Oct 2
Our last full day in Astorga. The 15.01 train to Santiago awaits us tomorrow. It's a nice town, and it will be with mixed feelings that we go. We've attained an optimal level of security here, knowing where we'll stay each night, which restaurants are worth returning to, where to get good take away food, etc.
Our schedule is very comfortable: arise with the bells at 8am, lie beside each other until 8:30 (8:15 for every other shower day), get pockets and day pack loaded for the morning, eat a banana, yogurt and granola bar, get the wheelchair from the vacant room accross the hall, load Kathy in and head for the lift. Then we say goodbye to whichever sister is in the office and head down the few stairs to the outside door. We rumble over the cobblestones to the Cathedral for Mass at 10am, greet the sad female beggar at the door and roll in..
The Mass is getting easier to follow: some key words are understood, but it's only gotten to be of late that we remember the responses. So easy in English when we are cued with the beginning words! It is a good memory exercise.
Leaving church we run an errand or two. Today it was going to the Post Office (Correos) to send Kathy's pack to the hotel in Madrid. The clerk gave us a box in which we had to fit everything. I didn't know if the walking sticks would make it, but they fit fine diagonally. The forms were filled out and the box got addressed on two sides. I dotted and crossed everything I could, and passed the parcel acceptance exam. There was a customer in line who offerred to translate if I needed help. (God bless these people! They have been unfailingly helpful). The box passed on for 17 Euros, and we figured another good deal. So, the end of most worries for now.
We took Kathy's original ankle bandage off last night. She slept without wrapping it up in the new one. It became painful, but wrapping it in the morning proved beneficial. We had some visions of returning to the hospital for a second look, but the reduction in pain put an end to them.
Then on to the Hotel Gaudi for coffee con leche for me and Cola Cao (not real hot chocolate, but powdered mix put in steamed milk) for Kathy. She doesn't like the real chocolate caliente, which is like hot chocolate pudding. This is the only way we're getting milk: it works.
Fernando stopped by to say hello. He's been my go-to-guy (waiter and maker) for coffee almost everyday. A picture of him and I is included.
I'm so glad I made the effort to learn names. It's the real key to any heart.
We checked email and Facebook (I hardly ever look at it while home). Family and companion news has taken on great meaning here. I've only looked at an online newspaper once this trip. Yep, the news is bad. I still see bits and pieces and am not eager to dive in further. Social media junkie in Europe!
On to the next familiar stop for grocery shopping. We park the wheelchair by the baked bread (pan) department and Kathy now walks around with the crutch. Coca Cola is huge in Spain, and we get a bottle for lunch. Kathy loves watching the fish man, who lovingly will drop octopus into your bag if you wish. We get bananas and fruit, unbelievably inexpensive good wine, salad mix, tomatoes and a milk chocolate bar (Tom's favorite). This town is HUGE on chocolate. We pay for the stuff, stop by the bread section for our daily loaf and head out the door.
Back we go to our room for lunch (always meat, cheese, tomato, lettuce if we have it on the split bread loaf), Coke, fruit, and a bit of chocolate. If there's clothing to handwash it's done after lunch.
The the 2pm bells ring and it's siesta time. Pray, nap, read, relax until about 6:30pm. We hit the town again for whatever our pleasure at the Hotel Gaudi, catch up with the social media, blog, etc. Then it's a take away for dinner or a sit down meal.
Back to the convent before 10pm (we try to be good and not push past 9:30) and ready ourselves for bed.
Soft life? Yes, it fits my (Tom's) natural clock. Beats getting up at 6am or earlier to pack the backpacks fast, be efficient and hit the road by 7am. We never made that time frame until our last day: the fateful day.
I always said "I'm trying to be efficient, but nothing happens" as Rob would be tapping his foot hurridly. I asked him for efficiency lessons, and his advice was "get everything ready the night before". When I followed that rule, things went well, but Kathy and I were often out until just before albergue closing.
We really do miss the walking, and desperately wish this stupid accident had never happened. But it's the lemon and lemonade thing. We have no choice but to adapt and enjoy our new adventures.
For the record, we walked 365.9 km's (264.2 mi) in 3 weeks. Not bad, I say. No speed records but at our age who cares?
The pictures show me and Elvira (see previous blog for her story), me and Fernando, and me and Roberto the information guy who speaks 4 languages. I'm also seen at the post office getting edgy.
That's it for now. Leaving Astorga for new lands. We'll stay in touch. Tom and Kathy
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