Grado! Downhill, Until It Wasn’t.

Day 19: El Puerto to Grado (45 miles / 1585 ft.)

After so many days of climbing, this was a day we had been looking forward to. Since we were starting at the top of the mountain, we hoped for an easier ride and good weather for the descent. We were not disappointed.

It was strange waking at 8:00 a.m. with the village still dark, the sun hidden behind the mountains. At least the restaurant didn’t back out on breakfast! We were the first ones downstairs, apparently still early by Spanish standards.

For nearly the first 15 miles, we barely needed to pedal. We probably could have broken some speed records, but kept it between 25 and 30 mph, stopping frequently for pictures that could never capture the magnificent landscape. From El Puerto, we descended through Somiedo Natural Park, following the Río Somiedo between steep green mountains. We passed through tunnels cut directly into the rock, with the cool air and sound of rushing water echoing around us.

The drivers here continue to impress us. Even on narrow mountain roads, they patiently waited until there was a safe place to pass.

We stopped in Pola de Somiedo for a walk through the village and to refill our bottles, then continued through the river valley to Belmonte de Miranda, where we had coffee and chatted with a couple of bicycle tourists from England.

Along the way, we saw countless hórreos and paneras, traditional Asturian granaries raised on stone supports to protect food from moisture and rodents. The larger paneras have six or more supports. Their wooden construction and overhanging roofs reminded us a little of Bavaria and Switzerland.

Then came the “until it wasn’t” part. To avoid a road tunnel, we followed a section of the Camino Primitivo, the oldest Camino route, in reverse. The gravel climb reached 18% and became completely unrideable for a while. Near the top, we finally managed to pedal again, only to find the road nearly blocked by vehicles and men carrying guns. It appeared to be an organized hunt, most likely for wild boar.

After passing a few Camino walkers coming toward us, we enjoyed another beautiful descent. With so much downhill, we finished with our highest average speed of the trip at 14.2 mph.

In Grado, we split a snack at a kebab shop, picked up supplies at Lidl, and tackled one final short but steep climb to our hostel in Sestiello, a tiny village overlooking the city. The beautifully remodeled building was once the owner’s family farmhouse. He showed us where his grandparents had lived and where the cows had once been kept.

We decided to support his business by eating dinner there and were rewarded with a beautiful salad and chicken stuffed with ham and cheese. Later, while walking through the village and listening to the cows moo, we met an older gentleman who had served in the Guardia Civil. We talked for about ten minutes and probably understood three to five percent of each other. Somehow, he convinced us to pick and taste some of his grapes.

When we finally left, he gave me a hearty handshake and blew Lisa a kiss from his hand. A neighbor walking down the hill saw the whole exchange and smiled. These encounters can begin a little awkwardly, but they often become some of our favorite cultural exchanges and best memories from the road.Read more