Photo: Credencial del Peregrino
May 22, 2001 The bus to Vigo, Spain is almost empty. Only another passenger and I are aboard. At Vigo I catch a bus to Santiago de Compostela.
Some days before some Spanish men I met in Portugal had told me about the Camino de Santiago. One had walked the route the previous year. They urged me to do the walk, so I decided to do part of the Camino Frances. The Camino Frances generally starts in Roncesvalles, France and is over 400 miles long. I did not think I had enough time to walk the entire route so I decided to start in Astorga, 150+ miles from Santiago.
I went to the Pilgrims Office in Santiago and got information on the camino and a Credencial del Peregrino. The Credencial is a passport that allows a pilgrim to stay in the refugios. I left some non-needed items at the Moro de Gozo refugio. I cashed in about $300 of travelers checks, more than enough for 12 days walking.
Photo: Church museum, Astorga
May 24, 2001 The bus from Santiago arrives in Astorga in the afternoon. The local cathedral is just across the street and I get my Credencial stamped at the church museum. I soon find markers indicating where the camino passes through the city. My guidebook is also helpful in finding the correct path.
After about 20 minutes of Astorga streets I am on a paved road leading west into the countryside. I gradually gain some altitude as I pass through a few small towns. The weather is warm and sunny as it would be for the entire journey. About 5:00 PM I reach El Ganso, a small village, 8 miles from Astorga.
Credential stamp
Photo: Village church
Photo: Country road on Camino
Map of camino
