Hi, It is me again at last. I am in the library with free internet!
Where to start? We are having a really good time, it is even better than I expected. I will try to give a quick run down from where I left off last time.
Sunday 21 September - GUEMES This was such a surprise. Everyone we met said we must stay at Guemes. This is a donativo (donation) Albergue which takes about 60 pilgrims. Situatued in a remote area on a hill in beautiful countryside. We were one of the first to arrive for the day and shown to a room which slept 11 pilgrims. Very spacious and clean. On arrival we were offered lunch and given something to drink. After showering and doing some washing I walked around the grounds, beautiful gardens on a farm. There is a really large recreation room / lounge, a library and a wonder dining room which has the atmosphere of a pub. It is under the orgininal farm house and used to house the cattle.
At 7.30 in the evening we were all called to a ¨meeting¨ Ernesto the owner told us the history of the place and explaing its philosophy. We then had a very festive communal supper in the dinning room with lots of red wine. The following morning there was breakfast for all before we carried on. There is a wooden box into which you put any donation you feel you would like to give.
Ernesto who is in his last 70´s and owns/runs the place is the parish priest for two parishes in the area. Anyway more about this really interesting place when I return home.
Monday 22 September BEZANE SANTE CRUZ some rain today but luckily not too heavy before we arrived at our destination, an Albergue run on the same prinicipal as Geumes and recommended by them. This one was much smaller, in a family home. Also had a wonderful atmosphere with a communal supper around one table. So interesting all trying to chat with no many nationalities. An interesting lady here was a lady from Lithuania walking with her 3 year old who she is pulling along in a wagon type pram. She told us the wagon broke so she went to a garage where they repaired it for her for nothing.
Tuesday 23 September SANTILLANA DEL MAR. Left Santa Cruz and caught a train!!!! Yes we got onto a train, from a station in a place called Boo. The reason for the train is that the ferry no longer runs and people have been banned from walking 900m along the railway line to cross the river. So instead of a ferry we took a 2 minute train ride.
Santillana was such a shock. From the top of the hill it looked like a derelict town but turned out to be a wonderful medieval village which has hardly changed at all. Lots and lots of tourists and tour busses but because of the narrow streets the busses and cars are out of town.
Wednesday 24 September COMILLAS Once again some cooler weather - lovely. It is really tiring walking in hot humid weather. Arrived to find the Albergue closed for fumigation due to bed bugs! Walked into town and booked into a Pension. So nice to have real towels and our own room. Todays walk uneventful, just beautiful and peaceful, lots of harvesting taking place.
Thursday 25 September SERDIO Mornings are getting darker now. When we arrived we could leave at 7.15 and it would be light enough to see our way. Today we left at about 8 and it was only just light. Arrived in a seaside town, San Vincente de la Barquera at about 10. I really liked this place. Somehow it appealed more than the previous places. All the seaside resorts are on hills, some even have escallators to take you up the steep hill and one even had lifts.
Serdio is a very small place, no shops and one bar, bar Gloria where we fetched the key for the Albergue. There were only 6 of us tonight in this lovely peaceful little village. As per Spanish life, the children and families all appeared about 18h00, the children outside playing on the Plaza while parents socialised.
Friday 26 Sepetmeber PENDULES and another donative Albergue with communal meals. This one is run by a hospitelero named Javier. It is also in his private home and once again we had a wonderful evening.
Saturday 27 September CELORIO -We woke to wonderful music which Javier had warned us would be 15 minutes before breakfast. Once again we had the usual Spanish breakfast of Coffee, bread and something sweet, this time Marie biscuits and cake.Javier suggested that we deviate from the Camino due to roadworks and follow the E9 or GR route which is a well know European marked hiking route. This took us all along the coastal cliffs on a stunning day. Picnic overlooking the ocean and lovely deserted beaches.
Sunday 28 September SAN ESTEBAN and a walk of 32km! It was raining when we left this morning but our new poncho purchased en route worked well. Over the past two days we have hardly seen any other pilgrims while we are walking, one yesterday and the a group of 4 we have met regularly. Arrived at our destination, Ribadsella but as it is a tourist town and was Sunday afternoon, we found it too hectic after our quiet times so decided to carry on to San Esteban at the top of a LONG hill. San Esteban consists of an old Church and across the road, the Albergue. There was some sort of festival at the Church and everyone, including the horses there, was having lots of fun. The Albergue building was very old and extremely spacious with high ceilings. Once again only a few of us and a pleasant evening.
Monday 29 September SEBAYO Sunny and hot again today. We saw a lot of strange house type structures today. Looked like low roofed houses built on pillars. Discovered that they are Horreos, and they are built to dry the corn. The reason for the pillars is to keep the mice out. Another interesting fact is that they can be dismantled and moved. Tomorrow will be a big day for us, we make the choice of continuing on with the Northern/coastal route or branch off to the Primitivo but that is for my next blog post.
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