a good pilgrim never complains part 2

Leaving Oviedo, we headed north to Aviles to reconnect with the Camino del Norte. Most of the pilgrims who go to Oviedo continue south on the "Camino Primitivo" through the Cordillera Cantabrica. (As you might guess, I was not tempted to cross anything "primitivo.") The walk to Aviles was one of those segments that you don´t want your parents to know about or your kids to try... we spent at least 16km on a winding secondary highway with non existent shoulder. The terrain was actually quite pretty but hard to fully appreciate when anticipating oncoming trucks. The adrenaline, however, added to speed to my gait and we arrived in good time. Aviles has a bad reputation as an unattractive industrial city and while the residential outskirts were not inspiring, the historical center of the city and parks were really wonderful with blocks and blocks of covered walks and beautiful buildings, plazas and fountains. The guide I bought said the pilgrim´s hostel in Aviles was "excellent and highly recommended" and we thought that it would be a good place to reconnect with others who were continuing on the route. Disappointment on both counts. The hostel stretched the definition of excellent well beyond the credible and the occupants were two older guy loners, a pair who left at 5:00 and a Spanish guy who was sick.

The next day, on the way out of Aviles, we ran into a very nice Spanish guy who had biked or walked most of the Caminos and was just talking a stroll. He shared his maps with us and helped to get us off the pavement. Unlike the route we have taken before, the Camino del Norte is (so far) at least 60% pavement which is very hard on the feet so any opportunity to walk on gravel, grass, leaves, even some packed mud is most welcome. Stopping for lunch in Muros de Nalon we encountered a British woman who lives there with her Spanish husband. She was an interesting character (classic motorbike enthusiast) who professed to dislike walking and characterized the Camino del Norte as poorly tended and needing a machete. We opined to the contrary and marched off in the wrong direction. (The signage on this camino is spotty: 5 arrows in one place with no choices and then lots of intersecting paths with no indication to speak of.) We found our way eventually and stayed in Cudillero, a small port reputed to have started as a base for pirates since it is very steep and well hidden from the sea. It was a great spot.

Yesterday we left Cudillero a bit before 8:00 feeling very chipper and looking forward to another beautiful coastal walk. This coast is much rougher than before with lots of steep cliffs and deep canyons so the path winds back around the canyons or steeply down and up again. Early on we had a wonderful stretch through a pine forest with soft paths. Alas, it was one of those areas lacking in arrows and we enjoyed an extra 3km or so trying to find our way. Later, our guide (in an update) indicated that an uphill segment was newly cleared and easy to traverse. On this path, the machete comment was more fully appreciated as we made our way through overgrown berry bushes, nettles and gorse so thick that it was hard to see a path (especially while disentangling my shirt from thorns or my boot from the mud beneath the weeds.) We emerged back on the road looking very much worse, kind of laughing. Another long stretch on a very lonely secondary highway and then the arrows sent us down canyon to save a kilometer before the next little hamlet. Fending off goats with my box of cookies, we bypassed a vast puddle by scrambling up over an old, moss covered rock wall. Once again adrenaline saves the day. As we proceed down (it is now 5:00 pm and we have only taken 2 breaks) the sound of running water grows louder and I figure that there is surely a bridge or crossing of some sort but no, only a very narrow mossy tree trunk. I didn´t have that much adrenaline left nor did Laurie so we looked up and down for possible crossings. Not finding any, we proceeded to collect rocks, throw them strategically in the stream and create out own crossing. (Pretty sure we earned a Girls Scout badge.) By the time we reached Santa Marina we were drenched and spent, not laughing (me at least) but pretty impressed with ourselves and our teamwork. The pension was modest and chilly, dinner was tasteless (I believe Laurie used the word disgusting for the canned roast beef) BUT the water was hot, the food was warm, the beds soft and the wine had alcohol and I slept like the dead. With visions of taking the train dancing in my head -- which I did today!