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Today was a beautiful day for hiking as the sun came up shining in a blue sky. The valleys were full of fog, but most of today was above it all. The trails were good and well indicated with a minimum of asphalt. The ascents and descents were all manageable and I took it easyContinue reading “Day 26. Up and down the Empire State Building”

Sean and Mynhardt treated us to a nourishing and filling breakfast of granola and yoghurt followed by coffee and croissants with homemade jam and marmalade. They served orange juice as well but it was not freshly squeezed as it is in many of the cafe bars along the way. The goodbyes were long and theContinue reading “Day 25. A wrench”

Alberge Miguelin is in the village of La Mesa which sits at the base of a hill atop which the giant air foils of a dozen or so wind turbines slowly rotate. I could hear the soft and distant whirrin whirrin whirrin of the blades as I fell asleep. I thought about my home inContinue reading “Day 24. San Julian, a gem of a place”

Today, I believe, was the defining stage of the Primitivo. The Camino rose from 600m to 1130m rising above the tree line to reveal some magnificent views. I took the Hospitales route which is recommended in good weather and for most of the day I had great weather. It was a magnificent day and althoughContinue reading “Day 23. The Primitivo”

I spoke of signs in a recent post. Well here is one I saw on the wall of the alberge I stayed at yesterday. Me: Hmmm! A transport service.Left foot: Yay!!!Right foot: Woo hoo!!!Me: Whoa! Doesn’t mean I’m going to use it. Left foot: Why not? We are tired of carrying your backpack.Right foot: Yeah,Continue reading “Day 22. Listen to your body”

Salas, today’s destination, is a happy little town. It was a shorter walk than average, just under 13 miles and the Alberge Valle de Nonaya where I am staying is clean and tidy. I have my own room but I share a bathroom and kitchen area with three other rooms. I was first to arriveContinue reading “Day 21. Sight for sore feet”

Are you a believer in signs? Do you think there are messages in your dreams? Do you look to the zodiac for guidance? Or is this all superstition and nonsense? Consider this: As I left my hotel in Oviedo this morning, I walked by some golden beads lying on the sidewalk. Reminded me of MardiContinue reading “Day 20. First day of the Primitivo”

Today I made it to Oviedo, or Uvieu in the Asturian language, the capital of the Principality of Asturias and the “official” starting point of the Camino Primitivo. The Umayyad invasion of the Iberian peninsula began in 711 and by the end of the decade, they controlled most of the peninsula. Pelagius (Pelayo) was aContinue reading “Day 19.”

I slept good last night and took my time setting off on the trail. Just outside of Villaviciosa, the Camino bifurcates, with the North fork heading to Gijon, the other to Oviedo and the Primitivo. Early during the planning for this trip I read about the monastery of San Salvador de Valdedios about 5 milesContinue reading “Day 18. The Tree”

Last night I was faced with a major decision. The coastal trek with its ups and downs, and trying to keep pace with Steve from Montana and Collette from New Zealand, had left me too tired to consider the options: a short walk to Colunga or a much longer trek to Villaviciosa. So I decidedContinue reading “Day 17. A little help from my friends”