Astorga

14 Sept 2025

Weather got a bit warmer today so I was really feeling the beginning of the foothills as I left the Meseta today. I walked over one of the longest medieval aged bridges on the Camino de Santiago today in the town of Hospital de Órbigo. In this town there was an important stop for medieval pilgrims, providing shelter, medical care, and food. There were several “Hospitales” all along the way, this particular town is just one of the larger ones.

Continuing on, I chose the alternative path in the country side vs the more direct one along the roadway, and walked along and chatted with Vincent, a recently retired lawyer from Sydney. Starting to climb the foothills of the coming mountains, conversation distracts the mind from the huffing and puffing.

Arrived in the walled city of Astorga which claims importance for the Camino as Santiago (St James) himself allegedly preached here before he was martyred. I checked into my Albergue and headed right out to find a place to eat the main meal of the day before restaurants closed as it is Sunday and not much else will be open later- even grocers- to buy food. I felt a little out of place in my hiking clothes as the locals were all dressed in their Sunday best out at the restaurants but I had an amazing meal nonetheless.

After a shower and laundry duties, I headed to see the Astorga cathedral; also Gothic but later in the period and with more Renaissance and Baroque influences from more recent renovations.

Interestingly, there was a carved stone panel that was here in the cathedral as long as anyone could remember (it was in the old Romanesque church that was here before the current cathedral) and was discovered to be from the 3rd century AD. It has been sent to the Archaeological museum of Spain in Madrid and a replica is here in its place. It depicts clear Christian themes, such as Adam and Eve, and the healing of Lazarus, and Christ’s miracle of the bread and fishes, etc. (of course I forgot to take a picture!) Pretty interesting that those stories have been told in the this area back when the Bible was still apparently being written! It certainly lends credibility to the idea that St James was here himself. Tomorrow up into the hills.