Day 20 part three

I thought it was a bit hot today!
I have just Googled the weather for Villafranca del Bierzo and it was 39 degC in the shade, and I didn't find any shade all bloody day. I am very jealous of all you cold, white people at home in Blighty. It must be lovely to sit huddled around the fire with your jumper on.
I am off to bed now, with the sound of a waterfall, the swallows swooping and calling and the distant sound of a cuckoo.
I pinched a spoon from the restaurant tonight so I don't have to eat my breakfast yoghurt with my toothbrush - luxury.
Sleep well, and keep listening to the birds.
I hope that you and I both have a good day tomorrow.

 
My idea of a good day is when I end the day with roughly the same amount of blood that I start with!

Ian xx

A few more quick photos of...
The punk saint of Villafranca del Bierzo
The local talent.
My daily pint (half litre) showing the manky hole in my thumb.

 

Day 20 - part two - Finally in Villafranca del Bierzo

Ok, so the day started out well then got worse due to most of the blood falling out of my left leg! Well then it got better again as I completed the downhill section from Cruz de Ferro to Molinaseca, a descent from 1505 metres to 600 metres in a length of about 10 km. I'm glad I was going down, not up!
Molinaseca is a beautiful village but it was still very early and I had already started between stages so I wanted to walk on to at least Ponferrada which is a big city (pop 62,000). The only good thing here was the huge 12th century Castillo de Templarios (Knight's Templar Castle) and a few other impressive buildings. Otherwise it is industrial and new. ....so I walked on.

This may have been a mistake as it got very hot with no shade. Due to the heat and my exertion the rest of the blood in my left leg fell out! (stop laughing, it's not funny).

Anyway, this very nice chap saw I was a bit flustered and decided to take me to the nearest hospital to get sorted. I tried to insist that is was a minor flesh wound and I still had the other leg to drag myself towards Santiago but he was having none of it. So I had a lift in a nice air-conditioned Mercedes to the medical centre at Villafranca del Bierzo which is the end of the next stage and where he lives. The lovely people made a fuss of me and cleaned me up, put a couple of sutures in and took my blood pressure as I showed them my prescription. They said my blood pressure was healthy (which is unusual for me? probably due to only half as much blood as usual or all this walking is good for me)

 
So, the good news is I am fine again, I am at a smashing hostel and got the last private room due to a late cancellation. I have a balcony with a view of the waterfall by the river and they saw my bandage and gave me a special rate, washed my clothes and said I can leave when I want tomorrow. Result!
The bad news is that I feel guilty for getting a lift for about 10 kms.
Do you think I should go back to where I stopped and carry on from there? ....Bugger off, I am stupid but I am not daft.
I will perform some reciprocal acts of unconditional kindness over the next few days to balance it all out.

I have been humbled by the kindness shown to me by complete strangers, many of whom have little to give but a smile and a helping hand.
I am very lucky.

So, as the hot Spanish sun starts to cool in the shade of the cathedral; and the stumbling pilgrim sets off to find where he will eat for the evening; it is time to say "adios" for another day.

Some pictures of....
Some more dead boots.
Some fine buildings in Molinaseca and Ponferrada.
A pilgrim statue.
A carving on a tree that looks like Steve Nightingale when he used to have a moustache.
The place where I am now by the river (Albergue de la Piedra) and the view from my balcony.

PS they also gave me an injection because my thumb still looks a bit manky (technical Spanish term)

Day 20 - Foncebadōn to somewhere (part one)

A brilliant start to the day. I climbed up to Cruz Ferro as the sun came up. Spooky, mystical and wonderful.
I left a shell and a message in the huge cairn where people do such things.
So from here is a massive descent over rocks and gravel, very tricky and painful on the knees.
I got almost to the bottom without event and was walking along the smooth concrete of the pueblo when I turned to give a "buenos dias" to an old couple chatting when I tripped on a stone and went flying. Most of the blood in my left leg fell out all over the road and the old couple leapt up to help me. She said something about getting some alcohol and I replied that it was a bit early for me!
Anyway she returned with an even older man who patched me up after squirting various chemicals on me.
At this point a young lad came along who spoke good Spanish and was able to tell them that I was very grateful for their help. I chatted with him as we walked on and asked where he was from. "Hampshire" he replied. "So am I" says I. "Petersfield actually" says Ben as he introduces himself. Well bugger me, I'm from Horndean!" I say; astounded.
It's a small world, eh?
The first Brit I meet on the camino and he lives about six miles away!
Anyway I need to crack on so will update later. Just stopped as wee-fee here (none yesterday) and to let the blood settle a bit.
Photos of sunrise, Cruz de Ferro, my leg, two blokes who camped in a field and got woken by goats and sheep etc

Day 19 - Astorga to Foncebadōn

I like the mountains.
When I first started I hated them, especially the ones that went in the direction of up (which seemed to be most)
But now I love them. You get the best view of where you have been and where you are going. The scenery changes constantly and you see more wildlife and plants. Ok, it hurts a bit and you sweat a lot but it really is worth it.

At midday I stopped just before Foncebadōn where I will stay for the night. It was about 1450m altitude, a little below Cruz de Ferro, nobody else was around because they all stopped at Rabanal (the guide book end for the day) I saw a bench in the shade of a lovely tree and decided I would stop for some lunch. A bag of olives, a ham and cheese pastry thing and an ice cold bottle of Aquarius that I bought in Rabanal. Fantastic; I sat in the shade with my boots and socks off and listened to the lack of humans and their noise. Birds, crickets, cicadas, sheep and their bells, frogs in the stone water trough, an eagle somewhere overhead and a wolf in the distance. (Ok it was probably a big dog) Then I heard some rustling nearby and thought was a lizard but it was furry like a mole. I am not sure what it was but there is a photo below.

Overheard during breakfast in the cafe this morning between two American women who had met previously.
Woman 1 : "Where is your friend who you were walking with?"
Woman 2 : "She came on the Camino to meet a man, and she found one"
Woman 1 : "She was stupid enough to join up with a man who was stupid enough to go on the Camino?"
Woman 2 : "Yes, that's her!"

Some photos -