It seems like ages ago when we were complaining about the heat, but really it was just last week! What a relief it is to have cooler weather. This morning when we left Cadavedo the temperature was 18° and there was a breeze – perfect for hiking. Yesterday the hospitalero at our hotel suggested we go out to Ermita Regalina to watch the sunset over the ocean. We didn’t go then, but headed out first thing this morning. The Ermitage…
We might not get much sleep tonight with the San Mateo wine festival going on here in Oviedo. We should be out there celebrating, too, after making it to our final destination, but we’re tuckered out after hiking 21.5 km from Mieres del Camino to Oviedo. What a great day! What made it extra special was an invitation for coffee as we were coming down a narrow trail towards Casares. First a little dog started barking which alerted a Spanish family from…
Dave and I were feeling upbeat about the beautiful 22.4 km hike down from the Cantabrian mountains, but later the day took a downward turn. Dave got painful leg cramps that lasted well into the night. Dehydration? Lack of potassium? Solution? Maybe drink water and eat bananas. Thankfully, all is good again, so it’s time to catch up on the blog. 😊 Before we set off from Albergue Cascoxu yesterday morning, our hospitalero (Pablo) described two routes from Llanos de Someron:…
Today we could have taken a much shorter route to get from Pajares to Llanos de Someron (Chanos) where we are staying tonight – 5 km as opposed to 15.4 km. We took the long way (hiking backward on the Camino) so we could see some of the spectacular mountain views we missed the previous day when we took a taxi. A couple of peregrinas showed us their photos and we knew we’d missed the best part of this Camino….
Today was full of surprises! Our goal was to walk a leisurely 7 km to Buiza, a pretty little village just before the steep climb into the mountains. We would have a good night’s sleep and be fresh to tackle the hills in the cool morning hours. Instead, we are in the municipal albergue in Pajares, 22 km further along the Camino. This is how our plans unravelled starting with our morning walk from our pension in Pola de la Gordon…
After yesterday’s gruelling ups and downs, we knew we had to get an earlier start when it was still cool. Our burst of morning energy drains away quickly after 11 o’clock when the temperatures skyrocket. Today it reached a high of 29° but it felt hotter. We must have looked like something the cat dragged in when we finally reached Pola de la Gordon at 2 o’clock. Back to our early morning… We left the municipal albergue in Cabanillas almost an…
Today’s many ups and downs made Dave and I question this adventure we are on. What a rollercoaster day, and it is only Day 1 of the Camino San Salvador. We were warned about how hard this Camino is. No kidding! It was harder than any day on our Camino Primitivo and it’s going to get even harder in two days. The day started out to be one of the best, with blue skies and 19°. We left Leon via an…
It felt surreal to be finally heading to Spain on Monday/Tuesday after two cancellations in the last two years. Now it’s Thursday and we are in Leon, the starting point for our Camino San Salvador. Dave and I are relieved to finally leave the built environment of Barcelona, look for some fellow pilgrims, and head for the trails. Life will be a lot simpler when our only responsibility is to follow the yellow arrows. We are more than ready for that…
It feels surreal to think that tomorrow Dave and I will be on a plane heading to Spain. We cancelled plans to walk another Camino twice since 2019 – first because of the pandemic and second because of my health issue that came up last April. Everything is fine now, thank heavens. I am grateful for all the kind thoughts, prayers, and actions by caring friends and family and know they had a lot to do with this positive outcome. 🙏…
Dave and I cancelled plans to walk another Camino twice in the last two years – first because of the pandemic and second because of my health issue that came up last April. Everything is fine now, so we are geared up and excited to return to Spain in September. I am grateful for all the kind thoughts, prayers, and actions by caring friends and family. I know they had a lot to do with this positive outcome. 🙏 We hope…