Astorga, Day 26

We planned for a short day today. This was nice, following the 39 km we walked yesterday. There were a few small hills that we walked over in the morning, but still, the path was mostly flat. Astorga was a pleasant sight after the 16 km walk. We checked into the municipal albergue, and were assigned a room with four others that we had walked with. These are the same four we went to dinner with in Leon.

Paisley and I went to lunch in the Plaza de San Bartolome and had some comfort food. I ordered a burger with fries, and she had a beef burrito with corn, peppers, cheese, and avocado.

Afterward, we walked to the pharmacy to pick up electrolyte tablets, ibuprofen cream (for the ol’ kneecaps), and Compeed for a few unwelcome blisters.

Our next stop was to a supermarket that was in an adjacent plaza. We were pleasantly surprised with the selection that they provided. We found great dairy-free options, and other snacks for the road.

We went back to the albergue for some rest, and decided to go back out to visit the cathedral and much talked about chocolate museum.

The cathedral was gorgeous. Great sculptures and detail covered the outside walls of the building. We decided not to pay for admission, but to sit in the courtyard and appreciate its ancient beauty.

We then walked to the chocolate museum. We entered into the restored historical mansion without seeing anyone but the clerk at the front. We payed five Euros for the both of us to enter and started off into the first room: “The Cabinet of Curiosities.” Just then, a tour group of what seemed like no fewer than 200 people stampeded through the doors and ruined the quiet.

We finished our tour, learned a good deal on how chocolate is made, and made our way to the gift shop. We bought an almond chocolate bar that tastes like holiday fudge and melts in your mouth. I hope we find a way back to Astorga for more of this chocolate before we head back home.

We met up with the others and went to find a kebab place, with no luck. Instead we made our way back to the main plaza and sat down for a more traditional pilgrim meal. A few people had pizza, and others had salad and pasta.

Today was filled with rest in preparation for tomorrow’s all-day climb. Now, it seems, we will begin to cross the Pyrenees, again. We are looking forward to viewing the Spanish countryside from a higher elevation.