Well, things are certainly improving in some respects here in Asturias. This is the second of a number of free albergues which, it has to be said, have come at a very helpful time. Had I had to continue the level of expense incurred until now my trip would have come to a slightly premature end!
And for what they are, these lodgings are very nice. Hardly top grade accommodation but they have, with the exception of cooking facilities (which are sporadic), everything necessary to sustain one. Hot water seems to be a given, which seems more wonderful the longer one walks :0)
I awoke this morning at first light (around 08:10) - which is the latest I've woken up since my first days on this walk. Part of the reason was due to the fact that last night, when it became apparent that our only female resident (a Spanish woman I had passed earlier on that day's stage) could snore like an absolute trooper! I picked up a matress, pillow and blanket and trudged off to another part of the building, closed the door and slept very well.
The weather forecast from yesterday had been right. The day began cloudy but dry and the promise of sunshine seemed realistic. The way out of town was clearly marked. I'd had a glass of wine in the bar last night and the barman is also a part of the local hospitalero network. He gave us an explanation of today's route which, it had been suggested, would follow the old main road. Hmm. First they bung in a huge great motorway along the coast, cutting through old roads and pathways at will. Secondly they then have to rush to redirect all the lost pilgrims (yes, there are!) who find their way so rudely interrupted by road building. It would seem that today's stage was one of these.
I set out following the signs and was soon directed off the road and up a steep path through the woods. A little while later I could see that we were walking on some form of provisional camino. Gone were the familiar ceramic shells fixed clearly to stone bollards - which have marked our way through Asturias thus far. Now I was following hastily sprayed yellow arrows placed absolutely minimally along the route.
I headed into a forest of eucalyptus and then began climbing. I saw an old 'proper' waymarker on the path pointing to my left, but with a yellow arrow sprayed pointing directly ahead. The path to the left looked overgrown and abandoned. I was now following a track which was created by the older installation of the gas main. All through France and Spain one can see the major pipelines indicated by yellow or orange coloured metal posts. I was now following just such a route. As a BIG hill grew before me I realised with a slightly sinking feeling that my route was now about to take me over this huge ascent. Okay - so "huge" can be qualified. It was hardly a mountain but it was the steepest and longest ascent I've seen since those few days in the Pyrénées. My goodness but it felt hard work going up - not helped by the fact that because I'm particularly keen to cook my own food now and again I've been carrying around a kilo of rice and assorted foodstuffs (tuna, tomato, sweetcorn) for the past two days!
The view from the top was impressive - all of the coast laid out before me. I could see clearly how the old routes of the camino have been wiped out by all the road building along the coast. Obviously it's important that all these vehicles traveling at high speed can arrive half an hour sooner. Much preferable to maintaining the natural peace and beauty of an area.
The climb was followed by a brief section of level terrain after which the road descended very steeply for close to 2km. It made it very hard work already - straight up and then straight down. As if yesterday hadn't been fairly taxing!
At some point on the way down, as I saw the road switch back in order to maintain the descent I found I became really quite negative about my current camino experience. Gone was the sense of walking through history and sharing in a common experience. I felt we were being herded like sheep now - in the quickest and most expedient manner to the next town, with no real consideration of the camino itself or of what it could offer. Funnily enough I was to find identical sentiments echoed by Emilio, one of the guys from last night who recently pitched up here at the albergue. There are views of the coast on this stage, and sometimes some beautiful glimpses, but one also sees the large, ugly encroachments of factories, retail parks and ill considered urban expansion.
The descent took me back onto the tarmac of a main road. Okay, so not a terribly busy main road but a main road all the same. The ruta del Norte has seen a huge amount of tarmac. Compared with the camino in France this is already massively over-developed. I'd even go so far as to say that since Santillana (and while there have been some beautiful sights en route) the entire coastal route - the Camino del Norte - has basically been lost forever under the surfeit of roadbuilding courtesy of extensive European funding.
After a while some yellow markers appeared and I exited the road and began descending towards the coast. This path appeared to be an established track down to a small secluded beach. A tricky descent among large stones, leaves and wet clay. Just before the beach the path headed left over a stream and then back up the other side of the valley. A long detour that appeared to serve no purpose other than to temporarily redirect the pilgrim away from the road.
Again I felt a sense of a great loss. These paths just didn't feel established or well chosen. For those that will be walking this camino in the years to come, I can only think how much further impoverished might be the experience, as the camino is constantly readjusted to the needs of the road construction lobbies.
Once I began climbing the away from the beach the sun came out. I looked up between the eucalyptus to see blue sky :0) I took off my windproof jacket which had been necessary against a very chilly wind in the morning. Winter must be on its way. Now that I was walking in the sunshine things were at least more enjoyable.
