The stay at Astorga was with a Brazilian host. It was a well maintained loft dorm room with single beds, proper sheets and a blanket. It was a comfortable bed. At cheaper dorms you get a disposal sheet and pillow case.
After settling in I did my routine of foot inspection and repair (my own feet that is!). I lanced the blister that had formed on my big toe. Not that you want to hear it, but an amazing volume of liquid came out of that one. I applied iodine after, put a plaster over it and bound it with gauss tape.
I made it to the town square and had some tasty burritos. After 25km that day I didn’t feel like exploring far, but it’s a nice town set on a plateau.
Back at the albergue, I got talking with an uncle and nephew from Tennessee and Alabama. The uncle has prostate cancer and has had a lot of treatment for it. He says the only thing warding it off now is walking. He will spend the rest of his years walking until he drops he said. He gets to see a lot of the world. I think there are worse ways to spend your remaining years. He is 71.
We had a Brazilian dinner at the albergue; rice black beans and a pork casserole dish.