Walking the Camino Primitivo from Oviedo to Lugo (or maybe even Santiago) (1 Viewer)

[jumartoo]

We're heading back to Totana after four months away in the motorhome, including parts of Germany, Norway and Sweden.

After three weeks in the UK to visit family and get some repairs done to said motorhome, we crossed over into France.

A few days in France where we met up with @Barrackslass and @Munchie and other friends just happening to be house sitting nearby, we entered Spain, intending to walk the Camino Primitivo (From Oviedo to Lugo or onwards if we can make it.

We'd arranged via a friend to leave the motorhome at the Fire Station in Oviedo and stopped overnight at a camperstop at a ski resort between Léon and Oviedo.

Woke up at the ski Camperstop to a lovely sunrise.

Drove to the fire station to leave the van .had a bit of a difficult access and we scraped the underbelly driving down a ramp but couldn't see any damage. It should be safe there, locked gates and police either side, unless it gets cut up as an exercise!

Walked to the Cathedral to get our credentials stamped and did our first, short, day of just over 15km. I've got a blister on my left foot due mainly to soft feet after a lot of cycling and little walking. Quite unprepared for a long walk, unfortunately, but only myself to blame.

Marker on route.

Laid on our beds in a Pension digesting an Asturian lunch (Fabada of course) and hoping my blister recovers for tomorrow. It's drained and taped, not much more we can do.

 

[jumartoo]

The previous post was yesterday, taken from the Morning thread.

After waking in the night and pondering my blister and my back and hip stiffness, this morning all seemed good.

It had rained heavily during the night and we left at 8 am in almost dark! Intermittent showers had rain jackets on ... and off ... and on again (too many times to remember) in between was warm sun.

Again taken from my Morning thread post

Last night I thought we'd be finishing the Camino almost before we started. My foot, with blister, was sooo very painful, but Martin drained and dressed it and this morning it felt much better. Walked almost 22km today on a lot of hard surfaces but I made it and my foot is no worse. But, the last 3km to the next village with hotels were 3km too far when we arrived at a bar with a ... Garden Shed to sleep in. Had a great lunch amongst the locals. It's fiesta day for the hamlet today!!! and now Chilliin' in the shed .

Tomorrow will be more upmarket accommodation .

"Our"shed. Sleeps six (three bunks) but atm we're only two!!!

On route.

And a hydrangea hedge!!!

 

[DBK]

Best wishes with walk. A quick glance at the map suggests it could be around 200km?

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[Pugsy]

Great post .The wife and i arrive in Santander beginning of November enroute to Portugal the walk the Argarve Way and plan to walk The Camino De Santiago in April 2020.
So will be keeping an eye on your posts.Good luck, enjoy and look after those feet.

Cheers Cris.

PS keep the pics coming they look great.

 

[jumartoo]

We are in the bar. Had two glasses of the local toasted beer, taken directly from the barrel with a taster of tortilla. We then ordered ham and sausage with a bottle of red whilst we waited for our main meals. We were advised to have a brocolli lasagne to share then a cauliflower cheese to share. Teamed with a very tasty bread it hit the spot. Martin had an ice cream to finish and we were given??? a shot of a local cherry liquerl.

Martin then took a short siesta, but I could hear drums (still can) and not wanting to miss anything cos of the fiesta I headed out but the sound was/is coming from far away.

However. Cos I went out when I did I found the gate to the Palace open and innocently strolled in to take some photos. (Just been back to show Martin and all is locked!!!)

The Palace of Doriga

And a close up of the door.

Not a lot of people get that photo!!!

Our bar/restaurant

And a local horreo. Grain store built on stilts to keep out the vermin.

By the way as we passed through Grado we saw a sign for a motorhome parking, just before we got stuck in the middle of a local traditional market!

Quick edit

@Barrackslass tagging you!!!

 

[jumartoo]

Best wishes with walk. A quick glance at the map suggests it could be around 200km?

