Camino Norte de Santiago: Part 2

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Day 13: Saturday 21 September.

Islares to Santona: 23km.

I got up at 6am to go to the toilet and the warden was busy with the breakfast. I went back to bed and waited nearly an hour before starting to pack and go through to see about eating. He was sitting staring into space when I went to fill up a cup of coffee, he said it was E3 for breakfast if I wanted coffee, we thought it was included in the initial charge. We paid and made the most of it eating lots of toast, drinking plenty coffee and having a couple of croissants. There was fruit juice in small container and I  managed to slip three in my bag but when Liz tried to take some croissants for later the hospitelier told her to eat them at the table they weren't for taking away, she did that. I asked for some milk in my little bottle for our morning coffee later but he wouldn't let me, though I could drink it at the table as well.

The weather was dry and warm this morning and we started off in just shorts and t-shirt. The route according to my guide followed the direction of the N634, and moved on and off it all the way to Loredo. Walter and Kia were going to stick to the road avoiding the various deviations to off-road paths but we planned to stick to the arrows. It was on the N634 for two or three kilometres then there was one of these annoying choices. After some deliberation we decided that one option was indicating the way to the albergue at El Pontarron and the other arrow showed the official Camino. Wrong! The way we took went over a hill and down the other side and back to a tarred road which we thought was the N634 again, it wasn't, it was a minor 'C' road at Nocina. This wasn't on my map but what was more annoying was the sign post that said 24km to Loredo, it was only supposed to have been 18 km when left 3 kms ago. The next place was Rioseca and we went round a village that wasn't anywhere on my route map. At a picnic area we stopped for coffee and consulted Liz's guide book, these places were marked in that book. It was 3 km to the next village at La Magdalena and when we got there the signpost now said 21 km to Loredo still a long way. The route was now very nice as we climbed through eucalyptus forests and then over a col and into the Liendo valley. We still didn't know where we were and the sea was nowhere in sight. The road was now flat and was a very pleasant walk and we dropped down to go under the motorway and into the town of Liendo.

At last we were back on the map in my guide book again, and we stopped with relief for a lunch break at Liendo. From there it was a climb to reach the N634 again, and it continued to go up before dropping for the last 3 km into Loredo which we could see below. The kilometre marker at the side of the road showed 167 km, when we left this road ages ago it was indicating 157km. If we had stayed on the road it would have been only 10 km, we had covered at least 50% more on our loop.

As we dropped down to Loredo we could hear music below, there was some sort of event taking place. We stopped at the first bar in the old town for a welcome cold beer; the barman kindly supplied a plate of olives to go with it.
 

Colourful parade Loredo.

 As we sat there the music started and a procession passed close by. There was drums, trumpets, jugglers, a man on stilts, people in traditional and medieval costumes. It was a religious event of some sort and the priest took up the rear. There were plenty of decoration and the town was festooned with flags, banners and coloured ribbons.

When we started again it was through very crowded streets that were busy for the festival and there was a market taking place with lots of stalls. We headed for the port area to enquire about the ferry over the Ria de Treto to Santona. We couldn't get into the docks but I asked a man at the Red Cross station and he said that the ferry was at the end of the playa (beach) and was operational. 

Long beach walk Loredo

The bay at Loredo was huge and the esplanade round it stretched for about 4 km; Moira suggested that we head down to the water's edge and cut off a lot of the distance; we agreed and saved a lot of time, it still took us about an hour. The ferry was at the other side of the river and we signalled by waving, he was soon with us and after dropping his few passengers we were up the gangway from the beach and heading for the other side and Santona.

Boarding ferry to Santona

When we arrived there was Kia on the bank, he had got there earlier but didn't know where the albergue was. While he and Liz consulted there guide books I used the well tried method and asked a few locals. I was successful and we were soon on the right road. It was a Youth Hostel but the dorms were full, though they did have tents. The woman phoned a few pensions for us but they were also full. We settled for a tent and Liz joined us, they were quite large and we were able to stand up in it. Walter was already there and settled in his tent, he had arrived about an hour before us. It was the holiday period and the week end. It cost E14:50 each for evening meal, breakfast and the tent; dinner wasn't until 8:30 pm.

After showering Moira and Liz walked into the town to a supermarket for some fruit, wine and they also bought crisps to keep us going until dinner. I stayed in the hostel lounge and worked on my diary/blog. It was annoying when I spent an hour on today's activities to lose it all by pressing a wrong button. I had to start and redo it all just before dinner. There were no kitchen facilities for making tea or coffee, we had to make do drinking wine and eating crisps until dinner.

The meal was disgusting and we complained about it. There was soup which wasn't too bad, followed by what was supposed to be a hamburger and chips then a tub of yoghurt. There was no wine included and we drank what Moira had bought at the supermarket. 

We went to the lounge again and it was full of noisy youngsters, another lounge was free and I worked on my diary again. We managed to get Internet and I saved everything to Google Drive. We had a problem with Yahoo email; they have frozen it because of 'unusual activity', meaning we had used it in Spain. They wanted us to change our password but when we did, it wouldn't accept it. Moira is going to text Suzy and hope she can sort it out for us. More youngsters came in to the lounge and turned on the TV. We packed up and went to our tent and bed.

It was a bit noisy with traffic on the nearby road but we didn't hear anything from the main hostel itself. Moira and Liz both slept all right but I was bit stiff and sore on the hard tent flooring even with two mattresses.

Day14: Sunday 22 September.

Santona to Guemes: 22km.

I got up to the loo at 6:30am and checked out the dining room where the breakfast was set up, hoping I could make a cup of coffee. The coffee was already made and cold in a jug to be reheated in the microwave. There was only enough in the jug to do the peregrinos in the tents. I left it and went back to the tent and wakened Moira and Liz to get up and have breakfast first. We did that and made sure we had our fair share of the coffee. There was also cornflakes, bread and jam, tea biscuits and Magdalena cookies; so it wasn't bad. Moira filled up the little bottle with milk for our 'elevenses'. 

The woman at the hostel had marked a town map with the direction we had to take to get on to the Camino again. It was a roundabout route and we seemed to be going into the town again when a local directed us on to a walking and cycling path that was pleasant walk to the Playa de Berria and along an esplanade to a headland at the end of the beach. 
 

Playa de Berria

It was a steep climb and scramble to the top of the headland, Punta del Brisco, which was covered in prickly gorse. Going down the other side wasn't quite as steep and we were soon down at the end of the next beach, Playa de Noja. In the distance at the other end was the resort of Noja. The yellow arrow directed us along the beach and it was another good walk on hard packed sand near the water's edge. As we got close to Noja a small stream ran down to the sea and we had to take our shoes and socks off to cross it, we left them off and walked in the shallows to the town. It was very good for our sore and tender feet.

Church and town square, Noja

We had headed for the church tower that we could see clearly all the way along the beach and headed up to it once we left the sand and had our shoes and socks back on. There were no arrows or indications as we left the beach but we picked them up at the church, again with the help of a local who noticed we were a bit lost. Once the route was obvious again we stopped at a bar for a coffee. It was now very hot with a cloudless blue sky and it was more comfortable having the coffee made for us and sitting under the shade of an umbrella.

