Day 41. Trabadelo to O'Cebreiro.18.6 km. train ride for me Astorga to Sarria

I took a leisurely morning to pack up for my 3:15 train ride to Astorga.  I decided to eat at the fancy restaurant in the hotel and had a wonderful lunch of vegetables and tongue (lengua) in a delicate sauce.  For dessert the waiter suggested I try the ice cream with the chocolate sauce made from Astorga chocolates.  It was to die for!  Eating the same amount of food minus the exercise, need to watch out!

The staff at the hotel were very nice to me and Ramon the manager made sure I got on a taxi with instructions for the cab driver to walk me to the station and carry my bag.  The hotel has been in the same family for 5 generations.  The cook is Ramon's brother and their mom is always around although retired.

The train was an hour late.  With difficulty I managed to carry my backpack on.  I sat across a Spanish couple getting off Ponferrada, busing to O'Cebreiro and starting their walk.  I told them to keep an eye on a harmonica playing pilgrim as Dick was there too.  This couple have been taking a week at a time doing the Camino from St.Jean and finally finishing up this week in Santiago.  They might do the coastal Camino next time.

I met two Australian pilgrims who have been jumping around the camino because of time and finishing the last stage.  Also met a Spamish girl from Palencia taking a 5 hour train ride to visit her boyfriend in lugo.  It is a 3 day weekend and she will take the train back on Monday.  She said this is what you do for love, with her eyebrows raised!

The scenery is beautiful, we are crossing some mountains and the vegetation has changed to greenery.  This is Galicia, home to Jessie for 9 months when she lived in Santiago.  How I wish we had done the camino when she lived here.  It would have been fun for her to meet us at the end of our camino, waiting in Santiago.

Because the train was an hour late, we missed our connection.  We were met at the station with an announcement that we had a bus waiting to take us to Sarria and Lugo for the young girl.  It was hard maneuvering myself off the train with a backpack and a sore knee so I had to take off the pack and was helped by the Australian.  I also had to walk to the bus with my pack and it was a killer, so the Australian after depositing her bag on the bus returned to help me.  It was a 30 minute bus ride.  The Spanish girl said that because the bus was late an hour we could return to the bus station after 24 hours and claim a refund.  Isn't that an amazing policy?

We were dropped off at the train station and although the hotel was only 200 meters away I called for a cab for 5 euros.  The hotel is nice and I had a fish soup and broiled salmon for dinner.  It was delicious.  I sat with a Korean man living in Prague for the last 10 years.  He works for a Korean travel agent based there and they cater only to Koreans who want to travel Europe.  He is just starting his camino.  We were later joined by a South African from Johannesburg, a university professor, who walked the first two days from St. Jean and then jumped ahead to do the last stage.

Dick called as I arrived at the train station.  He is doing great and is in O'Cebrerio.  Tomorrow he has  steep downhill descent.  Best that I am missing this stage.  

On the train ride, always with the feet up!