I didn't walk but nevertheless I had a very hard day. My taxi arrived at 9:30 to take me from Vilar de Mazarife which didn't have any bus service to Hospital de Orbigo, another 22 euro taxi fare. I asked the driver to stop by the Roman bridge at Hospital. On the way, I saw Dick fixing his shoes so had the driver back up so I could see if he was fine. We then proceeded to the Roman Bridge and the driver suggested I cross the bridge and he would meet me on the other side. I did and oh my, my knee was sore every step of the way. I didn't realize how long the bridge was.
The taxi driver then left me off at a bus stop and was told the Astorga bus would go that way. I had an hour and a half wait thinking the bus would come by at 11:30 as told by the lady at the albergue. However, finally someone came along to ask. It was a man on a bicycle and he looked like he resided in the neighborhood. He told me to walk towards the rotunda and make a left and it would be across the gas station. I limped my way towards it, afraid to miss the 11:30 bus. I saw a girl coming out of her house, she confirmed the bus stop to Astorga and another man also agreed on the direction. Every step was painful, I tried to get a lady to give me a ride but with the language barrier she was not going to give me a ride. I was getting so down hearted and saw the stop and a hotel across it. I went in the hotel and the man at the desk was my camino angel. His name was Jose Luis ( my brother Bobot who is a Jose was looking down on me today). I sat at the hotel coffee shop and ordered tea, Jose came back with a plate of nuts, he had asked the waitress to bring me a bag of ice for my knees and kept checking on me. He found me a hotel for tomorrow if I was staying put for my knees, got me the bus schedules for the cities from Astorga to Sarria. A little girl looked at my sore knee propped up on the chair and chatted with me. My spirits lifted. Jose also confirmed on the Internet that the bus would come and it was scheduled for 2:05. I had tea and lunch at this cafe and finally the bus came about 2:30. Two Spaniards were at the bus stop so I knew I was at the right stop. For a 15 minute bus ride it had taken me all day to get to Astorga.
A hospitalero saw me coming out of the bus station and suggested I check out the hostal run by the nuns 5 minutes Way. I was so tired and flustered I went ahead and followed her. The private room with bath was clean and beautiful but my backpack was sent to the alburgue municipal and Dick was meeting me at the alburgue so I said I would check out the alburgue first. It took me another few minutes of painfiul steps to the alburgue and here I am in a room of 4 and it is nice. I actually like staying at alburgues every so often because it is fun meeting other pilgrims.
Susan and Pat are also here, so there is always someone we run into. We are rooming with two young girls, gabby from Austria and Nya (Newie) from Denmark.
The Roman bridge in Hospital de Obrigo.
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