Mujer, tienes que mentalizarte

I slept in this morning, didn´t set an alarm and awoke around 6:30.  I was out of the albergue by 7, ready for my short day´s walk.  Right around the corner, a bakery was open and serving freshly made croissants and good coffee.  And the owner gave me a little chocolate milk shake for some reason I didn´t really understand.

By 10:15, I had walked the 14 kms to the town of Mieres headed to the tourist office to find out about hotels in town.  The great thing about walking is that a lot goes on in your head in a short distance.  As I was walking to the office, I replayed one of my conversations with Ender from the day before.  He had asked me where I was walking to, and I said I would probably stop in Mieres, that I just wasn´t feeling up to the 33 km all the way to Oviedo.  He pointed out that Mieres is really not a place to spend a day, and that the weather forecast was for better weather.  He didn´t lecture, but he said, "mujer, sólo tienes que mentalizarte."  Meaning that it´s mind over matter, it´s all a question of getting mentally prepared.  So, as I was thinking about that, realizing that it was so early, and I had only 19 km more to go, when I got to the tourist office instead of asking for a list of hotels, I asked for a stamp for my credential.

The next step was to mentalizarme.  I plopped myself down in a bench in a park, took out the guide and looked at the kms ahead.  I figured I could do the next 10 to the town of Olloniego, which included the biggest ascent of the day, and then rest there and get the next stage set in my mind.  And it worked!  I had an ice cold agua con gás and a bunch of cherries.  And on I went. Bit by bit, I made it to Oviedo and was in my pensión by 4 pm.  It was a lovely walk, Asturias is really a paradise (just ask Woody Allen, he lavishes praise on it).  Last time I walked this stage, I remember arriving in Oviedo, just wiped out by the third and final ascent, which had taken me totally by surprise. This time, I knew it was coming, and I was fine.

So, here I am in Oviedo, sort of a day early (it´s hard to be early or late on the Camino unless it´s for your plane home).  I will spend tomorrow here and then head out on the Camino Primitivo.  Feet are hanging in there.

I can never come through Oviedo without walking up to the pre-romanesque church and palace on Naranco.  These are amazing buildings, in a beautiful setting.  It's about a half hour walk up through a quiet residential neighborhood.  There is also a nice little museum to the side of the monuments.  Don't miss it.