To Lugo it's about that. To Santiago it's just over 300km.

We've done about 36km so far .

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[Barrackslass]

Last night I thought we'd be finishing the Camino almost before we started. My foot, with blister, was sooo very painful, but Martin drained and dressed it and this morning it felt much better. Walked almost 22km today on a lot of hard surfaces but I made it and my foot is no worse. But, the last 3km to the next village with hotels were 3km too far when we arrived at a bar with a ... Garden Shed to sleep in. Had a great lunch amongst the locals. It's fiesta day for the hamlet today!!! and now Chilliin' in the shed .

Tomorrow will be more upmarket accommodation .

This looks like Tony's garden shed! Hope you are the only residents and get a comfy night's sleep and glad to hear that the foot has held up well today! Been to the donkey fair with Kay and David this lunchtime...cold and drizzly all day but brightening up now.

 

[jumartoo]

This looks like Tony's garden shed! Hope you are the only residents and get a comfy night's sleep and glad to hear that the foot has held up well today! Been to the donkey fair with Kay and David this lunchtime...cold and drizzly all day but brightening up now.

Still the only residents (that we know of!!!). No signs of any interlopers. Tony's shed is maybe a tad more up market than this one but it's clean (waited while the lady from the bar cleaned it) and warm and dry.

Tomorrow we're heading for an albergue (hostel) with a double room and alleged good food!

Nice to see you've been out and about with David and Kay. It must make their house sit much better knowing you're nearby.

 

[jumartoo]

Sonething that surprised us was that in Grado (the largest town we've been through) all the shops were open today SUNDAY . Nothing like the Murcia region!

We bought a drink and a couple of pastries from Lidl .

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[Barrackslass]

Nice to see you've been out and about with David and Kay. It must make their house sit much better knowing you're nearby.

And out for lunch with them tomorrow too!! I'm giving them regular updates on your travels!!

 

[jumartoo]

And out for lunch with them tomorrow too!! I'm giving them regular updates on your travels!!

Get them reading (joining!!!) FUN.

I've tried in the past .

 

[Hils and Glenns]

We're going to Santiago de Compostelo tomorrow but in the van . Good luck with the walk.

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[Lenny HB]

Looks like it will be a great despite the blisters.
Good luck with the rest of the walk.
Not showing the boss this thread as she keeps thinking about doing it, I'm not so enthusiastic about it

 

[jumartoo]

Looks like it will be a great despite the blisters.
Good luck with the rest of the walk.
Not showing the boss this thread as she keeps thinking about doing it, I'm not so enthusiastic about it

The scenery has been pretty good so far but a lot of hard surface walking. Cobbled lanes, concrete lanes and a few km of tarmac. From our research things get better from here on in.

I'll post piccies each day. The weather is set to be good up to Thursday when rain is forecast. There is a high level alternative we WANT to do, so trying to do it on Wednesday, in the sun, so will have to up the Kms a little the next two days.

 

[SOS]

I will be following this with interest, something I really want to do myself. Hope the blister gets better, nothing worse (apart from tooth ache)

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[Armytwowheels]

Another great adventure for you two, nice one.

 

[jumartoo]

Survived the night in the "shed" and are now in the larger town of Cornellana where we're having bacon sandwiches (Asturian style) and coffee for breakfast. 3km done 21 to do!

River Narcea or Nonaya (they join here). Good salmon River.

Entering Cornellana.

 

[jumartoo]

One for the botanists @DBK ?

Some type of Cistus? Not a very clear piccie cos it hadn't quite got light.

And growing in this plantation.

These!

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[DBK]

One for the botanists @DBK ?

View attachment 260316
Some type of Cistus? Not a very clear piccie cos it hadn't quite got light.
View attachment 260317

And growing in this plantation.View attachment 260318
These!
View attachment 260319

Hmm.... You'll have to give time on those. Dog walking at the moment.

 

[Pete5996]

First pic, the purple-flowered plant, is pokeberry/pokeweed. Just found one growing in my garden in the Lot. All parts are apparently poisonous, worth Googling.

