Day 24 - Sunday Nov. 26, 2006 - walking from Hospital de Orbigo to Astorga (17km)

I walked out by myself again this morning because I was hoping to find a Sunday mass to attend in one of the next towns. In the first town I was told the mass was at 1:00pm so I kept walking and then the next told me 11am and I hesitated, but continued on. I was about five minutes outside of the town when the church bell started ringing quite loudly. I stopped and looked at my watch and it was 10:20pm. As I was stopped I listened closely because I heard the faint noise of what sounded like people singing. It was almost like the sound the Grinch hears when he returns to Whoville on Christmas morning and I was intrigued. I quietly walked towards the noise. I first walked back through a farm and I thought it must be the farmer´s radio, but it wasn´t and then I wondered were the cows singing in human voices. I continued to walk and remembered when I had first walked through there were women in the middle of the streets sweeping with large brooms, a man on his bicycle and a few others. I started imagining a scene out of ´Fiddler on the Roof´when I looked up to see loud speakers next to the bells loudly playing music into the streets. The mass was very serious, the priest spoke in a commanding tone and it seemed as though the women sat at the front of the church and the men in the back. The pews were quite full considering the size of the town and then the service ended as abruptly as it has started.

I continued my walk to the city/town of Astorga, I am really not clear on how the division between the two is made. I sat down on a bench in front of a castle designed by the fantastical architect Gaudi to read over my guide book. A curious man arrived riding a bicycle, wearing a top hat and bow tie. With his funny square glasses he could have been a character out of Dr. Seuss. He started to list the many wonderful things to see in Astorga and insisted out being my guide, but I told him I was fine on my own. I went on to the Albergue to put down my things. A little while later while I was on the phone with my parents he reappeared and insisted that I come with him because the Cathedral would soon be closing. He patiently waited on a bench while I continued my conversation. I told him I was fine on my own a second time and he left. I went inside for a little while and then went out to the street. I heard footsteps walking quickly behind me and I gave in and was given a wonderful tour of the cathedral. He took me to see a few more sights including a roman ampitheatre and a church and then I told him I was tired, so he dropped me back off at the hostel and left.