I'll begin again with a brief recap of last night.
What a fun evening that was! Three pilgrims from the previous albergue showed up: Emilio; Xavi and Mercedes. Our albergue was on the edge of town and the only shop half a kilometre away. I offered to share the food I've been carrying and they agreed, at which point they went out to buy additional supplies. We ended up staying in the albergue and cooking up a fine meal of rice, eggs, tuna in tomato sauce and umm - whatever else was at hand. Oh, and a rather lovely salad appeared too :0)
This, it seems, is how the camino 'works'. One has bad days (I got very frustrated and annoyed by the way the camino was being carved up by new roads) and yet something happens to make it a good day. Last night was just such an event, and I went to sleep feeling very happy with the way the day had turned out.
I rose in daylight. No point in getting up in the dark and then hanging about waiting for the light. We sat around eating a few bits and pieces for breakfast, while I shared my tea bags. I really enjoy this kind of sharing, it makes everything taste a little richer.
We were all heading in the same direction today but I left first. The skies were cloudy and damp and I left with my waterproofs on. I was happy that the proper waymarking had returned (funny how such things can make a difference) and I didn't mind the spitting, intermittent light showers.
My way took me out near the coast - probably very pretty on a clear day - and through many small hamlets dotted around the hills. It was a fairly direct walk almost dead east.
Just before midday I arrived in Almuña where the next albergue was located, but since I'd only been walking for less than four hours and the rain we had been told to expect was thus far showing no signs of appearing, I decided to press on. It was about 25km further to the next albergue in Piñera but I felt it worth a try.
I was enjoying my walk today. The spirit of sharing in the albergue last night I found touching, and today the camino was much more clearly marked, with the tradtional cast ceramic shells posted at frequent intervals. This makes the walking so much more pleasant (for me, in any case) in not having to constantly search high and low at every junction to ensure that one isn't about to take a ten kilometre detour!
I was quickly in Luarca. An interesting town that appeared, like many of these ancient ports, to have an historic quarter. I descended steeply down the cliffs into the centre, over a bridge and climb back up the other side. The camino out of town went due West - the old Camino Real (Royal).
This part of the coast is not at all busy at this time of year. Music was my companion for the walk. There are no other pilgrims about - or none that I've seen anyway.
Just as I was thinking that the horrors of the impending motorway might now be behind us, what do I see appear before me but two new tunnels into the adjacent hillside and a sign for a "temporary" diversion to the camino. Hmm. In an instant my peace was ruined as I was diverted back onto a main road and making a fairly steep climb. A few more twists and turns and then down a badly made track, where all of a sudden I approach the enormous cutting through the landscape that is the route of the new roads. As I cast about for a route, hoping that I wouldn't have to go back, I noticed that there was a marker installed in the middle of the path of the motorway! I walked right across the earthworks, along the opposite side, and back over the cutting. Mad! I was now following temporary waymarkers and after another fairly steep descent I was thrust into the main road - this time with NO shoulder to walk on, and facing large lorries charging just inches past my rucksack. I swore. This didn't look much like the UNESCO listed "European Heritage Site" that the signs so proudly display. I realise I am going on a bit about the road building and the diversions, but I find it oddly disturbing that such an ancient route can be so simply dismissed, to be recreated elsewhere but lacking any deeper connection to pilgrimage. I'm close to turning inland for the final leg to Santiago. I don't expect to find the camino so comprehensively destroyed. I would go as far as to suggest (as I did the other day) that from Santillana, one can take a bus to visit Gijón and Avilés but that the walk itself - well, I'm not sure it will be classed as particularly enjoyable or interesting.
Anyway, the horrors didn't last too long and I was eventually back on the more peaceful lanes. Fortunately I had covered most of today's distance by now and a small map by a hotel showed me that I had less than an hour to my destination.
With aching feet (something like 35km today, and for some reason I didn't stop at all) I signed in a house in advance of the albergue and headed off with the key. Having a key told me that the place was locked. Since the place was locked... Yup, I arrived to find the place empty. That's okay - it makes for a calm arrival. I showered and went shopping for microwaveable food. Piñera is one of those stopping points that has no amenities beyond the albergue. Some enterprising soul has set up a small shop on the edge of town but other than that one has to fend for oneself. There is a hotel 2km previous where I imagine many pilgrims choose to share a room, but that's obviously difficult when walking alone ;0)
So, a quiet evening in the albergue. It looks as if the others stopped in Almuña so I have the place to myself. I'm currently sitting here writing my blog, snug under some blankets and listening to the hissing of cars passing outside. Whether it will rain tomorrow is currently not important. Right now things are good. I'll have no problem sleeping tonight - although the temperatures are starting to drop in the evenings. Two blankets tonight!