I climbed back out onto the road and headed off following the arrows. Cows at pasture stared contentedly from their paddocks. Farm tracks led off on either side to neat, silent houses. In the distance the rocks and the surf were visible.
I found one further diversion away from the road and took it - aware that last night's talk had mentioned two diversions. Surely I couldn't be in Cadavedo already? I looked at the time - 13:00 hrs. 22km? Really? No wonder the soles of my boots are almost worn away!
I passed a supermarket still unsure of my exact whereabouts but bought some bread, two satsumas and some biscuits. The till receipt said "Supermarket Cadavedo" so that confirmed it - not far to go now.
Indeed there wasn't. I asked a couple I saw sitting outside a bar and they pointed: "there" they said. I was 75 metres from the albergue.
I found the door closed but unlocked so let myself in, signed the book as requested, and showered. Nice. This is another free albergue and I was able to wash my clothes (I'm hoping they dry before this evening's predicted rain) and get comfortable early in the afternoon. It's a good thing sometimes to arrive early and be able to rest the body - particularly the feet. These have been two difficult stages for different reasons. I know the camino del Norte is supposed to be more challenging, but I obviously need to look after myself in order to continue walking comfortably.
About an hour or so after I arrived two of the guys from last night turned up. After we got chatting (no real opportunity yesterday) we seem agreed on trying to find a way to cook a shared meal tonight rather than keep paying in the restuarants. If not well, I'll have to dine out again but it will mean a further day with the extra weight of the food - which I was supposed to be eating, not carrying! And as it happened the hospitalero turned up bringing firewood! There was an old wood-fired stove in one corner and which still worked. Problems solved :0) After he stamped the credentials and left we got busy lighting the stove. We soon had rice, eggs, tuna cooking on the hotplates. Nice :0)
Much later in the evening, when we felt it most unlikely that any further pilgrims might arrive we heard a knock on the door to find two young Spaniards who had had a very long and tiring day in the rain. I think they were pleased to find some life in the albergue and a few smiling faces :0)
I've been told that the weather tomorrow midday onwards is forecast to be VERY heavy rain. Hmm... There are three further free albergues west of here. I'll see how it goes tomorrow and which one I'll make it to. I'll be leaving Asturias in about three days. From here it's Galicia and Santiago!
And for what they are, these lodgings are very nice. Hardly top grade accommodation but they have, with the exception of cooking facilities (which are sporadic), everything necessary to sustain one. Hot water seems to be a given, which seems more wonderful the longer one walks :0)
I awoke this morning at first light (around 08:10) - which is the latest I've woken up since my first days on this walk. Part of the reason was due to the fact that last night, when it became apparent that our only female resident (a Spanish woman I had passed earlier on that day's stage) could snore like an absolute trooper! I picked up a matress, pillow and blanket and trudged off to another part of the building, closed the door and slept very well.
The weather forecast from yesterday had been right. The day began cloudy but dry and the promise of sunshine seemed realistic. The way out of town was clearly marked. I'd had a glass of wine in the bar last night and the barman is also a part of the local hospitalero network. He gave us an explanation of today's route which, it had been suggested, would follow the old main road. Hmm. First they bung in a huge great motorway along the coast, cutting through old roads and pathways at will. Secondly they then have to rush to redirect all the lost pilgrims (yes, there are!) who find their way so rudely interrupted by road building. It would seem that today's stage was one of these.
I set out following the signs and was soon directed off the road and up a steep path through the woods. A little while later I could see that we were walking on some form of provisional camino. Gone were the familiar ceramic shells fixed clearly to stone bollards - which have marked our way through Asturias thus far. Now I was following hastily sprayed yellow arrows placed absolutely minimally along the route.
I headed into a forest of eucalyptus and then began climbing. I saw an old 'proper' waymarker on the path pointing to my left, but with a yellow arrow sprayed pointing directly ahead. The path to the left looked overgrown and abandoned. I was now following a track which was created by the older installation of the gas main. All through France and Spain one can see the major pipelines indicated by yellow or orange coloured metal posts. I was now following just such a route. As a BIG hill grew before me I realised with a slightly sinking feeling that my route was now about to take me over this huge ascent. Okay - so "huge" can be qualified. It was hardly a mountain but it was the steepest and longest ascent I've seen since those few days in the Pyrénées. My goodness but it felt hard work going up - not helped by the fact that because I'm particularly keen to cook my own food now and again I've been carrying around a kilo of rice and assorted foodstuffs (tuna, tomato, sweetcorn) for the past two days!
