Wax stamps in the woods, an Italian philosopher mid-heatstroke, international shots at dinner, and the most beautiful sunset in the middle of absolute nowhere. Day 21 had everything.
📊 Stage Quick Facts:
- Distance: ~26 km
- Time: ~8 hours
- Difficulty: Hard (sustained uphill climb as you enter the mountains)
- Terrain: Gradual but steady ascent from the plains of Astorga into the rocky, mountain landscape of Mount Irago.
Wax Stamp
After a good breakfast and a short morning walk out of Astorga, I stumbled upon one of the most unique experiences on the trail: getting my very first traditional wax stamp in my Credentials. I met a man who was sitting right there in the woods with his stamps. He was incredibly kind and personalized the entire process for each pilgrim, choosing the wax colours based on his own intuition. He melted the wax, masterfully mixed the colours together, and after pressing the stamp, carefully painted parts of the design in gold and red. It was a true piece of art. Also, a special thank you to my fellow pilgrim for this photo – who managed to perfectly frame the only tree on the horizon directly on top of my head and cut my legs. I look like a Brazilian heading to carnival.
As the morning went on, the Camino began its steady climb toward Rabanal del Camino, a beautiful mountain village where a large number of pilgrims usually choose to stop and stay overnight. At the entrance of the town there is a beautiful spot with a yard to chill but I was feeling like I deserved to have proper 3-course lunch and, maybe (just maybe) a glass of crisp white wine to cool down, so I kept walking. The village was ending, and my hopes were leaving my exhausted body and then I saw it – restaurant (and Albergue) – El Refugio. I spend a good hour here meeting some of my fellow pilgrims checking-in for a night. After enjoying a well-deserved meal and a short break in its cozy stone interior, I laced up my boots and backpack straps and pushed forward.
The day was rapidly getting hotter, the path was relentlessly heading uphill, and the bustling crowds of the Camino completely vanished-only a few lonely fellow pilgrims could be seen on the horizon.
“Because We Are Crazy”
Somewhere high up the hill, when the heat and the incline finally got to me, I found a shady spot in the bushes to take a breather. While resting, I met an Italian girl who had also stopped to escape the sun. Summoning my rather limited knowledge of Italian, I looked at her and jokingly asked: “Perché?” (meaning: Why on earth are we still walking in this heat while everyone else is already sleeping soundly back in Rabanal?).
Without missing a beat, she looked back at me and gave the most perfect, accurate reply: “Perché, perché? Perché siamo pazzi!”
We both laughed, and honestly, that became the perfect motto for the afternoon. Since it was May, the grueling uphill climb was made absolutely breathtaking by the endless, vibrant fields of blossoming wild flowers and yellow broom lining the pathway. The views were spectacular enough to make you forget your aching legs.
International Shots in Foncebadon
My final destination for tonight was the legendary, semi-abandoned mountain village of Foncebadon. My tired ass finally rolled into town just after 19:00. It is a tiny, rustic settlement made of just a few stone streets, completely frozen in time.
The absolute highlight of my stay here was the communal dinner at the albergue. You could literally name any country, and someone from there was sitting at the table-people from all corners of the world were brought together by a single trail (charming Australian man, I remember you and your cute Australian accent!). When dessert time came, our hosts gave us a choice: we could either have a traditional sweet or a shot of a local drink. They poured us a vibrant, yellowish, semi-opaque Licor de Hierbas (a traditional herbal liqueur). I am incredibly proud to inform you that our entire table went straight for the shots!
Magic in the Middle of Nowhere
The evening turned out to be pure magic. After dinner, I walked out to the very edge of Foncebadon-which didn’t take long at all, considering the “suburbs” are just one short street away from the main road in any direction. I sat there in the quiet mountain air, watching the gorgeous sunset and soaking in that beautiful, surreal feeling of being completely in the middle of nowhere.
When I finally returned to the albergue, I found a fellow pilgrim downstairs-a lovely woman originally from Brazil who was now living in the USA. She was coughing quite badly, so I was happy to share my anti-cough candies with her. We ended up sitting together, having a warm, deep chat about how beautiful, unpredictable, and wonderfully difficult this life can be.
It was the perfect, cozy end to a challenging mountain day. Tomorrow: the legendary Cruz de Ferro. I could already feel it.
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