Oviedo

Posted byJaime CarrolloPosted inUncategorized

It is finished.

The last stage of the ruta San Salvador reflected the mixed nature of my hybrid Camino. Part social interaction, part self-reflection and part satisfaction of accomplishment, glued together with a little sadness. I have been suspended in a timeless sphere, with the world passing me by as though I were stationary. The natural beauty, the tough climbs and descents, the fellow pilgrims: all visions whose memories I try to retain. Yet now, the arrow of time has gathered me up and I am again tripping along in this beguiling life which has showered such gifts upon me.

The pilgrim’s blessing after mass last night was a reminder of the dual nature of the Camino: it is both a physical and a spiritual journey and one must respect them both. For in essence, they are one and the same. All of us share in this mystery called Life, in which space and time co-exist within an infinite and eternal universe.

At least, that is what I believe.

Just before Oviedo came into view I passed this horreo. They are a common site in the campo in Asturias and Galicia. They were originally used to store the harvest, built upon stilts to prevent rats and other rodents from scavenging the year’s hard efforts. Many date back to 300 or so years ago; most are in disrepair. This one had been transformed into a garden, with flowers and vegetables growing and presumably gardening tool storage.
This is Juan, to whom this particular horreo belonged. I had a long conversation with him. He was sorry his petunias were no longer in blossom, but he was quite proud of a squash he had grown. We discussed how he liked living in the countryside, how long his family had owned the property and his footwear.
These clog-like wooden shoes are called madreñas. On wet and muddy days, he wears them to keep his feet unsoiled. As I was leaving, he pointed to his cherry tomatoes, most of which had past their prime and were for las gallinas. He found some good ones though and offered them to me. They were sweet and juicy, like the ones Paula grows.

No one was in a hurry to end this final day’s walk, but eventually we arrived in Oviedo. Except for Liliana, of course, who arrived last, but was a reminder that we all have our own rhythm and it does not advantage one to change it.

Last evening, the core familia met up for a final gathering on Calle Gascony, the “sidreria” street. We laughed til late at night, recalling our adventures, discussing our favorite and least favorite day, the morning we met in La Robla searching for coffee, the spooky lady who appeared out of nowhere in Pajares and took us to the haunted house where we spent the night (just ask Leonel and Xenya, who saw the ghost), the swarms of gnats on the first day out of Leon, the superstrong soap that Xenya washed my shirt with that repelled the bugs (and some people) later, our fellow pilgrims, some going home, some going onto the Primitivo, and a hundred other crazy things.

We all grew on this trek, physically if not spiritually!
I could not leave Oviedo without a bowl of Fabada Asturiana. White beans slow cooked with morcilla, chorizo and pork belly.

May everyday be a buen camino for you, Caminante!

3 thoughts on “Oviedo”

  1. I hate to see it end 😞

    Here’s hoping you can smuggle a couple of those cherry tomatoes back to continue a part of your adventure with each tomatoe those plants could yield! Thank you for sharing with your words and pictures. Laurel

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