TheVinsman

Last night in the albergue there was the world championships of snoring. Crazy enough even though I snore I did not come anywhere close to the podium.  My walking friend Ramon is not crowned the world champion but others in the room certainly did their best to unseat him.  I have never herd so many different annoying sounds come out of one person.  Needless to say it was not a restful night.  That being said I was not deterred from my 30 km day.

Since shockingly I was up early was out on the Camino by 7:15 AM this morning.  The weather here has been perfect so far.  Overcast but temperate.  My friend warned me that 30 km on the Primitivo is not the same as other Camino’s.  Of course I said we will see.  Well he was correct.  The primitivo is up and down.  Today started up and up and up and then down then back up and then along the river.  The last town before the final stage is Salas.  From Salas I had 7.6 km which I had been warned was up hill.  It was literally all up hill until the very end.  I am staying in a donativo albergue in Bodenaya which is run by David and Celia.  There are 11 beds and everything is donativo.  Everyone has told me this is one of the best experiences on the Camino primitivo.  I can see why.  

Today I walked 19.7 miles. Over 40,000 steps

It was a good day.

My day started super early as jet lag is still not totally gone.  I woke up for the last time at 4 and just got out of bed.  Nothing wrong with being able to watch the sun come up.

The walk from Oviedo to Grado is about 26 km.  I walked today with my friend Ramon who has walked the primitivo many times.  The first several km are winding through town. Which could be tricky without a guide.  I have several apps that actually are very accurate at setting the path.  

Once out of town it was up into the hills and walking along farm roads.  It was not terribly difficult with some ups and downs. We had a reservation for lunch at Ramon’s favorite restaurant for Fabada so we slowed down a bit so that we did not arrive too early.  As it was we were about 90 minutes early but still were able to eat.  The Fabada was amazing.  Fabada is a bean stew with Morcilla (blood sausage) ham and chorizo.  Then for the second course they brought fried eggs, fried potatoes and ham.  I was very happy to have 6 km left to burn off all fo the food.

The last part of the day we walked along a river for about  5 km into Grado.  We are staying at a private albergue in Grado that Ramon wanted to stay at.  Honestly, it is not great I feel like a number and miss the municipal but that is for the next several night. 

Tomorrow I have 30 km to walk.  I am told it is a very hard day.  We will see.

Camino Primitivo Day 2, An aclamación day in Oviedo.

After a long travel day yesterday I slept great last night and woke up fully rested this morning.  As I looked out my hotel window at the day beginning I could not help but wish that I was starting my walk today.  

I had made arrangements to meet my friend Ramon who lives here in Oviedo this morning in the hotel lobby at 10 am.  I was up at 630 so I had some coffee and then showered and went out for a walk, hey what else would I do but go for a walk.  I was able to walk all around the city. Nothing was really open but I had a very nice walk.  

I headed back to the hotel and met up with Ramon.  It is really cool that as you walk the Camino you meet people that become life long friends.  Ramon and I met in 2015 on the Camino Via de la Plata and walked together for about two weeks before I returned home.  Two weeks in camino time is a pretty good amount as you are really spending 24 hrs a day together.  

We walked all around and he showed me all of the sights of Oviedo.  It was really great to have someone who is a local to show me around.  Ramon and I are going to walk together for the next few days until he needs to be home for business.  It will be nice to walk together again.  

As it turned out my friend Dale from Seattle, whom I met on my first Camino was also in Oviedo for the day before continuing on the Norte.  We made plans to have lunch together.  So Ramon and Dale and me had lunch Spanish style.  We ate the local specialty Cachopo which is a beefsteak pounded, then layered with hame and cheese and then another beefsteak pounded out on top, it is then breaded and deep fried.  I have no idea how the spanish people live the second longes of any in the world after this experience but they do.  Oh and to top it off we had fried milk which is like a custard that is fried and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar in a cream angles, totally decadent.  2 hours later after an amazing meal off we went.  I got my stamp at the cathedral, stopped at the grocery store for some snacks and of course galletas, which are like graham crackers and are eaten for breakfast and dipped in your coffee.  

Tomorrow I walk, if I can after that lunch I ate.  16 miles should help.