The view from the top was impressive - all of the coast laid out before me. I could see clearly how the old routes of the camino have been wiped out by all the road building along the coast. Obviously it's important that all these vehicles traveling at high speed can arrive half an hour sooner. Much preferable to maintaining the natural peace and beauty of an area.
The climb was followed by a brief section of level terrain after which the road descended very steeply for close to 2km. It made it very hard work already - straight up and then straight down. As if yesterday hadn't been fairly taxing!
At some point on the way down, as I saw the road switch back in order to maintain the descent I found I became really quite negative about my current camino experience. Gone was the sense of walking through history and sharing in a common experience. I felt we were being herded like sheep now - in the quickest and most expedient manner to the next town, with no real consideration of the camino itself or of what it could offer. Funnily enough I was to find identical sentiments echoed by Emilio, one of the guys from last night who recently pitched up here at the albergue. There are views of the coast on this stage, and sometimes some beautiful glimpses, but one also sees the large, ugly encroachments of factories, retail parks and ill considered urban expansion.
The descent took me back onto the tarmac of a main road. Okay, so not a terribly busy main road but a main road all the same. The ruta del Norte has seen a huge amount of tarmac. Compared with the camino in France this is already massively over-developed. I'd even go so far as to say that since Santillana (and while there have been some beautiful sights en route) the entire coastal route - the Camino del Norte - has basically been lost forever under the surfeit of roadbuilding courtesy of extensive European funding.
After a while some yellow markers appeared and I exited the road and began descending towards the coast. This path appeared to be an established track down to a small secluded beach. A tricky descent among large stones, leaves and wet clay. Just before the beach the path headed left over a stream and then back up the other side of the valley. A long detour that appeared to serve no purpose other than to temporarily redirect the pilgrim away from the road.
Again I felt a sense of a great loss. These paths just didn't feel established or well chosen. For those that will be walking this camino in the years to come, I can only think how much further impoverished might be the experience, as the camino is constantly readjusted to the needs of the road construction lobbies.
Once I began climbing the away from the beach the sun came out. I looked up between the eucalyptus to see blue sky :0) I took off my windproof jacket which had been necessary against a very chilly wind in the morning. Winter must be on its way. Now that I was walking in the sunshine things were at least more enjoyable.
I climbed back out onto the road and headed off following the arrows. Cows at pasture stared contentedly from their paddocks. Farm tracks led off on either side to neat, silent houses. In the distance the rocks and the surf were visible.
I found one further diversion away from the road and took it - aware that last night's talk had mentioned two diversions. Surely I couldn't be in Cadavedo already? I looked at the time - 13:00 hrs. 22km? Really? No wonder the soles of my boots are almost worn away!
I passed a supermarket still unsure of my exact whereabouts but bought some bread, two satsumas and some biscuits. The till receipt said "Supermarket Cadavedo" so that confirmed it - not far to go now.
Indeed there wasn't. I asked a couple I saw sitting outside a bar and they pointed: "there" they said. I was 75 metres from the albergue.
I found the door closed but unlocked so let myself in, signed the book as requested, and showered. Nice. This is another free albergue and I was able to wash my clothes (I'm hoping they dry before this evening's predicted rain) and get comfortable early in the afternoon. It's a good thing sometimes to arrive early and be able to rest the body - particularly the feet. These have been two difficult stages for different reasons. I know the camino del Norte is supposed to be more challenging, but I obviously need to look after myself in order to continue walking comfortably.
About an hour or so after I arrived two of the guys from last night turned up. After we got chatting (no real opportunity yesterday) we seem agreed on trying to find a way to cook a shared meal tonight rather than keep paying in the restuarants. If not well, I'll have to dine out again but it will mean a further day with the extra weight of the food - which I was supposed to be eating, not carrying! And as it happened the hospitalero turned up bringing firewood! There was an old wood-fired stove in one corner and which still worked. Problems solved :0) After he stamped the credentials and left we got busy lighting the stove. We soon had rice, eggs, tuna cooking on the hotplates. Nice :0)
Much later in the evening, when we felt it most unlikely that any further pilgrims might arrive we heard a knock on the door to find two young Spaniards who had had a very long and tiring day in the rain. I think they were pleased to find some life in the albergue and a few smiling faces :0)
I've been told that the weather tomorrow midday onwards is forecast to be VERY heavy rain. Hmm... There are three further free albergues west of here. I'll see how it goes tomorrow and which one I'll make it to. I'll be leaving Asturias in about three days. From here it's Galicia and Santiago!
No comments:
Post a Comment