It was 26 degrees when I got up this morning so I was in no rush to head outside. I dawdled, had another cafe con leche and ventured out when the sun was a little higher in the sky. So this meant there were very few other peregrinos sharing the path with me. 

I walked alone for quite some time but soon fell into step with a Bavarian fellow who spoke no English and no Spanish. Since I speak no German it seems the few words we had in common were French. He introduced himself as something like ” Adult” and when I looked puzzled, he enacted a nazi salute. Ah, “Adolf”  as in Adolf Hitler. He then shrugged and rolled his eyes, I think as an indictment of his parents’ poor choice in first names.

The walk to Astorga was beautiful and quiet.  Adolf and I got tired of trying to communicate with spoken language and soon just walked in companionable silence. One of the great things about the Camino is this kind of connection with random strangers. In everyday life, this would be a very strange thing but it’s the norm on the Camino.

Astorga is a fascinating town and I had time to explore its squares and cathedrals but just missed seeing their Museo Del Chocolate.  Next time! To cap off a wonderful day I met up with my aunt and uncle who are vacationing in Northern Spain and on their way to Santiago.