed to Felipe Berrojo and has two parts with images of saints. The monastery also has other more modest, neoclassical patio.

Below is a screenshot of an app on Mary’s iPhone that shows the correct path (through the Camino), with her location depicted by the blue dot.

The photo of the sign with the diagonal line means you’re leaving that location.


Sahagun is my halfway point.



Many friends along the way!


And more open spaces…

September 25 Castrojeriz

A cold slice of watermelon and a coke. Sigh.

Another hot, dusty walk on the Meseta. Arrived at the bar and the proprietor asked where I was from. I always said TEXAS because no one knew about Kansas. Everyone knew Texas. Always…. ahh! Texas!! And so it was with this fellow. But he also had a motorcycle jacket displayed on his wall with Texas badges on it. He gifted me with the watermelon.

September 25 Hontanas Nice little bar/cafe

September 25. 7.25 miles to the first village. Walked to the second bar per Dana Ballentine’s instructions😊. Ordered coffee, coke, bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. Nice little hostel run by a young Irish woman. Hostel Fuentestrella in the village of Hontanas

Posted by phone
She wrapped what I couldn’t eat. Made a nice afternoon snack.
Leaving Hontanas

September 17 Viana to Navarrete 23 km / 14 miles

A perigrina and her dog.

On the way to Logroño

Entering Logroño
 
Logroño
Church of Santa María de Palacio
 
Logroño
Olive Oil
and bread!
Park and Lunch. More Logroño.
Maybe I’m finally getting out of Logroño
Outskirts of Logroño
The “Meddy Day!” Pilgrim from France on the left. The fellow on the right is from the Netherlands.
I couldn’t face the stairs to climb to the village at the end of the day, so sat there for an hour to rest and get my courage up.
It was a hot day. And I was a hot Day.
Potter. Navarrete is known for its pottery