The weather cleared up, the sun appeared, and the views along the walk were absolutely stunning. The walk took us on walkways and footpaths that paralleled the ocean, and toward the end, we were walking on grassy fields with the cliffs, beaches and ocean directly alongside. It was spectacular.
What an amazing day’s adventure! The day began misty and damp: all the wetness promised from the prior day, came this morning instead. But the views were magical!
Leaving Nueva
Sunrise Views
One of my favorite experiences of the day is our early morning climb past the church of San Pedro in the tiny village of Piñeres de Pria. As we climbed the hillside in the foggy mist, we heard Gregorian chants in the distance, coming from the Albergue Casa Rectoral that stood alongside. It was truly sublime. Listen closely to this recording, which doesn’t do justice to the beauty of the moment.
As is the story on most days of the Camino, we walked, and walked, and walked in the quiet morning hours, passing almost nobody but fellow pilgrim Kim from South Korea. We first met on Day 1 of the Camino, then at the albergue in Gerekiz, and again last night in the market at Nueva. He passed us at 6:15 am, walking much more quickly than we were.
Today’s morning walk was slower than usual as I was dealing with a sprained ankle. I wrapped it tightly in a compression bandage and hobbled along. It was very uncomfortable. I ditched the bandage after morning coffee and the walk proceeded much more speedily (but I still have a very sore ankle).
One of the common sites along The Way is a Horreo (corn crib). It's a wooden structure, lifted high off the ground, often sheltering cut wood as well as the corn inside. Here's a peak at what this looks like. You pass these everywhere in these small farming villages.
Horreo (Corn Crib)
You also pass hay balers alongside peoples' homes. We saw many of these in the Basque country, and spied another on the way here in Asturias.
Making Hay Bales
About 13 km into the morning we enjoyed morning coffee at a
café in Ribadesella. It’s a beautiful coastal town that’s a magnet for
tourists…and pilgrims. We saw lots of
fellow travelers on the road, many more than any previous day. We met some
young ladies from Toronto enjoying coffee at the same café.
Indianos Home Ribadesella
Walking Along Ribadesella Beach
Walking out of Ribadesella we met Sofia (University student from Milan) and the British/German couple who live in Austria. Wieset (I believe that’s the German girl’s name) shared that the group was unable to stay in Nueva because all the hostels and albergues were full. They were likewise unable to book an albergue for this evening in La Isla. Every bed in the local hostels was already booked. Same for the next few days. So they’re staying a village or two away, and have booked their travels in advance. They’re traveling on a tight budget, as are most pilgrims. The lack of spontaneity in travel is a serious loss in the pilgrim experience. It’s really very sad.
The walk out of Ribadesella started to feel like the real pilgrim experience. We were seeing more and more hikers on the road. At one point, there were 11 of us moving together along the same stretch of road. Everyone was on their way to La Isla.
Pilgrims Along The Way
The weather cleared up, the sun appeared, and the views along the walk were absolutely stunning. The walk took us on walkways and footpaths that paralleled the ocean, and toward the end, we were walking on grassy fields with the cliffs, beaches and ocean directly alongside. It was spectacular.
Beach Outside Vega de Ribadesella
Views From Our Afternoon Walk
 |
| Views Along the Way |
We arrived at our hotel just after 3:00 pm, in time for a late meal at a local restaurant. After lunch, we headed down to the beach for a walk in the ocean, but alas, my ankle couldn’t manage a walk in the sand.
Today’s totals: 28 km covered. We’re more than half way to Santiago! Only 393 km to go.
No comments:
Post a Comment