It has been 5 years since I've updated this blog. I felt that I need to update it again especially since I have the tale of the unfinished Camino Primitivo which I did in 2018 but unable to finish. I still would like to go back in Spain and finish it when this pandemic is over. Although admittedly the Primitivo trail is perhaps the toughest walks I've been to. It was not what I originally intended. I would have wanted to do the Camino Del Norte. But i think I will have that opportunity again.
But first here is my attempt to tell the story.
This was the first time I did the Camino with a friend. In hindsight that was a bad decision. My buddy had to finish the walk in two weeks and the route was quite cramped for the 2-week route, especially since the trail for each day is about 30km and the terrain is uneven unlike what I was used to in the Camino Frances or Camino Portugues way.
I was winding down on my Europe backpacking trip then. I was working as a a nomad already then and I was actually planning to take a leave. Unfortunately my client did not want me to get off grid. He just wants me to check in at least one hour each day. So I had to bring my laptop for the walk, which in hindsight was a terrible idea.
Day 1, I left most of my stuff at the house of my friend whom I 've met in Murcia when I was still a grad student in 2015. I transferred my bag at her place in one of the suburbs of Madrid. So with a light load already I took a bus to Oviedo from Madrid.
I am so impressed with the bus system in Madrid. It was quite easy to book a travel online. I made the reservation through Alsa and proceeded to Madrid Estacion Sur. It had 2 major levels. The first floor which contains the cafe, the shopsand the ticket booths and the lower level where the bus would park when it is time to pick up passenger. There were about 40 terminals at the lower level. There are international routes but mostly only within the country.
There is a big board that shows the arrivals and departures of trains. It is advisable to wait at the bench on the first floor and go to the bat area 15 minutes before boarding.
The trip to Oviedo was uneventful. I was looking at my google map from time to time to check how far away we were from the destination. The town for some reason reminded me of Valenca, Portugal or other lesser known towns in Spain, There is ithe bus station that is about 1 to2 kilometers from the town square. The central park or garden seemed to me like a trapezoid. There was a wide avenue the separates it from the block of commercial shops. While crossing I get to be reminded of the parking area that used to be in the area fronting Net Cube, my former office in GE.
We've spent two nights in Oviedo exploring the city before starting the trek on the first of October. The first stage was from Oviedo to Grado.
We went to have breakfast in an area near the cathedral and by that time we already have our pilgrimage passport which we got the day before. We ordered the breakfast meal of the day I think I had the usual coffee, bread (with my favorite tomato spread) and maybe salad.
We walked outside of the city and it reinforced my impression of Oviedo just like the city of Leon where I first started my Camino France. Initially there were lots of business establishments in the central area, maybe for a radius of 3 kilometers . Then slowly the business establishments would start to thin out and are replaced by would by big flat dull buildings most likely used as warehouses. then these too are slowly replaced by farm houses. You know like the ones that we're occupy the suburbs and I will assume that these are the houses of the farmers they have begun.
They have wide gardens and backyards so definitely that's the way of life in that area and walked we further I think we we passed by a hilly park it you know the the ground started to go up so I think we are now moving towards some hilly areas. And it's a blur right now but we did have a couple of pictures sessions and then there was this guy who was walking behind us and we asked him to take our picture and from then on he joined us in the walk. His name is Ruben he is from Madrid.
Nestor and Robin started to have a conversation. We stopped by this chapel which had a white frontage painted white and it actually reminded me of an almost abandoned chapel I encountered when I did the Camino Portuguese.
The chapel actually is constructed on a hill with expansive view. I recall taking a leak with such a marvelous view. I remember posing in front of the chapel
I would like to have photos now and then so not typical Filipinos but they're not Filipinos and I was thinking that maybe on my next Camino I should be walking with a Filipino so that you know we get to share The pictures together and and I think I had them no no no no we we were looking for a place to eat and actually we made a wrong detour and that's why we had to go back and take a shortcut which would pass by the hill it was rather a steep ascent I had difficulty catching my breath and I just told Nestor and Robin to go ahead make an order
It was a bit tricky I'm going to as we walked along because it was confusing whether you know the path would lead to the appropriate route or not and fortunately I made the right call otherwise I would have been lost and uh I found finally found Nestor and Rebecca waiting for me
I actually stumbled upon a group of Polish peregrinos and we're about 4 middle age ladies and they had a they had a tour guide probably in early twenties.
Oh my God I missed the fabada. It was rich and had an awesome combination of the meat and the fabada beans. Although I hate to admit that I prefer actually the canned fabada of Mercadona. I guess my taste sort of adopted to it.
After lunch we walked again but then my client gave me a call so I told them to go ahead while I take the call. I asked them to go ahead and you know did you just have to wait for me if need be ands and I recall having call I'm having a selfie taken together and I feel awful because I thought that they probably waited a long time for me and then I think we we passed by an area where there's a Valley looks like a deep Valley and then there's I remember what I remember what there's a stream passing through it and I love actually the view I wish I had more time because I would have wante I wouldn't want to take a picture but then we went along and finally we reach I think Grado I think that's the name of the place grado I recall we Nestor and I had a picture with a sign board and then
We checked in at a private albergue. I recall hobbling. I had a difficulty walking after we we checked we checked in in actually.
I liked the sleeping quarters although the bed foam was rather sticky for me. In the evening we went to look for a place I think we ate at this place where they were serving I think little hamburgers. Ruben decided not to join us because he did not like the type of food being served.
I recall that I learned the term heramianta that night which is the Spanish word for tools and because I asked ruben about it and I think that's about it that's how I recall my 1st day of the Camino
