Astorga to Ponferrada

After yesterday's half day of walking, half sightseeing, a big stage is needed to get to Santiago in a week ... a 7am start makes it possible and a good pace, a few rests, an alcohol free lunch at 2.30 after the serious climb towards the iron cross, with promised snow, and plodding along with Ponferrada, at 53km, in mind ...

Last night's pilgrim quota increased with cycling Spaniards, two Frenchmen having started in the Alps two months ago, some others, filling the dorm ... the normal form in hostels to cram everyone into the first room before opening another ...

Oats for breakfast again and a fast paced peregrina ahead overhauled and engaged in philosophical discourse for a while ... Jo, from Essex, Gloucestershire, New Zealand and now near Carcassone where she and her husband run walking holidays, is on day 20 and aiming for 40km a day ... she shares interesting information on energy, eternal consciousness and so on, before stopping for breakfast ...too early for a possible 50, when the bulk of the work wants doing early, so on we go, passing pilgrims, until the early lunch stop at Pilar's Bar and Albergue in Rabanal, where most of the subsequent pilgrims seem to have started ... a good chunk of tortilla and a coffee enough until Spanish lunchtime at El Acebo, on the descent towards Molinaseca and Ponferrada ...at lunch, other pilgrims gather, including an Englishman from Devon for a brief exchange, while more discourse is with Richard from Seattle and Lucy from Spokane, who both turn out to be Catholics ... she cuts out at the nearby Albergue, taking it steady after an ankle injury and maybe the first pilgrim encountered carrying significant surplus body weight ... she spent time in Uganda with the Peace Corps and is planning to start teaching after the summer ... her grandparents walked the Camino in the 50s, her inspiration ... Richard, meanwhile, having booked ahead for Molinaseca, calls a taxi to manage the last 8 km ...

Nothing calls at Molinaseca and it is only another 7km ... easy on the pavement all the way, with rain coming and going ... the Albergue is nearby, but it has no WiFi, drying clothes may be a hassle and dormitory life is not required after an epic stage ... so, dear readers, in order for you to have your daily episode sacrifices have to be made, hotel bills paid, bed linen and towels included in the rather pricy deal ... English humour at the enquiry as to whether the price was for a week lost in translation ... never mind, doubtless a writer can claim such expenses against tax ... if anyone was actually paying for all the erudition, inspiration and general rambling ... sorry no pics again, tablet on the blink, something else to put on the expenses ...