Friday, June 17, 2011

Highlights - Villadangos del Paramo to Astorga

Today was such a blissed-out walking experience (to say it was a VAST improvement over yesterday's truck stop train wreck is to put it mildly) that only pictures can truly do it justice. Highlights from Villadangos del Paramo to Astorga include the best cup of coffee I've had thus far in Spain, spotting a neon pink butterfly (Red says a good omen!), an organic pilgrim food stand run by a hippie that looked as if he'd stepped off the cover of a romance novel (he even took his shirt off in front of Lizzie, much to her delight), blue iridescent fields of wheat, rich red soil imprinted with pilgrim boot marks, gourmet Astorga chocolate, the magnificence and genius that is the Gaudi Palace and best of all, Red and I found peanut butter!


Tending the fields.


Mom crossing the ancient Roman bridge, Puente de Orbigo, which led to the shop famous for bestowing upon us the finest plastic jar of peanut butter in all of Spain.


The cat portraits will end when they stop posing so picturesquely.


Moorish architectural influence.








An albergue owner harnesses his sense of whimsy.


Pilgrim truth.





Tess walks alone.


Organic food stand.


The hippie's crystals.


The hippie's front door.





A heavy bourbon pour. This is a single!





Only in Spain... A ham museum.





I watched these guys strike the bell at 6pm.


Astorga street art.


My favorite kind of Astorga art... Their gourmet chocolate.





The Cool Kids Club.


The Guadi Palace, now a museum, was originally designed by Guadi for the Bishop of Astorga. The stain glass work is breathtaking, but cameras weren't allowed inside.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Astorga, Spain

4 comments:

  1. WOW! PEANUT BUTTER!!! I'M SO EXCITED THAT I YELLOWED MY SOCKS!! I guess it's the simple things in life that we take for granted. I had a moped ride last Saturday that ended in a PB&J sandwich...it was divine.

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  2. I loved seeing Kay walking across such a beautiful bridge. I was disappointed not to see the shirtless hippie, "take me back country roads"... I am so thrilled for you - BP, did you find some J? Tina

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  3. Marmalada, as they call jam, is in abundance here so yes, we have enjoyed ourselves some PB&J. And the hippie... I know! But I wasn't there when the shirt came off. Was disappointed as well not to capture it on film. ;)

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