Walking The Way

10/4- 10/6 I took one rest day in León on 10/4, and then hit the road walking 17 miles to San Martin El Camino on 10/5 and 19 more miles to the town of Astorga on 10/6.

Started my rest day by touring Santa María de Regla de León Cathedral in León. It was absolutely stunning. The stained glass and sheer beauty of the cathedral really did take my breath away.

León really was a beautiful town to have my rest day in. I really enjoyed this city and could have spent 5 days just seeing everything there was to see.

Got up early in the morning and headed to San Martin El Camino, a very small town with little to see. The walk was nice and the weather clear and sunny and made it to my albergue in about 17 miles. Along the way, I walked through the town of La Virgen del Camino as they were preparing for the celebration of San Froilan, which happened to be October 5. The church there has a door that is to be touched on this day in order to receive good luck. So of course, I had to do it!

10/6- Hit the trail at 6:30am to the city of Astorga. Before making it to Astorga, I had the opportunity to walk through the town of Hospital de Obigo. What a cool and old city. The town was a battle site in 456 between forces loyal to Theuderic I and Rechiar. Due to their bridge, it was also important during the battles of Spain’s Reconquista with Almanzor passing through the town. Closer to the modern era in the 19th century, the town’s inhabitants destroyed their iconic bridge to slow the advance of Napoleon‘s forces into Spain. It’s since been rebuilt.

In 1434, the Leonese knight Suero de Quiñones held a tournament in which he and one of his companions challenged all men of equal rank who wished to cross the bridge to a jousting tournament. By 1434, the skill of jousting was not a standard part of military training but the challenge was taken seriously. Since 1434 was a Jacobean holy year, the traffic upon the Road of St James (Camino de Santiago) which runs through the town was considerable. The tournament lasted from July 11 until 9 August and Don Suero claimed to have broken 300 lances by the end.

Finally coming into the city of Astorga after 19 miles of walking today. Astorga is a very ancient city rich in history. The city was founded in 14 BC, being entitled by Emperor Octavian. It became an important administrative and military centre. Because Romans had control of the city, christianity became very popular in this area during the early church. There is a legend that St. James (Santiago) and St. Paul both preached in Astorga. It is a key stop on the Camino Santiago with some of the original Roman roads still in existence.

Astorga is also known as the birthplace of chocolate in Spain. Famous conquistador, Hernán Cortés, first brought cocoa to northern Spain in 1545, as part of his daughter’s dowry when she married the Marquis of Astorga. Muleteers brought the beans down from A Coruña to supply the chocolate makers who in turn fed the voracious appetites of the Marquis of Astorga and the local Diocese. Today you can find all sorts of chocolate candies in the city.

My thoughts: Wow..over 350 miles walked and I’m on my last third of my pilgrimage across Spain! Reaching Astorga today makes me realize I’ll finish this journey in the next two weeks. The history of some of these cities really makes you think about all the pilgrims, dating back to Roman times, who have walked this same journey and on these same paths. In just 2 days, I’ll reach another pivotal part of this journey, the Iron cross at the Cruz de Ferro. The tradition is to throw a stone, brought from your home, with your back to the cross to symbolize your journey and to let go of whatever it is you need to release. I’ve got my rock in my backpack that I’ve carried all the way from home. I hope I’ll be ready to let it go.

I can’t help but feel emotional as I am reaching this stage of the Camino. So many people met, lives touched, and life lessons learned. Feeling blessed and humble.