Camino de Santiago – Day 2 – San Martin del Camino to Astorga

Today we left San Martin del Camino before sunrise. We only had to use our headlamp for a few minutes after we left town. After that, it quickly lightened up and we were on our way.

The day went by so fast! We left at 7:13am. By 10:13, we had 13.65km under our belts. That’s just over 4.5km an hour. I can live with that. Not a hare, but not a tortoise.

Before we get that far, though… it’s TIP TIME!

Do not leave Hospital de Órbigo without stopping for a cafe con leche and some sustenance!! There is nothing after that (as of this writing) for quite some time. We thought we would wait a few more minutes and find something up ahead. We did NOT. I believe we were more than 15km in before we reached something. It was not a typical Camino stop.

This Repsol gas station was an absolute oasis in the desert for us! If you don’t stop in Hospital de Órbigo, you will have this option. You have to cross a busy highway, but it will be well worth your Frogger adventure!

Inside, at the back corner, there is a tiny cafeteria. The cafe con leche was great, as were the sandwiches and donuts. The Camino provides!

Now… let’s go back to Hospital de Órbigo for a second. Because I need to mention the incredible bridge there.

This stone bridge was built in the 13th century. It’s about 200 meters long, with twenty arches.

Don Suero de Quiñones, IT IS SAID, fell in love with a maiden in the 15th century. She did not feel the same way(this begs the question… are all men creeps?). He donned an iron collar as a kind of display of his unrequited love. (Cue Bryan Ferry’s SLAVE TO LOVE here, if you must.)

Then, as I suppose he wasn’t getting the reaction from his fair maiden that he expected, he decided to have jousting competitions on the bridge. This was in the early to mid 1400s. He gave himself the goal of winning 300 lances. He didn’t get these lances. Not even with the help of friends. There was something about him being a nuisance holding up traffic on the bridge and what not. So they stopped the nonsense and sent him on his way to Santiago de Compostela. Ah, another pilgrimage story.

Michael crossing the bridge in Hospital de Orbigo.

This story was the creative spark Cervantes used to write his epic Don Quixote. Look for the knights choker in Santiago de Compostela. You may find it in the museum.

If you believe this story of- actually what is it? The first stalker story? Definitely not a love story–a love crazed knight, I have a doozy to tell you about a hanged boy who lived and two cooked chickens that got up and danced. Also a Camino de Santiago story. 😉

The famous thirsty pilgrim fountain just before Astorga.

Here’s the last insult before arriving in Astorga. A necessary one, but an insult all the same. This stair contraption takes pilgrims up over the train tracks. It is a long slog filled with elevations and declines. So. Much. Fun.

We arrived at our albergue, the gorgeous Albergue Só Por Hoje, at 1:07pm. Seven minutes after check in! Yes! I highly recommend this albergue. It is now one of my favourite! We had the Pilgrim Meal here and it was delicious! The room was beautiful and the owner, Patricia, walked the Camino. This was immediately apparent when I entered the Camino. Everything about the albergue was pure perfection. So much thought put into it… the attention to detail was flawless. And… she wrote a book about her own journey.

Tomorrow we head to Foncebadón! I love this little oasis. Tiny and ancient and beautiful. It’s a nice place to rest prior to our journey to Cruz de Ferro.

Today we visited the Gaudi Palace. Last time we went through Astorga we did not go inside. Big mistake. It’s stunning. Second chances are pure perfection.

This was a great birthday!