Hospital de Obrigo/Sant Ibanez de Valdeiglesias and Astorga

What a couple of days.

I was the only person in the pilgrim hostel in Villar de Mazarife. It was chilly and lonely.

Then yesterday, I headed into Hospital de Obrigo optimistically, even though I didn´t see any other pilgrims along the way and even though I still wasn´t feeling the best.

Got to Hospital de Obrigo. All three of the pilgrim hostels were closed, even though one of them is supposed to be open year-round. Was not happy. The priest that ran the parish pilgrim hostel took pity on me and let me rest there for a few hours and gave me hot cereal and milk, and then drove me the 5km to Sant Ibanez de Valdeiglesias.

Which was a tiny town, with another chilly pilgrim hostel, that I was the only pilgrim staying at.

However, it was made better by the fact that unlike the previous one, the hospitalero cared, and tried to make things warmer. Also, part of the fee included dinner, which, since I was the only one there, the hospitalero made just for me, which was nice (unlike the people the previous night, who, when seeing that I was the only pilgrim there, decided to only serve sandwiches instead of a pilgrim menu). Hot soup with rice (with the stock made from scratch), eggs with fried potatoes and chamomile tea.

Today I made the relatively short (11km) trek into Astorga, and the pilgrim hostel here is wonderful. Warm, even has a fireplace downstairs, and I have met other pilgrims again (after two days of sleeping alone, I was starting to wonder if I was the only pilgrim left). Went to the Museum of Chocolate with another Canadian. I think Canadians are actually the largest group of people that I´ve met on the Camino, save for Spanish and French.

Had a nice warm shower. Tonight I want to find a good restaurant for dinner, and being as Astorga is a decent-sized city, that should be easily done. Unlike the small towns that only have one or two places to eat at - some have been good, but others, not so much.

And I need more chocolate. Chocolate gives me energy throughout the day, and Astorga is the chocolate capital of the region, so I shouldn´t pass up an opportunity to acquire more here.

Tomorrow I head into the beginning of the new set of mountains. Internet could be touch and go, so if there are a few days between posts, that is why. Hasta luego!