Setting off again the waymarks were now plentiful as the Camino took lots of twists and turns along quiet country lanes in rural farming country. It went through a number of small villages, Castillo, San Miguel de Meruelo, and Bareyo before reaching our destination for the day, Guemes. The Camino also took a few detours from the shortest path to visit churches at San Migual and Solorga. There was also a lovely old bridge at Solorga that crossed a fast flowing stream and weir. When we came into San Migual a local woman said 'only 6kms to go', Liz was delighted and wouldn't believe me when I told her they were wrong it was closer to 10 km. She keeps consulting her guide book but has no idea where she is at any point in time, so hasn't a clue how far to go. How she manages to navigate when on her own is a mystery. She also wants to keeps deviating from the waymarked course and stay on the road believing it to be shorter; I don't let her!

We stopped at a bench by the roadside at the end of San Migual for lunch. There was no shade and it was boiling but it was a good break. Kai and his Spanish friend came along and Liz had to ask them the distance to go, she wasn't pleased when the agreed with my estimate. This was further confirmed when we reached Bareyo and the signpost indicated 6.5km to the albergue. It was only 4.5km to Guemes where we stopped for a cold beer before tackling the final 2km off-route to the albergue. It was a luxury albergue as advertised. The dorms had ten bunks and plenty of headroom between, we all got bottom bunks. The showers were nice and hot, and Moira managed to get all our laundry done in a washing machine. The lounge was huge and the only problem was no facilities to make coffee. There was a private kitchen as they supplied meals, we are hoping they are better than last night's.

We lay down in the dorm and relaxed until we had to go to a talk about the history of the albergue and the Camino before dinner. I said sarcastically to Liz that this was going to be a 'barrel of laughs', how right I was!. An old guy who built the albergue went round everyone to find out the common languages, English being what most understood. He spoke Spanish only and selected a peregrino who could translate into English, what he said. It was the most boring and uncoordinated talk I've ever been to, and we have been through lots of bilingual disjointed lectures in English and Afrikaans in South Africa. This went on for an hour; everyone was bored and hungry and kept looking at their watches. I was feeling sick with hunger and probably dehydration, it had been very hot and I didn't get my supply of liquids this afternoon in the form of coffee. At last he finished and the room quickly clear as there was a rush to the dining room and dinner.

The dinner was all right, much better than last night's and it was served with smiling faces. We had soup, pasta with tomato sauce and tuna (not as good as Moira's), and the tub of yoghurt to finish. There was a good supply of wine and we probably appreciated it more as we were famished. When we finished the old guy stood up and started another talk. He was on about how there wasn't a set charge but a donativo (a donation) which wasn't a donation. We were to consider what the service was worth and give accordingly. 

The only thing I could think was going on was some tax avoidance, no tax paid on a donation but he wanted more than a simple donation. We put in E20 each but the Spanish guy next to us was only giving E5. The Spanish believe a donativo means a very cheap night, even a free one.

Soon the talking was over and we were able to get to bed. There were ten in our dorm and I was sleeping before the lights went out. It was quiet during the night being out in the country and no noisy traffic and for once no snoring.

Day 15: Monday 23 September.

Guemes to Boo de Pielagos: 25.5km.

I was awake at 6 am and lay there waiting for people to start moving but everybody stayed sleeping. At 7am I got up anyway and started packing, this got Moira and Liz up as well but the rest just kept sleeping. We were first down for breakfast and it was good with plenty of coffee to revive us. There was bread and jam, fruit and ginger nut biscuits. Moira filled the little bottle with milk and we all took an apple for later.

It was a beautiful morning with the sun beginning to rise as we hit the trail; it was going to be another very hot day with no clouds in sight. Originally we thought we would have to go all the way back to Guemes to pick up the trail but there was a back lane from the albergue that took us across to pick up the road out of Guemes, this probably saved a couple of kilometres. We met it at the village of Gargollo and it was a nice easy fast downhill. Moira stopped to take off her top as it warmed up but Liz kept going, we could always see her in the distance but didn't catch her again until we were at the ferry station in Somo. At the bottom of the hill the quiet back road met the quite busy CA141 to Somo and Santander. We were going to Somo and the ferry would take us over estuary to Santander, this would save a long walk of about 20 kilometres up river to find a crossing. Our route marked a couple of detours into villages beside the Ca141 passing the local village square and church then meeting the main road again. We decided to omit these visits and just keep straight on the 'CA141 to Somo. When the road came out of the first loop round Galizano there was a nice cycle track that took us away from the traffic. Liz was still far in front and obviously missed this pleasant path, she kept to the road facing the oncoming cars and trucks. When we reached Somo we lost some time asking direction to the ferry point and when we did arrive at it the ferry was just pulling out, we had half an hour to wait for the next one. I took advantage of this delay by getting the cooker out and making a cup of coffee.

Ferry to Santander

It was a very pleasant sail on the ferry to Santander; it took about 20 minutes and cost E2:60 each. We got lovely views of the water front and esplanade; there were some beautiful looking buildings. Liz pointed out the Royal Palace in Santander on top of a rise at the far end of the point. It had taken us 2 hours to do the 11 km to Somo and the conditions had 

The Royal palace, Santander

been fine, on the ferry the sea breeze kept us cool, but once we were walking through the city it was beginning to get uncomfortably hot, the temperature indicators on pharmacies showed 20*C. The street map in the guide book showed it was a straight road out from the city starting at the Cathedral. We found the Cathedral and eventually a shell sign then kept going straight. There wasn't many waymarks at all and we had to keep asking people if we were going in the right direction. They assured us we were and we kept going. On the way Moira stocked up with coffee and cheese at a small supermarket and I managed to get another Gaz canister at an ironmonger's. Eventually we cleared the busy part of the city and were in the suburbs and the yellow arrows became more plentiful. 

Cathedral, Santander.

With all the hassle with late meals and sitting around waiting we decided to have our main meal at lunch time and sandwiches in the evening in our own time. We were striding out now confident we were heading in the right direction when we came to a bar offering 'menu del dia ' in the suburb of Penacastillo. It was very nice; Liz and I had a pasta salad and Moira soup followed by the three of us having steak and chips. Liz asked for mustard and had an accident when the top came of the bottle and it emptied all over the place, fortunately not over her meal. We had a bottle of red wine and finished with iced cream cones.

