Camino: Day 24
Distance: 20 KM (12.4 miles)
Weather: cloudy to partly sunny (45-52Ā°)
Time on trail: 5 hours 20 minutes including breaks
Thankfully the rain had ceased by the time we left the hotel around 9:00.
Spain turned back their clocks last night. I felt well rested after getting an extra hour of sleep.
As we passed through town we enjoyed the bell tower chimes.
I enjoyed seeing one more mural before we left town. The artist who did the 3 murals in Astorga was extremely talented. I find the ability to paint on a grand scale remarkable.
Today we walked through an area called Maragateria and entered the mountains of Leon. Our first stop was at Murias de Rexhivaldo.
After a few hours it is always nice to make a short rest stop for refreshments & a baƱo.
After a little rain, it turned out to be the most pleasant day. No wind & the perfect temperature for hiking.
We came across this man selling Camino wares for pilgrims. I was happy to give him a little business.
Our next stop around noon was in El Ganso that seemed to have an American West Theme going.
While we took a 10 minute break outside the bar, we saw a young French Canadian girl that we met 20 days ago & hadnāt seen her since then.
After a short chat on how things were going we noticed she was with a young man we hadnāt seen before. A short distance from us they joined hands & kissed. The Camino is known for starting romances. š
Today we actually saw many new people. Some of them appeared to be struggling. Not surprising since many people join the Camino in Leon & Astorga to avoid the Meseta. I feel for them. We call them āNewbies.ā
Another change in the trail is more crosses.
A great deal of today was hiking through an oak tree forest.
The last few miles were uphill to Rabanal del Camino. Most the way we had a wire fence to one side covered with stick crosses.
Itās always nice to arrive at your destination for the day. Rabanal is a lovely little village that might not exist without the pilgrims passing through it.
Even though we are not in the high mountains, it has the feel of a small village in the alps.
We will need a good rest tonight. Tomorrow will be our longest daily distance on the Camino.
Iām sure our lemon chocolate from Astorga will help get us through the day. š
The Wanderers 