Detour from Frances to VdlP?

Hi All,
It's lovely to be poking around this forum again! Has anyone walked the Frances, detoured south from Astorga and hooked up with the VdlP route through Ourense to Santiago de Compostela? I walked the Frances from SJPdP in 2007, and am finally thinking its time to scratch the itch and take a second trip, tentatively spring 2017 (10-year anniversary!). I loves the camaraderie of the French route and I'm into the idea of revisiting that route to stay in different places and explore the scenery a bit more, etc (I'm not so much in a hurry as I was 10 years ago, haha) but I'd like to see some different areas as well, and am thinking it might be nice to avoid the crowds of the last weeks on the Frances.
Anyway, I'd love to hear from anyone who's done that or part of that route how doable it might be, what the scenery is like on that part of the VdlP, if it would be weird to walk "backwards" from Astorga, and if there are hostels along that part. Good idea? How much time would it add? Or would it be better to just pick a different route and have continuity? I'll be walking most likely in April and or May--I don't want to be walking alone, but not much for the crowds either.
Thanks!

I meant to say Astorga, not Astoria... silly autocorrect.

Thank you for the great information. I have some map-gazing to do...which is what I want to be doing much more than the work I'm supposed to be doing!