When we started off again it was now boiling hot, we kept to anywhere that was giving any hint of shade. Soon we left the main road and it was back streets and country lanes, very pleasant except for the heat. The map kept us in touch with where we were as it showed the places we went under the motorway and ran beside the railway. At the village of Santa Cruz de Bezana we found a bench in the shade where we rested and had a drink of water to stave off dehydration. It was twisting and turning through back streets and lanes again to the next village of Mompia where we stopped for another rest and more water. Liz didn't stop but pushed on and we didn't see her again, the annoying thing was that she had the card and the address of the albergue in Boo de Pielagos where we were going. We were still following yellow arrows and they went on and on, the area was called Boo de Pielagos but it was huge and there was no indication of any albergue. I was getting annoyed and thinking of finding an hotel or even getting a train back to Santander, nobody we asked knew anything about an albergue. Suddenly a sign said 200 metres to the albergue and there it was on the other side of the railway line beside the church. Liz was there and said it was full and we would be in tents, I didn't care. It was when the hospitelier led us upstairs that I realised she was joking. It was a lovely albergue and a few small dorms with their own toilet and shower. After dumping our bags at a bunk we had a shower and there was towels we could use as well, they were nice and fluffy much better than our camping ones.

 Once we had settled on a bunk we had a lovely shower and there was a kitchen for me to make a cup of coffee. There was also Wi-Fi and we now got connected again with our email, Suzy had managed to change the password successfully. Moira was able to pay our dues to the time share company in South Africa, download her magazine and today's Metro newspaper. We also got up to date photographs of Hollie.

We could have had a meal here and they actually supplied it when you wanted.  But we had eaten and so just had a cheese sandwich with a bottle of wine. There was a couple there we hadn't met before, Mary and Jerry, they were from Anchorage in Alaska. We had a good chat with them, and told about our experience on the Chilkoot Trail, they hadn't done it. It was nice evening sitting in the kitchen dining room chatting, I practiced my French on another man who was keeping pace with us who we had seen in the last few albergues. He was Joel from Marseilles in France. I ended up doing everyone's washing up; Liz had gone off to bed and left her plates and glasses. Kerry bought another bottle of wine and we had a glass with him before we all got to bed. 

It was very comfortable, I didn't have to use my sleeping bag, there was a duvet supplied but it was so warm I only had it over my legs. The major problem during the night was mosquitoes, I was scratching and itching, where they had bitten, most of the night.

Day 16: Tuesday 24 September.

Boo de Pielagos to Santillana del Mar: 22 km.

The distance was supposed to be 29 km but it was legitimate to take the train, from the station next to the hostel at Boo, over the Rio Pas instead of walking up to Acre and crossing the river there. This saved us 7 km and everyone from the hostel was using the train. Moira said she had read that people used to walk along the railway and cross the bridge but the railway company thought this was a safety hazard and allowed peregrinos to use the train free. 

We were up before 7 am and had a lovely breakfast before packing. There was coffee made just to heat in the microwave, muesli which we had with yoghurt, bought a few days back, and banana, toast and jam. Once packed we made our way to the station, it was about a 15 minute wait for the train and by that time everyone from the albergue was there to make the crossing. It only took 2 minutes to cross the river and arrive at the station on the other side, Mogro.

From the station it was well arrowed but at a main road everyone stopped to argue, some said it was along the main road, others to follow an arrow on the opposite side indicating up a hill. A local pointed up the hill so that was the way we went. There weren't any waymarks on this road and we asked whenever we met someone and were assured everything was all right. A passing cyclist said this was an alternative that ran parallel to the official route and would meet with it in 4km. He was right and we met the signs again at Barcena de Cudon. The route was all on tar today and on this road it was quiet but once on the official Camino the area got very industrial and we were on busy 'N' roads again, though on a safe pavement. It was nice again weather wise, at first with a clear sky, it looked like another hot one, but later some clouds came over and kept it cooler. It wasn't long after we started walking that Moira had a pain in her knee and stopped to get some pain killers out of her pack, Liz was off not caring if Moira needed any assistance. We saw her at a bar about an hour later wanting to see if we were stopping for coffee but we said 'no' and kept going. She didn't stop either and we let her steam on ahead again and slowed our pace intentionally. When she was out of sight we found a grassy spot by a small river in the busy commercial centre of Requejada where I set up the cooker for coffee. We didn't see Liz for the rest of today's route.

The Collegiate, Santillana del Mar

After our break it was only a short distance by the side of busy roads and next to factories before again on country roads. There was a nice walking path as a pavement beside the road and it was more comfortable underfoot. It was undulating through the villages of Vivada, and Camplengo before going under the highway into the quaint ' olde worlde ' town of Santillana del Mar. We found the albergue next to the museum but it didn't open until 4 pm. We left our rucksacks first in the queue and went to look for a restaurant. There were quite a number to choose from offering ' menu del dia' at prices ranging from E12 to E13:50. We chose the cheaper variety and were the only people in the place; she gave us the menu and didn't come back, after 5 minutes we walked out, there being plenty to pick from. The one we settled for had a few people dining but they were very quick and efficient, we had a basket of bread and a bottle of vino tinto while they got our starters ready. We had mixed salad for Moira and I had prawns with spaghetti in a garlic butter sauce. For main course it was roast chicken and chips, finishing off with an iced cream cone for Moira and peaches for me. It was delicious and the service first class, they deserved the tip I left.

Here at Santillana del Mar there is a route that connects with the Camino Francais. It goes through the valleys of Besaya, Camesa, and Pisuerga making it a centre for pilgrims taking the different ways. The town has still a look of the Middle Ages with its cobbled streets and quaint old houses, narrow lanes and its famous cloisters at the Collegiate.

Santillana

Pop. 1081: The town of Santillana arose in the shadow of the mighty Abbey of Santa Juliana, where the relics of this martyr were kept and venerated. During the Early and High Middle Ages, its domains extended along central and west Cantabria, controlling numerous churches and chapels within its jurisdiction. It is known worldwide for conserving the appearance it had in the Modern Era, with two main streets forming a Y axis. At the ends are the Collegiate Church and Main Square, with the 15th century Merino Tower. The first is a fine example of Romanesque architecture in the north of the peninsula, and its cloister is particularly worthy of mention as it has a superb collection of elaborate capitals. Other interesting buildings are the 15th century Tower of Don Borja; the Houses of Águila and La Parra, from the 16th-17th centuries; or the 18th century Palace of the Marquis of Benemejís, among many others. The Regina Coeli Diocesan Museum dedicated to the Cantabrian religious heritage is also situated in the town centre. If we are talking about museums, we really should go 1.5 kilometres further south to visit the replica of the Cave of Altamira and its museum, situated next to the original. This cave was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and is one of the finest examples in the world of prehistoric cave drawing. Its polychrome chamber is considered to be the Sistine Chapel of Paleolithic art.

Extract from 'The Northern Ways to Santiago'

As we left the restaurant after lunch and heading back towards the albergue we met Liz. She had got herself into a room for E30, she didn’t intend waiting until 4 pm to get into the albergue. We told her the restaurant we had been in was first class and left her to think about it. Arriving back at the hostel there was one other peregrino there, Walter; later others arrived, the four French Canadians from Guemes, two Swiss guys, Jerry and Mary from Alaska, a Dutchman who had walked all the way from Santander did the loop round Acre to cross the river and not the train. We had a wait of two hours before we got in and I moved a chair near opening time to the front door to make sure we were first in the queue. I did get in first and we had the choice of all the beds, two bottom bunks. Later Jerry and Mary's daughter who had been sleeping on the beach somewhere with two Frenchmen arrived, with the Frenchmen. The place was finally full when Kai turned up, now with a Welshman from Cardiff in tow.

