emilyonearth

It was not a bad walk out of Astorga – a bit of a later start than yesterday, then most of the day was a pretty gentle uphill slope, with just the end being particularly steep. The rocky, stony trails are back which is a shame – they are hard work on the feet! We walked past some old stone ruins, some farm animals, a few crops, and, of course, long stretches of road. There were a few times where we walked through bushier areas and got a bit of shade, which was very nice, but unfortunately they didn’t last long. The last 5km were a challenge, and it was pretty warm by then, but eventually we made it to Foncebadón.

After checking in we had the most delicious pizza at a place across the road. We mostly went here so that we didn’t need to walk down (and therefore back up) the hill, but the decision paid off as it was very tasty. The man running the place was the most enthusiastic human I have perhaps ever met, and we ate our pizza with him loudly singing Backstreet Boys’ “I want it that way” in the background. 

We got non-bunk beds tonight, even though they were supposed to be €5 more, because the lady running the albergue is called Susana, which is almost the same as mum’s middle name, Susan, and thus they were instant besties. The bathroom at the albergue also held surprise treats – body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion! I conditioned my hair for the first time in a month! It was wonderful. We also put our clothes through a washing machine rather than handwashing them using a bar of soap, so really we’re feeling rather clean in all areas!

Did anything else happen? I don’t really remember, so that will have to do!