All good things go by three

  From Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo Last night I decide to stay in instead of joining the pilgrim mass and diner - I am simply too exhausted from this past day. After a good night sleep I head out of my hotel towards the main road of Ponferrada out of the city: 2 lanes in each direction with an never ending caravan of cars entering and leaving the city. I follow this road for 9 km until it gets much smaller and bends up the hill towards the right crossing the freeway - and all in a sudden into a wonderful vine country: the Bierzo region. I enjoy strolling along this beautiful sight and reach Cacabelos; I try making sense of this village name: does it mean holy shit or beautiful shit? When I later ask the locals nobody can really explain to me the meaning but of course they all laugh about my initial interpretation. It does not do the village justice though: it’s really beautiful here. Up to the 5th century this village was main Roman administration of the surround...

 Steap up and down the hill to Ponferrada, As the weather forecast had thunderstorms in I get up early and start my hike at 5 am. This also gives me a jump start to all the other pilgrims heading for the iron cross on top of this mountain from Foncebadon, the village 5 km up the hill, where there was only a big youth hostel. When I get to the top, the most iconic place of the Camino Frances, I spot the iron cross on top of a 5 meter oak tree stump. I feel solidarity on the one hand but I also feel that my mom‘s stone needs another location and hold on to it without adding it to the giant pile of stones. Even though this is a 1000 year tradition I want to find another place for my special stone. For the next 3 km it’s a constant up and down along the spare bushes and stone landscape. 1 km before El Acebo it gets extremely steep down - good that I had my backpack shipped to Ponferrada today. The additional weight would have been quite the drag. From El Acebo on I decide to continue o...

  The mountains are calling: to  Rabanal del Camino At lunch yesterday I ate so well that I skipped diner. Just a banana and some nuts this morning is my light breakfast before I head out at 6 am. The Camino goes first slightly and then more intense up and down past by little villages. The from a stone cross I could already see Astorga in the distance - especially the in the sunlight pink looking Cathedral which towers over the whole village. Astoria’s visitors bureau says that the village is where culture, art and religion meet each other. Yes, the impressive GaudiPalace/ bishop palace and the far too big cathedral for such a small/rich village are impressive - and there are other towns on the Camino which deserve that description as well. The main altar Was carved by the ‚Spanish Michelangelo‘. He created the figures higher up taller so the whole altar looks like an impressive coming to live monument. Time for a quick breakfast and on I go to Rabanal. The landscape...

  Off to Hospital de Órbigo, evening mass at 6 pm takes place in the cathedral of Leon. As a parisher you don’t have to pay entrance to the complex:)) it’s good to be a member. At 5 am I start my Camino - many kids from last night are still celebrating the weekend  on the streets of Leon with charged drinks - they must think I am an odd one - but so do I think about them. In Chozas de Abajo I see an air balloon landing - one of the things I had not tried in my life so far, which makes me think about things I should try before I die….serious but also funny question if I would write down all my thoughts here they would be too odd:))))) When I pass by  Villavante I decide to finally have breakfast. Chris and Michelle from Australia try to snatch my table which I just cleared from dirty plates - ‚Come grab a chair and join me‘, I friendly invite them and of course they do! Cafe con laiche, freshly squeezed orange juice and croissant fill me up. I get to kn...

  Half way  to Santiago in Sahagun The evening mass was not as bright as usual as the sisters were late due to an emergency with a pilgrim. At the end of the mass the sisters gave us a present: a colored star of Carrión - wonderful gester! I wake up realy early and can’t sleep anymore so I decide to get ready and start walking at 3. the first hours are easy as the way Leads right in between  freeway and national road. I hast through the night, then dawn at 6 am is amazing: I have my Camino just to myself. At 6:30 I arrive at Terradios de Templarios, since no cafe is open yet I decide to keep walking - otherwise my feet might be hurting more. The remaining 12 km to Sahagun are a constant up and down now, which is a little bit more challenging, but I make it to Sahagun just around 8:15 - early enough to catch the train to Leon - yes, I am skipping 2 tours - it’s my birthday and that’s my present to me. At the train station it looked like pilgrim central: about 30 pilgr...

  With energy to Carrión de los Condes Whenever I am in need of buying some essentials I have been pretty good in all different countries in the past - now listen what happened in Fromista. I can only find a pharmacy that’s still open and rush in to buy some toothpaste - I was amazed how many small tubes they had and grab the most shiny one. As I need to eat something, it’s 6 pm and all I really had was breakfast so far, I compromise to eat a boccadillo with eggs and bacon in the only open bar since restaurants only open at 20:00. Back in the hotel I want to try out my new tooth paste and start brushing my teeth. That paste was awfully stiff and kind of starts sticking to my teeth - I check the tube again - and what can I say, I bought temporary glue for prosthesis. Shoot, I try to rub it off first my toothbrush and then my teeth - this purchase was bollocks. I go to bed early even though I already pla to start tomorrow late as it’s supposed to be extremely windy until 8 am. In the...

  Enjoying the beauty of nature on the Camino to Fromista Nothing ever stays the same - I really enjoyed the village of Castrojeriz on the last two Caminos, but this time around the village presented itself unfavorable: churches were turned into museum, which only give out the pilgrim stamp after you pay the entrance to the museum, the Posada Emebed was always one of my favorite: it’s owner/manager was almost hostile this time, the pilgrim mass scheduled for 19:00 did not take place - no information or notice given and the food in the only real restaurant was not as local and tasty as before.  I take a larger breakfast at 7:00 am knowing that I need some energy to climb up the table mountain  , Alto Mostelares, just 3 km out of the village. Giving myself some time for digestion I start the day‘s walk at 7:30. The US youth group from diner last night is all spread out in front of me I realize as I pass by the first pilgrims. I get my sticks ready for the 12% incl...