Camino Day 1: The Way is blocked

Astorga to Rabanal - JBD* = 21.4km

So the first day of walking and so we got the bus from Leon to Astorga. Leon to Astorga is not the most attractive part of the Camino and we wouldn't be able to get in the coast if we had done it.

We got to Astorga and landed in the middle of a run, hundreds of competitors were running around the Cathedral and the rest of the centre of town. It was a great sight and made me appreciate the running community as a whole. Something that is even more true after recent global events.

We started walking, enjoying the cloud and the gentle heat - hotter than England anyway. And then we stopped. Sheep (and goats) blocked our path and we had to wait patiently for the path to clear and we could continue. It gave us an early lesson - unexpected things may happen on The Way and you just need to deal with things as they come.

*JBD is John Brierley Distance. John Brierley wrote the guidebook we were using and he doesn't believe in hills, mountains or any type of topography. He believes the world is flat. Therefore the distance he gives is the minimum you will be walking any day. Beware of the Brierley.