Astorga in the distance

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Originally uploaded by johnpigott0820

We spent a pretty good night at San Martin. For the most part Robin and I got a decent night´s sleep. As our eyes were cracking open at about 6:30 it seemed the sky opened up and rain pelted down for about 20 minutes. This was where is my lifejacket kind of rain. But mercifully as Robin and I were staring quietly at one another both of us thinking the same thing, "oh, this is going to be a lovely day,' the monsoon passed and there was relative quiet on the roof of the albergue. We got ready to go and by the time we were heading out the door the skies had settled into a partly cloudy mix with light spotty rain. This was the pattern for most of the morning. We left with ponchos on and trudged up the N-120 towards Astorga. We arrived in Hospital de Orbigo and found a bar open for a coffee. Following this warm up we headed back out into clearing skies and better weather prospects for the afternoon. Robin continues to nurse her ankle and we are trying to walk at a pace that allows her some comfort. By noon we had shed the ponchos and were climbing the last hill before heading into Astorga our destination for the day. We rolled into Astorga at about 2:30 and found space at the new albergue, the Servias de Maria, in the Plaza San Francisco. This is a great albergue that actually turns the heat on in the afternoon (not 7:00 PM). The hospitellero will do your laundry for 6 euros and leave it folded on your bunk. The hospitality hear is fabulous. These folks truly try to care for pilgrims on the Camino, and it shows. We have just returned from evening mass (just across the street) Robin is heading for the Advil and I am getting ready to close this and head off to bed. We have been told that the only albergues open in the next few stages are in Rabanal, Foncebadon and Ponferrada. We will be trying to work some doable distances among that lot. So, we are warm and cozy in Astorga tonight, looking forward to tomorrow. So from this little piece of the Camino good night to all.