Walter had a problem with the snap buckle on his rucksack, part of it had broken. He set off to find a place to repair it. I didn't think he would have any luck but later he came back after a long bus journey somewhere with the job done; free of charge for a peregrino. I don't even know of a place in Greenock or even Glasgow where that sort of thing would be repaired on the premises.

We went out to have a look around the town. The cloisters at the Collegiate were supposed to be famous but at E3 each to visit we didn't bother. There were some lovely old buildings and church to admire and photograph for the outside. There were lots of tourists about and a large car park near the supermarket we visited was full with their buses, Santillana is a real tourist trap. At the supermarket we bought some bread and wine then wandered back. On the way we met Joel, he had got into a chalet that had five beds at the campsite, Mary had seen them and said they were very cramped, they couldn't be much less spacious than the albergue we were in. Joel said that the Camino route went passed the campsite and that was the way to go in the morning, he pointed out the road to take.

We sat outside at a table when back where we had a sandwich and the wine. The vino tinto wasn't very good but I don't think you can expect a vintage wine at E0.90 for a litre. We got to bed early the place was quiet; everybody was out for the 'ocho' meal. I read the Metro newspaper that I downloaded last night at the albergue and did the Sudoku before getting to sleep. 

Day 17: Wednesday 25 September.

Santillana del Mar to La Revilla: 29 km.

People were up from the dorm at the other side of the small kitchen to our dorm at about 6:30 am. We decide to get up as well and made some tea in the microwave, had a tub of yoghurt that we bought last night and a muesli bar. We then got all our gear from the dorm; they were all still sleeping, and packed in the kitchen. We were ready and off at 7:30 am.

Early morning departure from Santillana

It was still dark but we knew the way through town and on to the road to the campsite. We passed the camp ground and could see the little chalets; they looked very nice and comfortable. According to our map when we reached a main road the route should continue on the other side. There were no waymarks and no obvious road to take. It was also difficult in the still poor light to find any indications of the route. I knew that initially the Camino ran more or less parallel to the CA131, so we made our way the short distance down the hill and picked up the CA131 at a roundabout. Even though it was a fairly major road it was still quiet at that time of the morning and it had a good hard shoulder to walk on. It was slightly downhill and we made very good time through the villages of Orena and San Roque getting on to the official route when we joined the road coming out of the village of Caborreddondo. This was another busy road but very soon the Camino turned onto the quieter back lanes through the farm lands and tiny rural villages.

The first village of Novales was in the mist of maize fields, some of the maize had been harvested and the fields cleared. Later we saw the harvesting machine working a field, he drove along the row like a large lawn mower cutting everything in front of it and grinding it down to a fine consistency which was blown into an open truck driving along beside it. There doesn't seem to be any attempt to recover the corn but the lot is ground finely to provide cattle feed. We saw a variety of animals in the fields from donkeys to sheep and cows, with a big fat pig in a pen. 

When we got to a main road again at the town of Cobreces there was a convenient bench where I made coffee. While we were having our drink, who should appear but Joel, he was plodding along as usual and after we had packed up we soon passed him on the road again. He was originally intending to stop at Comillas but we persuaded him to go further as his book showed two albergues at La Rivilla a town about 8 km further on from Comillas. 

Twin steeples above Cobreces

Where we had stopped for our break we could see two churches on the top of the hill above Cobreces, one had a double spire and the other a bit smaller just the single tower. The route as expect took us for a visit to the churches and it was a climb up the hill. The big church which looked magnificent from a distance was a disappointment close up; the paint was peeling on the stone work and it was surrounded by a crumbling old wall, also it was closed. There was nice metal monument of a peregrino outside the church that was interesting.

Peregrino monument

Soon the route went off road and after a bit of a climb it took a loop on a lovely ridge above a green valley. It was perfectly flat and we made very good time through woodland of eucalyptus trees. Just as the track came out to meet the CA131 again who should we bump into just then but Liz. We thought we had lost her for good; she had got lost herself at the start of today's stage and had kept to the road once she found it. The official route was only a few metres on from the junction but she insisted she was keeping to the road; we thankfully left her again and took the recommended and waymarked route.

Little church at Ruiloha

 It was lovely again, some off road and some on minor roads and tarred lanes. It was through a series of villages, and at one, Ruiloha, there was a delightful little church with small stained glass windows that had a stamp for our credentials, I just used it for a record on the guide book.

Soon we were dropping down to the coast again at Comillas. We could see the sea side resort with a beautiful sandy beach and harbour from a few kilometres out but as we dropped to sea level the markers took us away from the coast into the town. There was a nice small campsite right on the beach with caravans and motorhomes overlooking the sea, we made a note to come here some time with the 'van. The town was another tourist trap area of old buildings and churches. We were looking for a cheap restaurant for lunch but couldn't find one offering a 'menu del dia' or any arrows showing the route. We did surprisingly find the tourist info office and it was open even though siesta time had begun. It was even stranger that it was open from 9am to 9pm. He gave us a town map and showed that the Camino going out of town ran behind the office, also he pointed out a restaurant just outside with a 'menu' for E10:50, so in we went. It was really nice; Moira had her usual mixed salad while I had a fish soup. The main course was hake and chips, very tasty. For sweet Moira again had iced cream and I enjoyed the homemade flan. The normal bottle of red wine washed everything down.

When we got going again it was a nice walking path beside the main road for about 3 km. It was nice and flat and took us over the Ria de la Rabia. Then we left the main road and began a long, long climb to the village of Santana. There we met the Spanish couple that were at the albergue with us at Boo, we lost them when we stopped for a rest and a drink but met some new faces, a couple from Wellington, New Zealand who were heading to San Vicente albergue for the night, 5 km further than us. The route was off road and dropping down steeply before climbing again to pass a golf course and reach the main road at La Rivilla. Now we had a problem, there was no albergue sign on the road but a pointer was indicating a private albergue 'Adventura' but we weren't sure in what direction it was indicating. We continued to follow the arrows then a sign to a restaurant hoping they would help, but it was closed. We asked at a house and they said that the next albergue was in San Vicente where the Kiwis were heading but the 'Adventura' was on the main road. We were ready to walk back there when the man offered to drive us, it was a welcomed relief not having to walk any more.   

What a welcome we got at 'Adventura', the woman showed us straight to our room and said we could deal with the paying in the morning before we left. The room was en suite with a double bed and TV. The woman left us for a few minutes while she went to get towels.  We could have had dinner but decline having had a big lunch, but there was breakfast available at 7am in the morning. The only problem was the bathroom, it was rather small, the shower was in a large square tub like affair, here was a toilet, a bidet, and wash hand basin all in a small space; it was difficult to move about but we managed and had a good hot shower.

