Walking Through Cornfields

This morning was a little over cast.. As the sun rose behind me it reflected off the overcast sky turning the sky soft pastel colors. 

Today I was surrounded by cornfields most of the day. Their little fuzzy tops are so cute 

I have to admit I don't understand slugs. I don't know how they procreate. This morning there were hundreds of little tiny baby slugs. Then there would be bigger slugs rolled over on themselves. 

I don't know if the were giving birth, or just curling up for a nap because all these kids tired them out. I also saw a little tiny baby snail. It was so adorable. 

As crowded as the Camino is supposed to be this year, it doesn't seem crowded at all. In fact, it seems less crowded than my prior Caminos. I rarely see people during the walking part of my day. And most days the Albergues, that I am in, aren't full. People come in at 4pm or 5pm and get beds. It is weird. 

So today I walked to Hospital del Obrigo. I'm staying at the Albergue Verde, where they serve vegetarian meals, have a 2 hour yoga session, a yurt, massages and reiki.  The hospitaleros all look and act like hippes, straight out of the Haight Asbury, except maybe without the drugs. They don't even have or serve wine with the dinner.  It's really a trip. I fit right in. lol 

The Albergue tonight is full of English speaking pilgrims from Australia, England, Arizona, Pennslyvania, and California. I was just commenting yesterday, that I have met very few people this year whose native language is English. Today, I'm in a room full of them. 

As you approach this town you cross a spectacular old Roman bridge. It always stuns me. It's almost impossible to get a good photo showing it's length. You'll just need to come here and see it for yourself. 

And there was a fisherman in the river. 

And, guess who I ran into, in the restaurant, after I crossed the bridge? It's Matthew and Dan. The guys I met in Boadilla. We chatted about traveling, my bike tour of China, and their camping adventures on the Camino. They've been able to find places pretty much everywhere. They go to the Municipal or Paroquial albergues and ask them where is the best place to put up their tent. They say often it's in a church or school yard or down by a river. 

There are decorative snails all over the Albergue. I just love it!

After I got to the Albergue, took a shower, and did my laundry; I went out to get a bite to eat. Guess what? I got lost. The Queen of Lost did it again. I mean, this is not a big city. All I needed to do was retrace my steps coming to the Albergue, back to the bridge area where there were restaurants. 6 or 7 kms later I found the restaurants! Oh well. I had a tasty ensalada mixta and a Coca Cola light. 

Well it's time for yoga, hasta luego! Yoga was great! Two hours of stretching and relaxation. Then a feast of a vegetarian dinner. Everything was delicious. And we had musicians playing a song for us before we ate. "It is a tradition," they said. The song lyrics are from a poem by Thich Nhat Hanh about thinking of the plants and farmers who grow them and the soil, sun and water that nourish them. It was in Spanish, you get the idea. 

And there is the cutest doggie here. His fur is so soft. It just a great Albergue. It's clean, well kept up and they have a slew of hospitaleros who are like a family. They live there for more than two weeks. A couple of them have been there for four years. 

It's been a good day. New friends, delicious food, and getting lost. Tomorrow, Astorga.