2 October, Day 11: Hospital de Órbigo - Molinaseca

Distance: 68.4 km


We had our breakfast at the hostel, served by a kind Sicilian hospitalero (who explained that he'd volunteered to this post instead of doing the Camino). We said good-bye to Bent and Gro and left by 8:30. The temperature was 10.4 degrees.

Checking the Antón Pombo Guide, always useful!

We followed the option of the camino beside the road to Astorga, where, once we managed to climb the steep hill to reach the center, we enjoyed the town, with its Roman ruins, it's City Hall and Main Square.

City Hall Square, Astorga

We found a cafe, where they gave us a delicious cup of hot thick chocolate (there is also a Chocolate Museum, but we better stayed away from that!) and we met another couple of cyclists, Italians from Abruzzo.

Cathedral, Astorga

We left Astorga following a local road next to the camino but, after the village of El Ganso, they were doing some repairs and we had to go carefully. In one of these villages, we stopped to chat with an old man who was seating in front of his house, and he told us how years ago, all those mountains that we were going to, would be covered in snow by now and that he was convinced that climate change was being caused by all those rockets that they've sent to space...

Palacio Episcopal (Gaudí), Astorga

We then reached Rabanal del Camino, at the base of the mountains, which turned out to be a cute village, last stop before our climb to Cruz de Ferro.

Rabanal del Camino

We had a snack there and met this girl who was doing the Camino with her father for the sixth time (the first time she was 14!).

Rabanal del Camino

The climb is steep, from 1200 to 1500 meters in 8 km. The Italian couple started with us, but soon they took off; Micael and Oscar were going at good speed and me, well, slowly behind. We caught up with another two cyclists who had stopped to rest; that was the last thing I'd do, fearing I would not be able to continue afterwards!

Climbing Cruz de Ferro, Micael had enough energy to return and take this picture

A German couple caught up with us, they passed me and pedaled alongside Oscar for a while; Micael was going further ahead. They then stopped at Foncebadon, a hamlet before the summit.

German cyclits, climbing Cruz de Ferro

We finally reached Cruz de Ferro, where a kind Dutchman offered to take a picture of us.

Cruz de Ferro

I took out my two pebbles and proceeded to put them at the base of the cross. I was suddenly overcome by emotion, thinking of my immense luck (call it Dedicated Guardian Angel, good star, blessings, whatever) and I started crying...

Cruz de Ferro

After a little rest, we continued to El Acebo, another cute village perched on the mountain, where we stopped to have lunch at a bar where theTV was showing the process of final selection for the host to the 2016 Olympics (where Madrid was one of the candidates). I asked those present if they thought it'd be good if Madrid won and it started a heated argument, so we left them at that!

Oscar in Cruz de Ferro

I called the Private Hostel of Molinaseca to book, where they said that it wasn't necessary, as there was "plenty of room".

View from Cruz de Ferro, Manjarín

The descent is by a steep road with hairpin bends.

Going down from Cruz de Ferro

By 16:45, we crossed the Roman/Medieval bridge of Molinaseca and found the hostel, where the not so friendly hospitalero said that we were lucky to get the last three beds... I pointed that I had called earlier, but they certainly had ignored that; at least, we got a place.

Roman/Medieval bridge, Molinaseca

The bicycles were locked in an open patio; we showered, did laundry and then we sat and had a beer while chatting with Josh, a pilgrim from LA who has just concluded two years with the Peace Corps in Niger.

Molinaseca

In the evening, we had dinner at the Fonda del Puente Romano, caldo berciano delicious (although Micael found a piece of broken glass in his!), lentils, pork chops and a glass of licour (to compensate for the broken glass...). It was my turn to have the cold, so I took the medicine, which knocked right away, although I woke up by two am, worrying if the bicycles would be safe.