 

[davidbaldam]

We did the Camino in May and June but the soft way in our Motorhome. The walk takes about 34 days, we took 2 weeks driving it. We stayed as close possible to the walkers route and have to say its wetted my appetite to do the whole walk when I can afford to.

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[Lenny HB]

As we are heading towards Spain the boss started going on about this walk again.
The saving grace is we haven't got time to do it on this trip.

 

[DBK]

Hmm.... You'll have to give time on those. Dog walking at the moment. View attachment 260325

Thanks @Nicepix I wouldn't have got the first one as it isn't native to Europe. Also called American pokeweed as it comes from North America, mostly the eastern seaboard. Now naturalised in parts of Europe and probably originally garden escapes as it has been grown as a garden plant.

The second one is an Evening Primrose, probably the large flowered one if the flowers were 80 -100mm across, there's also a Common Evening Primrose with 50 - 60mm flowers and of course the small flowered with smaller flowers still, 20 - 30mm.

Last one threw me at first but that's another non-native and I didn't know they grew it in Europe - Kiwi Fruit.

Thanks for the challenge.

 

[jumartoo]

Thanks John @DBK.

After breakfast we headed for the first of our uphill sections. First passing the Monestary of San Salvador. There's been a Monestary here for nearly 1,000 years. Once as a Cluniac order??? At that time it was one of the most important monasteries in Asturias. It is still an active Monestary though much smaller and Benedictine.

It's been a long walk today in time not distance. We only did about 23km but we walked for about 6 hours!

We stopped for a break in Salas (a normal stage end).

A photo of me on the way there

And how I almost felt at the end of the day.

Salas

Don't know what the bird was, I only saw it when looking at the photo.

There are a lot of figs and chestnuts around at this time of year.

And snakes ...

It was tiny but feisty!!!

Got a double room in a private albergue €25! and went straight out for food. Our spaghetti starter would have fed six.

Have more aching spots making theirselves known today. Liberally massaged with gel and compeeded and taped!!!

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[jumartoo]

As we are heading towards Spain the boss started going on about this walk again.
The saving grace is we haven't got time to do it on this trip.

If you ever decide to do it I can give you advice. Just ask.

The first three days have had quite a lot of hard surface walking. Not on busy roads but tarmac or concrete tracks, or cobbles. Hoping for better (softer) surfaces from tomorrow.

 

[Lenny HB]

If you ever decide to do it I can give you advice. Just ask.

The first three days have had quite a lot of hard surface walking. Not on busy roads but tarmac or concrete tracks, or cobbles. Hoping for better (softer) surfaces from tomorrow.

Thanks you, driving along side some of the tracks in April a lot were on gravel or concrete really don't like walking on hard surfaces.
If we do do it we will probably be lightweights and only do the last 100km.
Youngest daughter who lives in Bangkok is expecting, so that should get me out of it for another year.

 

[jumartoo]

Thanks you, driving along side some of the tracks in April a lot were on gravel or concrete really don't like walking on hard surfaces.
If we do do it we will probably be lightweights and only do the last 100km.
Youngest daughter who lives in Bangkok is expecting, so that should get me out of it for another year.

Problem with the last 100km means from Melide you would be on the Camino Frances with the hordes also doing the last 100km

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[Gaston aires]

We have just been around this area over the last 6 weeks. Very nice but didn't go to Santiago, shrine areas leave me feeling a bit uneasy.
Phil

 

[jumartoo]

We have just been around this area over the last 6 weeks. Very nice but didn't go to Santiago, shrine areas leave me feeling a bit uneasy.
Phil

We'll probably not bother going all the way to Santiago. We've been once and got a Compostela, don't need to go again.

 

[Lenny HB]

Problem with the last 100km means from Melide you would be on the Camino Frances with the hordes also doing the last 100km

Just read that out loud to the boss hoping it has the desired effect.

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