18th June Casablanca

 

Oviedo to Grado 26km

There's an often quoted line from the film Casablanca in which Humphrey Bogart's character says 'Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. On Tuesday morning I could have paraphrased that quote by saying "Of all the bus stations, in all the towns, in all the world, they walk into this one" as who should appear very unexpectedly, Ernesto, Stefano and Rocco. What a delightful treat!!  

Having had an emotional farewell yesterday , they had stayed outside Villaviciosa but their early start and my delayed departure means our paths intersected. It was so nice to be able to have a quick coffee, and grab a team picture before 'the boys' headed off to Gijon whilst I shared a bus journey with Rocco to Oviedo from where he begins his week long journey home to Toronto. 

It was lovely to see them all and the tsunami of emotion that had caught us all off guard yesterday was replaced by a serendipitous sense of joy! And yes me heading to Oviedo means that I have made the decision to stick with my original plan and gone 'all primitive'.

The Camino del Norte is behind me, well 458km of it and ahead of me lies the 382km and roughly 13 days on the Camino Primitivo, which is so named not because of its inhospitable terrain and lack of infrastructure but rather because it is thought to be the first, the initial, the primary pilgrimage route to Santiago established in 8th century by the first reported pilgrim, Alfonso II of Asturias (c. 760 – 842), nicknamed the Chaste (Spanish: el Casto). 

All I have 'chaste' today is that first cool beer of the day in the La Quintana albergue after a lovely walk from Oviedo to Grado, on a rural route involving significantly less concrete and much more forest trails and rural paths. Today is also my first real glimpse of the 'Glamino' in full flow with at least 11 bags and cases stacked at reception whilst they owners have enjoyed a nice stroll carrying next to nothing.

Having reserved ahead of time at least a dozen pack carrying pilgrims have been turned away after being told La Quintana is full, forcing them to either splash the cash for a hotel room or walk another 5km in temperatures touching 30 degrees to the next albergue. Sometime it is wise to plan ahead.

 


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