I made a cup of coffee on the cooker which I set up in the bathroom and lay on the bed and read for an hour then watched the quiz programme where they fall through a hole in the floor if they get the answer wrong. At 7:30 pm we went down to the bar for a beer and who should be there but Joel. He was very pleased with the place as well; we were the only peregrinos there. We chatted with Joel in my pidgin French then he went for dinner. There was Wi-Fi and I was able to download the Metro newspaper. The email is still working all right and a message from Margaret said she had a bid for a new house accepted. It was near the lake close to where they are living at present.

I made another cup of coffee when we got back to the room and read the Metro on the iPad. The only good news in the paper was the Morton beat Celtic 1-0. We got to sleep at 10 pm but I got woken later with mosquito bites, then we were both disturbed a few times during the night with a number of barking dogs, it was worse than snoring.

Day18: Thursday 26 September.

La Rivilla to Colombres: 22.50 km.

Even with the dogs barking and the mosquitoes biting we had a good night's sleep. I was up at just after 6 am and made a cup of coffee which we had lying in bed reading. We packed then went down for breakfast; it was just coffee and a couple of slices of baguette toasted with jam. Moira used the Internet before we left to transfer money from the bank account to her Euro card; we now have enough in Euros to get us to the end of the Camino.

Last night when the local man gave us a lift he took us by the back lanes and pointed out the way to go this morning. It was a track just up from the main road the albergue was on. We weren't sure about trying a different way in the dark and intended to go back to where we had left the official trail last night but the landlady at the albergue told us to go the other way as well, we chanced it. Before leaving, we both got kisses and it had been a very pleasant stay. 

We walked along the main road for about 500 metres and cut up a lane to a gravel track at the top. We were extremely surprised to see a Camino plaque on the ground pointing the way to go. It was flat and we had views down the valley to a sandy beach and the sea. It was only about a couple of kilometres before we started to descend steeply and we could see the large town of San Vicente de la Barqueta on the other side of the wide estuary of the Ria de San Vicente. 

Causeway over the Ria de San Vicente

There was a long causeway that took us across to the other side to the town. The town stretched along the one bank of the estuary and was dominated by a castle and a big church on the hill above. We stopped at a bench while Moira sewed a hole in my sock and saw Joel come over the causeway. When we started to go intending to head into the town we looked for Joel but couldn't see where he had gone. We back tracked and found there was a marked route straight up for the causeway over the hill avoiding the town. The other route we were following went in a loop via the local albergue. 

Once out of San Vicente de la Barqueta and on top the hill the profile was flat and it was fast going. The views were good looking back at the river and estuary and the reflections in the still water. The route crossed the A8 motorway at La Acebosa and it was a steady climb all the way to an old mission style church at Sta Ana. There were benches there and it was time to get the cooker out and brew a cup of tea. Joel who we had passed again overtook us while we relaxed; we kept passing each other throughout the morning.

San Vicente de la Barqueta.

Pop 3446: This is the most eastern town of the Four Coastal towns and its glorious mediaeval past is still present today, despite the growth it has undergone in recent years. Awarded the status of charter by Alfonso VIII in 1210, it belonged to the Hermandad de la Marina de Castilla, and during the Middle Ages it stood out as a major maritime centre, having important trade, whaling and deep- sea fishing activities. The oldest part, with a central road running lengthways with the Parish Church of Santa María de los Ángeles on one end and the King’s Castle on the other, was once surrounded by a wall, but today only some of these sections and gates still remain. One of these gates, opening south, is the Pilgrims’ Gate, recalling the walkers’ passage through here on their way to Santiago. Other testimonies were the hospital that was built in the 15th century next to the church, and the sculpture of Saint James that has been conserved in its interior. The lower part, born out of the mediaeval suburbs, has traditional fishermen’s houses that give the village its famous image. This is the image that is forever bound to the Bridge of La Maza that crosses the estuary with almost thirty eyes.

Extract from 'The Northern Ways to Santiago'

It was now a fairly flat stretch on a minor road to the village of Estrada especially to visit the medieval tower. Unfortunately it was under renovation and shrouded in scaffolding. After the loop to see the tower in was another climb to the village of Serdio. I was surprised it was only a village as it was the finishing point of stage in the guide book which usually ends a 'day's walk' in a major centre of activity. We didn't hang about there but quickly walked through.

An autumn scene

It was a very long downhill from Serdio round a large quarry where they seemed to be extracting sand. We hadn't realised how high we had climbed from the estuary at San Vicente but now the road just kept going down. At the bottom we met a main road into the village of Pesues. The weather this morning had been overcast and cool but now the clouds were clearing and it was getting hot, it was time for a beer. There was a convenient pub just before the bridge crossing the Rio Nansa where we had a bottle of San Migual lager. The barman also supplied us with a bowl of the Spanish equivalent of pork scratchings.

On the go again and refreshed we crossed the river and it was off road and climbing through a eucalyptus forest. Once over the top it was a steep drop on a narrow rough track to the main road. We both slipped a couple of times and I fell down once, fortunately into soft grass. There was a walking path beside the main road that led us into the town of Unquera. There was a few restaurants and as it was now after 1pm we were both very hungry, soon one was found that did a 'menu del dia'. We spent an hour there enjoying mixed salad, escalope and chips, chocolate iced cream and red wine. We thought that the town of Colombres where we intended stopping was on the other side of the Rio Deva to Unquera but it wasn't. That town was Bustio and on the other bank was a sign to the albergue, up the hill and another kilometre to Colombres. It was some climb and just kept going up and up. Moira remembered from a photograph that the albergue was a blue building and we could see it at the top of the hill but still some more climbing to go. At last we got there and we were first there. It was a private hostel but not as good as last night's. It was just the normal albergue dorms though smaller and many of them. It seemed to take the woman for ever to get us booked in and then she disappeared for five minutes. At last we were in our dorm and two bottom bunks. We both lay on our beds and dozed off, when we woke there were quite a number of people now booked in and we had two German women in our dorm. Among those who had arrived was Walter, and later Liz turned up. We had a shower and felt a lot better.

Moira went to the supermarket that wasn't far away and got a packet of soup and wine for our supper. There was a little dining room with a microwave and I had a cup of coffee while Moira was out. Later we had our meal there and once the wine was finished we got to bed. The other two in the dorm were in bed early as well and it was a quiet night except for the mossies.

Day19: Friday 27 September.

Colombres to Llanes: 21 km.

We didn't have much of a night's sleep, not because of snoring or dogs barking but mosquitoes. They were very bad and both of us were continually bitten causing itching that kept us awake. We got up at 6:30am; we had our bags more or less packed and could move everything into the kitchen quickly without disturbing anyone. We finished packing there and had breakfast. I made coffee in the microwave and we had yoghurt and banana followed by bread and jam.

