THE LAST STAGE

I should be in Astorga again tomorrow which wont be a problem for me as I am quite fond of the place with its Gaudi palace and fine cathedral. But here's the plan for the next week which will see me in Compostela next Sunday. As you can see they are pretty short walks as I want to be able to catch a bus in Ponferrada.

8th Hospital de Orbigo
9th Astorga 16km 850mt
10th Santa Catolina de Somoza 9km
11th El Ganso 4km
12th Foncebaden 13km All up hill to 1500mt
13th El Acebo 13km mostly downhill
14th Molinaseca 8km downhill
15th Ponferrada 700mt

On the way from the Villadangos albergue this morning, I was aware of someone in the distance behind me. It came as a great surprise when the footsteps got louder and then came a shout of 'What the hell are you doing here , Derek? (or words to that effect) It was an English guy called Alistair whom I had met around the end of my first week on the trail. I was surprised as he was and it turned out that he had to go back to England for a meeting and had just returned to the walk at Leon. Had a pleasant walk to Hospital de Orbigo punctuated with a couple of coffees and a fried egg breakfast.



Hospital de Orbigo is a very pleasant village on a river. Beside the bridge, under reconstruction, there is jousting arena which is used at a festival here every year. Pity about the iron work, it looks like a fine medieval bridge.

The San Miguel albergue is a large rambling house on the main street with walls covered in paintings (for sale no doubt) and a well under the iron staircase.