Returning to Gijón

“Buen Camino.” 

So started this second chapter of our adventure, which began in 2023.  Those words, spoken by seemingly every passer-by to a traveling pilgrim, were shared by the stewardess as we boarded our plane to Madrid.  It felt so calming and reassuring.

Tina at the Train Station in Madrid

 

It likewise felt so good to be returning—in good health—to a town I could barely enjoy last year because I could barely walk.  Gijón is an industrial city on the Bay of Biscay, about 300 miles from the Camino’s starting point in Irún.  It boasts two beautiful beaches, a lovely “Old Town” historic center, and a vibrant tourist industry.  The weather is gloriously cool: 60’s in the evening, high of 72-75 during the day, with cool breezes wafting in from the water.  It’s such a welcome change from the heat at home and in Madrid.

 

Gijón's Harbor

Gijón was an important port city during Roman times. The old hilltop naval base and gun batteries have been transformed to a beautiful park, with the modern sculpture Elogio Del Horizante at the water’s edge.  Designed by a Basque architect, it looks like a big hunk of rounded concrete—but it’s so much more than that!  The shape concentrates the sound of the waves in the center of the sphere.  When you stand inside, you hear the waves and water surround you.  Here’s Paco at the monument.

Paco at Elogio Del Horizante

 

The city boasts incredibly preserved Roman Baths built between the 1^st and 4^th centuries AD.  It’s amazing to see the actual construction and layout of the bathing spaces and meeting rooms, right in the center of town.

Roman Baths at Gijón

 

We’re learning to get back into the groove of Camino travel.  First, find a local shop to buy fruit and other sundries.  We made our first classic mistake on Saturday: passing an open vegetable stand in the early afternoon but putting off the purchase ‘til later.  Predictably, the shop had closed by the time we returned.  Lesson learned: Do it now. You may not get another chance later.  (That also applies to topping up one’s water bottle from every available water fountain!) 

Next lesson: relax and enjoy the surroundings!  It’s easy to get carried away with the task at hand: getting to Santiago de Compostella.  But “The Way” is as important as the destination.  We considered cutting short our Gijón stay and departing Sunday for Avilés. We decided against it and stayed in town all day Sunday.  We’re so glad we did!  Gijón is a delightful town, the weather was beautiful, we enjoyed lunch in a fancy restaurant Paco found—and we rested!  It was the right thing to do, and we’re grateful we stuck with the plan. Lesson learned: Take time to smell the roses.

So tomorrow, the adventure begins! We know where to find an open cafe early in the morning (another important Camino lesson) and we know where to pick up the journey.  The Way passes right in front of our hotel, with the iconic shell at our doorstop.

Paco and the Camino Shell

See you on the road!