It was still dark when we got away at 7:30 am and I thought it was a straight road from the albergue but the little town of Colombres had a few twists and turns without any arrows. We asked the few people about at that time and got forward to the next confusing junction and another peregrino helped to get us on the right track as well. There was a section off-road that we had to take carefully in the dark but soon we were on to the busy N634 and could see where we were going. The Camino was supposed to run parallel with this highway for most of the way to Llanes but they were building a new motorway where the route ran so there was a diversion on to the N634 except for a short part of the original trail now going through civil engineering work. The traffic wasn't too bad this early in the morning and we were compensated with the wonderful views. 

The Picos de Europa

The mountains of the Picos de Europa were now running down our left hand side and the tops black and haunting in the half light of the breaking dawn. We were making good time and reached the village of Buelna after an hour and a half, 6 km. then an emergency stop for Moira to change the plasters on some blisters that were bothering her. There were two German girls at the place where we stopped and I asked them about a trail away from the road that started in the next village of Pendueles and ran along the coast. They said they were going on to that trail which was a GR route, E9, but actually began where we were stopped. They pointed out the direction and that was the way we went.

Mountains and cloud

What a delight, this was the best walking of the whole Camino so far, the track was wide and gravel, easy on our feet. It had a few ups and downs but nothing serious. Now we had the Picos on our left and the sea not too far away on our right. We didn't see the water all the time but were rewarded with occasional glimpses which were exceptional. The rocky coastline had sharp cliffs, wonderful sandy coves, and pinnacles of rock and small islands to immediately force me to bring out the camera. We passed the edge of Pendueles where we had intended to join this route and we would have been directed this way anyhow as a diversion from the motorway construction work. Other than that there were no more signs of habitation on this trail other than some farms with their sheep, cows and goats.

We had a break at a small cove with a rocky beach and sat on the grass and had a cup of coffee. Walter and Liz passed on the trail a short distance way and gave us a wave. The guy who helped guide us out of Colombres next came along, he had somehow got behind us. He said to look out for some caves, where the tide ran below forming blowholes, a short distance up the trail. We found them at Bufones, and clambered over some sharp rocks to get close, but it wasn't very exceptional, there was one big hole in a deep crevice in the rocks where we could hear the tide pound and echo through the cave, but the tide was low and there was no water pushing up through the blowhole.

Further on we crossed a lovely river by an old bridge. Rio Puron, then came close to the new motorway which was more or less complete at this point. Shortly we came to a town and I assumed it to be Llanes; I don't know why as it was at least half an hour before we should have got there. It wasn't very big and pretty dead. I asked an old woman where the albergue was and she said there isn’t one, then where was the tourist info, again she treated me as if I was insane. It was little wonder, this was the village of San Roque del Acebal and there was nothing here. We found a GR sign and it was still showing Llanes to be further on.

We had an enormous hill to climb that we were probably hoping to avoid and when we reached the top there was Llanes still some distance away, more a city than a town with a lovely harbour. A view point gave us a magnificent panorama of the whole coast with rocky headlands and more delightful coves while as a backdrop there was the range of mountains of the Picos. We could see the road running down the coast into the town but another lovely track was indicated as the continuation of the GR route into Llanes, we took that way. It turned out to be a long and undulating ridge walk, Llanes kept in the distance and never seemed to get any closer; it was beginning to get frustrating. Then at last the track began to descend steeply and we were in the outskirts of the town.

Not long after hitting tar roads again there was a sign, La Portilla Albergue 100m. The signs then had us going round in circles and telling us that around the next bend it was only 20m. We came to a dead end at the Hotel Alonso; after lots of head scratching and enquiring found out that the albergue was part of the hotel. It was a small two double bunk dorm and cost E15 each. We dumped our bags and headed for the town for something to eat before everything closed for siesta. We went into the first restaurant we came to and had the 'menu del dia', it wasn't as good as we have been having but it only cost E8:50 each.

We were both very tired with little sleep last night and a long walk today, so we headed back to the dorm for a lay down. I slept for about an hour then had a shower. We were both much refreshed and headed for town about 6:30 pm for a look around. It was a busy little town with lots of people out having a drink al fresco at the many restaurants and bars.

Harbour beside Main St. in Llanes

 In the centre of the town the harbour seemed to have been extended into a narrow channel as the Main Street and lots of sailing craft were mooed at the sides of this unusual marina. We continued up the road out of town which we assumed was the exit route in the morning and there was a beautiful avenue of trees. The other albergue was at this end of town but we didn't bother examining it. We went back in search of the tourist info office and found it in front of the old basilica but it was closed. We wandered round the outside of the basilica and church and the ruins of a castle to the harbour. We walked along the wall and up the marina channel to the town centre again. It was a pleasing little place with some very fine old buildings. On the way 'home' we called in at a supermarket and stocked up with some essentials, bread, fruit, milk and beer.

I checked with the woman at reception in the hotel about the Camino route for the morning. She said not to take the waymarked Camino through town but to go by the bypass, left at the roundabout that we passed going into town. This will be much easier if it is dark; it is a straight main road for a few kilometres before there are any twists and turns.

There was a woman in our dorm when we returned, she was German and we had met her earlier on the trail. Moira asked her when she gets up in the morning, she said 8 am so we told her we would be earlier and try to keep quiet. There was an alcove outside the dorm with a light, we will move everything there when we get up and can even make breakfast there. Before getting to bed I left the cooker set up there and some water in the pot; I just need to light the gas.

Moira lay and read for an hour and I worked on this journal before getting to sleep. The other woman was already in bed and dozing, why she needs to stay so long in bed in the morning is a mystery.

Llanes

Pop 4643: Llanesmas granted a Charter of Privileges back in the 13th century and grew around its fishing and whaling port. It was well known as a stop along the route to Santiago, as evinced by the hospital that existed outside the city walls, of which only the chapel has survived. It has a rich heritage. In the Romanesque-Gothic Church of Santa María, the main portal has archivolts decorated with figures of Saint James and a series of pilgrims. Nearby we can see buildings dating back to the 15th-17th centuries, such as the House of the Cercau, the Gothic Chapel of La Magdalena, the Palace of Gaztañaga and the Palace of the Dukes of Estrada.

The distinguishing mark of present-day Llanes is The Cubes of Memory, an art intervention by the painter Agustín Ibarrola over the gigantic concrete cubes in the port of Llanes. It is a great example of public art and combines essential elements of the artist’s work with the historical and cultural past of the town of Llanes.

Extract from 'the Northern Ways to Santiago'

Day20: Saturday 28 September. 

Llanes to Pineres de Pria: 19 km.

We both had a good night's sleep, no snoring, no dog's barking and no mosquitoes. At 6:30 we both got up and moved everything as planned into the alcove. I got the water heating and made the coffee while Moira sliced a banana into yoghurt and put jam on the bread. There was a delay while Moira put fresh tape on all her blisters and then we were on our way.

It was still fairly dark when we headed along the AS263 road from the roundabout and bypassed the town. This road led to the village of Poo de Llanes, there was an albergue there that we had intended to go for yesterday until the long never ending ridge walk above Llanes tired us out. 

