Murias de Rechivaldo to Foncebadón

A 22km day with a sting at the end, in the form of a steep climb. We ended the day 570 meters higher than where we started.

We left Ingo’s Hostería Casa Flor as the dawn broke after a good breakfast. There were clear skies with cloud over the hills we were walking towards.

It was about 5km on a wide dirt path through slightly undulating scrubby country to a coffee stop at Santa Catalina de Somoza. There we met the couple from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They last saw us in Calcadilla de la Cueza, when John had difficulties and took a taxi to Ledigos. They were glad to see us still in walking condition. By now it was very cloudy but the weather forecast promised no rain.

From there it was a gradually steepening climb to Rabanal where we each refueled with a bowl of spaghetti bolognese. As we arrived there the skies cleared again and conditions from them on were clear and cool.

Many pilgrims were staying in Rabanal. It’s a very pretty town stretched out along a fairly steeply inclined Camino.

Our destination was 6km further on. It was a tough climb, getting steeper as we went and the path was rock strewn and hard to walk on in places. The landscape was sort of alpine scrub, none of it farmed.

We raised quite a sweat and had to stop and catch our breath a few times..

We were glad to check into Albergue El Trasgu de Foncebadón, get showered and have a cleansing radler out the back with a great view down towards Astorga.

It seems a trasgu is Celtic Spain’s version of Ireland’s leprechaun.

While sunning ourselves out the back we also tried a bottle of sidra natural. They provided 2 glasses and a device for adding bubbles to the cider as it exits the bottle. Interesting it was.

Our room has a window in the ceiling. Convenient for drying our delicate-yet-tough Darn Tough merino hiking socks.

The restaurant here looks good so we will dine in-house.

Glad we stayed here instead of back at Rabanal. We may get good sunrise views tomorrow from the top of this range not far above us now.Read more