I´m feeling like Goldilocks right now -- this Camino is just right. Not too many people (like the Francés), not too few people (or better said, no people, like the Salvador and Vadiniense). I´ve fallen in with a group of six others. We are doing the same stages and wind up staying at the same place, running into each other along the way, and eating our evening meal together. One of the young women in the group was a chef so we are well taken care of.
The last time I walked the Camino Primitivo, there were essentially no other women, and no young people. This time, there are lots of both. My little group consists of two Spanish guys (40s and 50s), a Salvadoran guy in his late 30s, and three 20-somethings (a woman from US and two Canadians). We all get along, and have laughed a lot.
What has made this Camino especially nice is that we have been staying in some special albergues. Our first night out of Oviedo, we were up on a hill, in an old school building looking out over the Asturian countryside. The hospitalero cooked dinner for the 20 of us and we sat outside and enjoyed it to the max.
Our second albergue was just what the doctor ordered after a full day of walking in the rain. Alejandro, the guy whose house it is, was a taxi driver for 14 years in Madrid. He gave it up after he walked this Camino, bought an old run down house right on the Camino and has turned it into a spectacular albergue. He washed our clothes in a washing machine, made us dinner and breakfast, and served us wine made by friends from Galicia. The evening was capped with a few pretty great card tricks!
Then we had a day of green pastures, mountain views, little stone villages. It was an incredible walk, through the town of Tineo, and then on a few more kms to the little hamlet of Campielllo, where a woman named Herminia has captured the pilgrim market. She owns and operates an albergue, a casa rural, a bar/restaurante, and a few non-pilgrim ventures (such as the local outdoor "bowling alley") as well.
Yesterday´s walk is one that is described in all the guidebooks as dangerous, remote, etc etc. Well, it´s not that at all. The 7 of us set out together and knew we´d be sticking close together. We had a thick mist the entire way. We made a lean-to out of a couple of ponchos and huddled under them for a quick lunch, but it was a long dreary day. The high points were walking through a big group of wild Asturian horses (I learned why the Moors were unable to conquer the Asturians -- apparently it´s because they used big horses ill equipped for mountain dashing, while the small nimble Asturian horses were able to run circles around them).
Our albergue last night had heat pouring out of the radiators but cold showers, go figure, in the small town of Berducedo. There is a small municipal albergue (about 12 beds) and a private albergue and casa rural.. We ate in a restaurant that was recently bought by a young Spanish guy who lost his job.
The Spanish system is a fairly sensible one, I think -- the new owner told us that since he qualified for full unemployment benefits because of his work history, he had the option of taking a lump sum unemployment payout, so long as he could show that he was going to use it to open a business. Well, he took over what used to be a fancy restaurant in this tiny town and turned it into a more down-home kind of place. Dinner served whenever you want it, but only one choice. You get two fried eggs, four slices of lomo (cured pork), french fries, and a big lettuce and tomato salad. Topped off with regional wine, 8€. I ´think it´s a pretty good business model, much better than his predecessors who served fancy prix fixe seven course meals. Not sure that appeals to many peregrinos.
Today, there was a descent of 3000 feet. Oh my knees. Down to another dam and reservoir.
That of course was followed by crossing over the dam and ascending back up to the town where we are now. Luckily, there was a nice hotel/cafe on the side overlooking the reservoir with a very nice terrace. The young-uns had beer. I stuck to coffee.
The climb back up, to the town of Grandas de Salime was hard -- not quite 3000' up but close. So even though it was a short day of 20 kms, it was tough. There's a brand new albergue in this town, it's just terrific, great kitchen so our young sous chef could go to town and feed us all!
I´m sorry I´ve not been in touch, but there is very little internet on this Camino. In a few days I´ll be in Lugo, but it will be the weekend, so I´m not sure I´ll find internet there either.
My feet are fine, they just look a little ugly. Can´t believe I´ve got less than 200 kms to Santiago, but I´m going to forge on to Finisterre and Muxía if my body cooperates!
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