Day 11: Valdelafuente to Astorga. Brutal end of day yesterday with another wave of rain and drop in temperatures. Amy and I were soaked but safe as we immediately drank a beer at the hotel bar to celebrate survival before showering. The hotel restaurant opened at 8:30pm so we elected to go back 5k to a small local restaurant called Casablanca that served us at 6pm - gringo style. I love the Spanish “daily meal” option: 11 euros for 3 course meal that includes wine. We were provided options in Spanish by the waiter but a young, handsome chef saw us struggling and whipped out to speak english with us. I chose meat lasagne, pork shank and tiramisu with a ribeiro del duro red wine. Excellent food, excellent value. Not happening currently in America!

We agreed to meet in the hotel bar area where breakfast was served to the 3 of us and what looked like the entire electric company. We competed for cafe con leches, croissants and fresh orange juice with the guys. As I ate my second chocolate croissant I thought of the only other person I run with who “runs to eat” and thoroughly enjoys the food as much as I do. Our Saturday long runs he is motivated by a NY style bagel with cream cheese and jalapeños in the middle of a long run in the hot, humid weather of Florida…Johnny, the second croissant was for you!

Rain threaten us all day and somehow we danced between the rain showers around us. Leon was a big city with a beautiful Paradore in the middle of town. On the outskirts of Leon we began to see numerous houses built into the ground - Hobbit style. Turns out these are caves that were built to store wine and had kitchens where men would hang out. None of the ones we passed looked in use and many were for sale.

We were happy to get out of the cityscape and a Camino that was too close to the road and back into the country side and the smaller villages in the afternoon. A long stone bridge brought us into Hospital de Orbigo, a beautifully preserved medieval village that even had a fairground with stands and a jousting course.

Up and over a mountain and then we dropped into our final town of Astorga which was situated on top of a plateau. Christina found us a wonderful hotel called Via de la Plata Spa right in the old town - perfect to check in after 36 miles, shower, hit a bar, dinner then pass out and do it again tomorrow.

Cheers,

David.