Llanes Rally

As we approached the village there was the sound of a powerful car revving up and speeding along the nearby main road. This continued and we soon discovered there was a number of these high performance vehicles and the noise of powerful engines could be heard all day from the sometimes even distant roads. I discovered later on a poster that this was the three day Llanes rally.

GR/E9 Coastal Route

From Poo we picked up the GR coastal path, the E9, and it was again a good wide gravel path through lovely countryside with the frequent views of the rough coast and at the moment calm sea. On the other side there were again the high mountain peaks, dark against the rising sun. The first destination of the E9 was signposted as Celorioand and there we caught up with the two German women who introduced us to the GR coastal route yesterday. We walked with them and chatted until we reached the Playa Barro where they stopped at a cafe for a drink. We intended to walk for another hour to the now signposted Playa de San Antolin for our break. The plan didn't work and after some time walking the sign pointed to the Playa in the opposite direction to the yellow arrows of the Camino. We kept to the yellow waymarks. The route now chopped and changed from a countryside path to a cycle track beside the AS263. After a while we decided to stay on the cycle track and find a place for a coffee break. At the village of Niembro a woman, in Spanish, indicated we were going the wrong way but we though she wasn't aware of the cycle route, next a man in a car stopped and shouted that we should be up the hill for the route. We followed his gesticulations and scrambled up a steep grassy bank and over a wall. There was a gate which we took as being into private property and a cinder track beside it. We took the cinder track but it petered out into thick bramble bushes. We made our way back to the road and the cycle path and followed that again; it shortly crossed the motorway to the AS263 but none of the places signposted meant anything to us. We retraced our steps back along the cycle path and picked up the Camino walking route. It took us up the hill and on a narrow dirt path through some woodland. To our frustration it eventually came to the top of the path where there was the gate that we took to being private land. We had wasted half an hour and walked an extra 2 kilometres.

Now on the trail again the next priority was to find a place to stop for some much needed refreshment. The path was narrow through woodland and no nice place to settle down; eventually we had to plump for a building site that was abandoned. We sat on some boulders and had a cup of coffee, milk coffee as I was carrying a litre of milk, and jammed bread. When we started again we met a young Spanish guy who we hadn't seen for a few days; his English was good and we walked along chatting. We were surprised when we dropped down to a cove with a lovely beach to discover it was the Playa de San Antolin. I thought we had passed that an hour or so ago, it meant we had only covered 10 km this morning, that was in 4 hours. We did have a long stop for coffee and had lost our way!

We got on to the coastal GR route again and it was signposted to Playa de Guadamia about 12 km away. Just inland from this beach was the village of Cuerres where earlier the German women had told us there was a new albergue. That was our plan, going all the way to Ribadesella, 31 km, was a bit far and the accommodation there was a Youth Hostel which we have gone off. Initially this GR route ran beside the A8 motorway then cut towards the sea and one of the many 'playas'. Unfortunately at the first beach the route stopped and we couldn't get across a small river. We had to backtrack again, adding another kilometre to our day. Some locals gave us directions, translated by the Spanish guy who was still with us, that took us back to the official Camino. It ran parallel to the AS263 but we didn't want to get lost again so stuck to the road. It was busy but there was a decent hard shoulder to walk on. At a small village we stopped and had a beer to keep us going and examine the options in the guide book. There was a private albergue at the village of Pineres de Pria which looked promising and was only about 4 km for where we were; that was now the goal.

It was only another couple of kilometres on the road to the town of Nueva where we picked up the yellow arrows of the Camino and we now stuck to them. Nueva was a busy little place with the Saturday market taking place, we thought about stocking up or stopping for lunch but in the end decided to push on. It was only another 2 kilometres and was off road, beside the railway line. Pineres was a very tiny place with a bar and a few houses so the albergue was easy to find, it was too expensive at E10 for the young Spaniard and he pushed on to the cheap one at Cuerres. We hit lucky here, it was a small dorm with three double bunks and a kitchen in a chalet type building next to the owners house. She said to have a shower and put all our dirty clothes in a basket, she would wash and dry them - free! She also asked if we had eaten and were under the impression that she provided dinner. Later Moira discovered that she didn't cook but provided us with the food to cook in the little kitchen. This was all for E10 each. I looked in the visitor's book and all the comments praised Rosa, the landlady, highly; most when arriving soaked in the rain immediately got a hot shower and there wet gear washed and dried. Rosa later told Moira that she got a pleasure out of seeing the smiles on peregrinos' faces once they are changed and showered after arriving either wet and miserable or sweating and exhausted.

We had our showers; the water was piping hot then took all our dirty laundry for washing. Rosa soon had it done and it was out on the line drying in the sun. I made coffee and we had pâté on the bread we had left. Then it was a lay down for an hour, our siesta time. At 6pm we wandered along to the pub where we sat outside in the warm evening with a beer. We bought a bottle of vino tinto to go with our dinner and strolled back picking up our now dry clothes from the washing line. Rosa had given us a packet of macaroni, a tin of tuna and tomato purée which Moira made into a nice pasta meal. 

Nobody else turned up to share this luxury albergue; we had the dorm to ourselves. We lay on our beds reading and listening to some music on the iPad until it was time to get to sleep. There was the motorway and railway line close to the village but we didn't hear any noise from cars or trains during the night and no snoring or mosquitoes.

Day 21: Sunday 29 September.

Pineres de Pria to La Isla: 29 km.

I was awake before 6 am but with nobody else in the dorm to disturb, other than Moira who was still sleeping I got up and made a cup of coffee. We had it in bed and lay reading before getting up for breakfast. We weren't rushing today but waiting until the sun started to come and not get lost again looking for arrows in the dark. I wrote some good comments in the visitor's book before leaving, giving Rosa a glowing report: the best albergue on the Camino Norte.

We had 10 km to go to the big town of Ribadesella, the end of the stage in the guide book. We made it in remarkably good time, just over 2 hours. It was fairly easy going, slightly downhill through farmland. It followed the railway line and we criss-crossed it several time before reaching the outskirts of Ribadesella where we found a picnic area with benches for our coffee break. The mountains running along on our left hand side were the Sierra de la Cueva Negra and the peaks again dark in the early rising sun. 

That's the way to go!

Ribadesella was a lovely seaside resort with houses of various primary colours brightening the front. The normal varieties of sailing craft were moored in the harbour as we crossed the bridge over the Rio Sella. We met a few peregrinos going the other way that we recognised from previous albergues, they were looking for a cafe. We assumed that there wasn't anything over the bridge but we found a panderia for a baguette and some jam and later several cafes that were open for business. There was a nice esplanade running at the side of the Playa de Sta Marina but the Camino markings took us on a street running parallel. We cut down to the esplanade which was a much more attractive route but soon cut up to the street again frightened that we would take a wrong turning somewhere.

