I have eight minutes on the machine and will start an entry, to be finished tomorrow with pictures.

The walk from Hospital de Orbigo to Astorga is not long. After going through two small but prosperous farm villages, one climbs onto the meseta, the Altos, where the fields are wide and long and there is no habitation. Finally one comes to the Cross of Turibio, the location on the western edge of the plateau where one first sees Astorga and its cathedral.

Arriving in Astorga at the end of days walk, there is nothing more enjoyable than imbibing a beer in the square while waiting for the noble figures, one on each side of the bell suspended over the Ayuntamiento, hammer the strokes of the hour. The Episcopal Palace was designed by Gaudi whose capacity for creating interesting spaces inside a building was unsurpassed. One almost wishes that the contents of the museum inside were removed so one could enjoy the palace as Gaudi created it. Next door is the cathedral, again under continuous renovation. Its high, high arches always take one´s breath away.