:0)
What a fun evening that was! Three pilgrims from the previous albergue showed up: Emilio; Xavi and Mercedes. Our albergue was on the edge of town and the only shop half a kilometre away. I offered to share the food I've been carrying and they agreed, at which point they went out to buy additional supplies. We ended up staying in the albergue and cooking up a fine meal of rice, eggs, tuna in tomato sauce and umm - whatever else was at hand. Oh, and a rather lovely salad appeared too :0)
This, it seems, is how the camino 'works'. One has bad days (I got very frustrated and annoyed by the way the camino was being carved up by new roads) and yet something happens to make it a good day. Last night was just such an event, and I went to sleep feeling very happy with the way the day had turned out.
I rose in daylight. No point in getting up in the dark and then hanging about waiting for the light. We sat around eating a few bits and pieces for breakfast, while I shared my tea bags. I really enjoy this kind of sharing, it makes everything taste a little richer.
We were all heading in the same direction today but I left first. The skies were cloudy and damp and I left with my waterproofs on. I was happy that the proper waymarking had returned (funny how such things can make a difference) and I didn't mind the spitting, intermittent light showers.
My way took me out near the coast - probably very pretty on a clear day - and through many small hamlets dotted around the hills. It was a fairly direct walk almost dead east.
Just before midday I arrived in Almuña where the next albergue was located, but since I'd only been walking for less than four hours and the rain we had been told to expect was thus far showing no signs of appearing, I decided to press on. It was about 25km further to the next albergue in Piñera but I felt it worth a try.
I was enjoying my walk today. The spirit of sharing in the albergue last night I found touching, and today the camino was much more clearly marked, with the tradtional cast ceramic shells posted at frequent intervals. This makes the walking so much more pleasant (for me, in any case) in not having to constantly search high and low at every junction to ensure that one isn't about to take a ten kilometre detour!
I was quickly in Luarca. An interesting town that appeared, like many of these ancient ports, to have an historic quarter. I descended steeply down the cliffs into the centre, over a bridge and climb back up the other side. The camino out of town went due West - the old Camino Real (Royal).
This part of the coast is not at all busy at this time of year. Music was my companion for the walk. There are no other pilgrims about - or none that I've seen anyway.
Just as I was thinking that the horrors of the impending motorway might now be behind us, what do I see appear before me but two new tunnels into the adjacent hillside and a sign for a "temporary" diversion to the camino. Hmm. In an instant my peace was ruined as I was diverted back onto a main road and making a fairly steep climb. A few more twists and turns and then down a badly made track, where all of a sudden I approach the enormous cutting through the landscape that is the route of the new roads. As I cast about for a route, hoping that I wouldn't have to go back, I noticed that there was a marker installed in the middle of the path of the motorway! I walked right across the earthworks, along the opposite side, and back over the cutting. Mad! I was now following temporary waymarkers and after another fairly steep descent I was thrust into the main road - this time with NO shoulder to walk on, and facing large lorries charging just inches past my rucksack. I swore. This didn't look much like the UNESCO listed "European Heritage Site" that the signs so proudly display. I realise I am going on a bit about the road building and the diversions, but I find it oddly disturbing that such an ancient route can be so simply dismissed, to be recreated elsewhere but lacking any deeper connection to pilgrimage. I'm close to turning inland for the final leg to Santiago. I don't expect to find the camino so comprehensively destroyed. I would go as far as to suggest (as I did the other day) that from Santillana, one can take a bus to visit Gijón and Avilés but that the walk itself - well, I'm not sure it will be classed as particularly enjoyable or interesting.
Anyway, the horrors didn't last too long and I was eventually back on the more peaceful lanes. Fortunately I had covered most of today's distance by now and a small map by a hotel showed me that I had less than an hour to my destination.
With aching feet (something like 35km today, and for some reason I didn't stop at all) I signed in a house in advance of the albergue and headed off with the key. Having a key told me that the place was locked. Since the place was locked... Yup, I arrived to find the place empty. That's okay - it makes for a calm arrival. I showered and went shopping for microwaveable food. Piñera is one of those stopping points that has no amenities beyond the albergue. Some enterprising soul has set up a small shop on the edge of town but other than that one has to fend for oneself. There is a hotel 2km previous where I imagine many pilgrims choose to share a room, but that's obviously difficult when walking alone ;0)
So, a quiet evening in the albergue. It looks as if the others stopped in Almuña so I have the place to myself. I'm currently sitting here writing my blog, snug under some blankets and listening to the hissing of cars passing outside. Whether it will rain tomorrow is currently not important. Right now things are good. I'll have no problem sleeping tonight - although the temperatures are starting to drop in the evenings. Two blankets tonight!
:0)
Cheer up dear boy and don't let all the highways get to you. Just think how crowded it would be in your albergue if all those lorry drivers had to walk on the old path and snore in your dorms, not to mention the donkeys etc.
ReplyDelete:0)
ReplyDeleteI'm cheered up - thanks :0) I was just writing it how I felt really, rather than feel any need to dress it up into some sort of mystical odyssey. It is, after all, simply a fairly long walk and not much more ;0)
Anyway, I did laugh at your comment about lorry drivers. Egad!