This part of the route was the type I don't like, through the suburbs of a town with rows of residential properties. Some people don't like lots of tarred roads, or through cities; these I don't mind but these dismal residential areas I can do without. Soon we were away from Ribadesella and began climbing. I was surprised as the profile showed a gentle descent all the way today. We reached the top at the village of San Perdo and there was a signpost to the albergue at San Esteban de Leces. We took the Camino direction and it was a nice concrete path, level and running above a green valley with grazing cows. Soon we were starting to descend steeply as we reached the village of Vega, we could see the beach below and it was twisty path through the old houses before reaching the seaside where we stopped for another break. We had been making excellent time and had covered another 10 kms in just 2 hours.

We sat on a boardwalk going down to the beach and had lunch. I made the coffee and Moira spread pâté on the fresh bread she bought earlier this morning. There was a motorhome parked nearby and Moira spoke to them, they were from Bristol. Once we stared again it was beginning to get hard, we were starting to get tired and again the profile didn't correspond with that in the guide book, there were a lot of ups. The first part climbed then went along a road before climbing again to the cliff top and a view of the sea at last. From then on it was a wonderful walk from one beach in a secluded to cove to another. 

Typical rocky outcrop

There was a information board at each 'playa' so we now knew exactly where we were. There was the Arena de Moris, Playa de la Beciella, Playa de Moracey and finally Playa de Espana before we reached the road. Before the road we met a German woman who was looking for her husband and asked had we had seen him, he had decided to somehow walk along the beach and in some way get round the headlands. She hadn't seen him since mid-day and was now worried. We said if he was ahead and at the albergue we would tell him she was waiting, we didn't see him or hear what happened.

The next few kilometres were a bit of a slog along the road and then off the route into La Isla to find the albergue. We were directed to a house with the shell sign outside and registered there. It wasn't the albergue but the house of the woman in charge, the albergue was two minutes away. We thought it would be full but there were only 5 woman there, all German two of whom we met yesterday the ones that had guided us to the E9 route. One of the other women had been walking for over 100 days, all the way from Germany. It was a nice hostel and only cost E5 each and we both claimed bottom bunks. 

I was the only man there at that time, more arrived later, and had to wait for a free shower; the women were using the men's as well. There was a kitchen and I made a cup of coffee before having a lay down. At 5pm Moira went out to the shop and surprisingly for a Sunday it was open. She got chicken and the ingredients for a curry, it was the best meal we have had for a while. A young Australian guy who Moira had met a number of days ago arrived and we chatted to him as well as the German girl who had been walking for actually 103 days, she started her pilgrimage from Hamburg. Later more people arrived that we didn't recognise and some cyclists, it ended up quite full.

With the great accommodation last night this was a case of 'after The Lord Mayor's Show'. It wasn't so much the albergue which had excellent facilities it was the people. Some were late getting to bed, doors were slammed not closed, we had snorers, people talking in their sleep; but worst of all was the character in the bunk above who kept tossing and turning all night. Every time I was starting to doze off he would shift and the whole bunk assembly would shake, it was a four bunk set up so Moira was kept awake as well. We probably managed about three hours sleep.

Day 22: Monday 30 September.

La Isla to Villaviciosa: 21 km.

After a very bad night with only about 3 hours sleep I still wakened at 6 am. Moira was also wide awake but we waited for half an hour before getting up. We had packed our bags last night so it was just a matter of quietly (I don't know why) moving into the kitchen. I had the water on first thing for coffee then we dressed and packed our rucksacks properly. It was yoghurt and banana for our meal and coffee. We were on our way at 7:15 am.

It was still dark but we just wanted to get going, I had felt like packing up at 2 am and hitting the road. We weren't too concerned about the dark and finding the route as the road, N632, led from La Isla all the way into the large town of Colunga, so finding our way was relatively easy. Also it turned out that we had the benefit of a cycle track at the side of the road all the way. When we started it was a lovely morning with a clear sky, stars sparkling and a crescent moon but after about 10 minutes there was a shower of rain out of nowhere and we donned our waterproof jackets. The profile was perfectly flat into Colunga and we were striding out making excellent time. When we reached the town the rain had gone off and the dawn had broken, enabling us to find the route markers through the centre and quickly out to the outskirts.

Underfoot it was tar and though the guide book showed a steady rise in the profile it was still nice and flat for about 3 km before beginning to climb seriously to the village of San Pedro. Another couple of peregrinos caught up with us when Moira stopped to tend her foot blisters but when we restarted they were just in front of us until we stopped for our coffee break. There weren't any convenient places like picnic areas to stop so when we came to a village there was a house with benches outside and the windows and door boarded up. We took a chance that there was nobody at home and had our morning 'picnic' on their front step. The road continued to climb until it reached the village of Priesca about half way. It had been on tar except for a short section before Priesca to cut a corner, there we were attacked by dogs and luckily by waving our hiking poles this scared them off.

Over the crest of the hill we had a great view of the Ria de Villaviciosa estuary with our destination at the top where the river started to broaden out. It looked close but was still an hour and a half to go. The book showed it was downhill all the way and it was, more or less, though there were the odd hidden climbs. A lot was now off road on narrow tracks, muddy in places with the early rain. Whereas the climb first of all had been in open countryside with luscious green valleys below now it was through woodland again predominately eucalyptus. The Camino now followed the A8 motorway closely and went from side to side a number of times via underpasses. We found the last few kilometres very hard, tired with little sleep we could see the town in front of us but it never seemed to get any closer. Eventually we got there and entered Villaviciosa on a broad tiled pavement.

Poster for our hotel

Our accommodation for the night was a hotel, Hotel Carlos 1 that catered for peregrinos. It had been advertised in the last few albergues and along today's route with bunches of little flyers tied to fences and trees. The hotel was on the route through the town but we made the usual enquires to locals just to make sure. It was a beautiful old place and we were soon in our double en suite room, for only E30. After a lovely hot shower I made a cup of coffee and we stretched out on the bed for an hour to relax before looking for a place to have lunch. As we were going out of the hotel the long distance German walking girl and the Aussie lad were arriving. She said this was far enough after last night but the Aussie said he was walking on, I think it was too expensive for him. Later I found him in the hotel; he had obviously changed his mind and was thrilled with the quaint old place.

The restaurant we found was called a cafeteria, not far from the hotel, but looked like a normal pub that did meals. We had the menu del dia for E9:50 each and it was very good, three courses and a bottle of wine. Once we finished it was straight back to our room for a lay down, I was soon out and had an hour's sleep. At 5 pm when the shops opened after siesta Moira went for milk, coffee, and more pain killers from the pharmacy. She also managed to get a Spanish SIM card for her phone; this will allow us to make phones calls here at a cheaper rate. The hotel had Wi-Fi and it was fairly strong after checking the email I managed to get UK radio and spent the evening listening to Radio 4. We were able to catch up on the news, nothing much has changed in three weeks they are still arguing about Syria and chemical weapons and the Tories telling us how well they are doing at their annual Conference. 

For supper tonight we had pâté on bread with a beer. We listened to the comedy 'Round the Horne' on Radio 4 extra then got to sleep. It was 8:30 pm and we both slept well, not a sound in the hotel all night.