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  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    Day 18

    Carpe Diem!

    September 23, 2017 in Spain β‹… πŸŒ™ 13 Β°C

    Last night I had a wonderful dinner here in Otur. We were six, a dutch couple, Hugo and Yolanda, who were my sleeping mates in the apartment in Villademoros a day ago, and three french ladies, whom I met on the way to Soto de Luina, during their lunch break. They let me try some of their french cheese, which was actually quite nice, not too old and stinky 😁.

    We had a good time during dinner and dinner was fabulous. We took the menu del dia, which gave the option of ensalada mixta or sopi marisco as a starter. Half of us had the salad and half the soup. All of us were delighted and impressed! Wow it was delicious, and a lot. As a main meal everyone had filete de ternera (yes, even I, the forever aspriring vegetarian) It was a big and thin peace of meat, with the best taste and so mals with home- made patatas fritas, wow, everyone was again delighted. As a postre some of us had home made flan, or arroz con leche, and yes again, super! Then, coffee and then the bill....... 13 euros per person! Wow, you gotta love Spain! Did I mention that wine was also included 😁

    Yesterday's walk was nice, a lot of mud though, which always makes it a challenge...... How do I get through without getting my shoes dirty.... Hey, it keeps you busy 😁.

    On my way, I stopped in the coastal town of Luarca, Beautiful! While walking on the main square, two spanish men I have been meeting on the camino for the past two days, were waving and calling at me and they invited me for a drink. Turns out, one of the men speaks dutch and very well too! He used to have a dutch girlfriend and he works a lot with dutch people. They live in Benidorm! Salvador and Fernando, and according to Fernando they are famous there.... Hmm, I will have to look it up 😁. After my cafe con leche, I said goodbye and walked the last 7 km to Otur, where Yolanda and Hugo were already having a beer at the bar. Last night, I stayed in a hotel room all for myself, just 16 euros! Heerlijk!

    I am a day away of reaching the border of Asturias and Galicia and kind of sad about it.
    I just don't want it all to end, and unfortunately the end is in sight....... Ok..... I still have about 2 weeks to go....so I will keep telling myself to enjoy the moment and make the most of the day! Carpe diem!    Read more

  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    2
    Day 16

    Villademoros

    September 21, 2017 in Spain β‹… 🌧 16 Β°C

    Super super tired, but I did want to leave a footprint, because I didn't yesterday,
    I am staying at an apartment in Villademoros.
    I have a room all to myself and sharing the apartement with a very nice dutch couple, Hugo and Yolanda.

    I really enjoyed today's walk. It is so surprising how a day can go so different from what you expect. This morning when I woke up in the albergue in Soto de Luina, I was really not looking forward to walking.
    I guess because I didn't really enjoy my walk yesterday from Muros de Nalon to Soto de Luina. I felt hansha yesterday and not at ease. The route wasn't really spectacular either and I felt kind of lonely.

    So with that in mind and the fact that the weather was going to be blah, I wasn't really looking forward to today's stage.
    Yesterday, the hospitalero of the albergue, came to explain today's stage.

    There was a choice to be made, or go through the mountains, or the coastal route.
    Ofcourse I chose the coastal, and wow, what a beautiful route it turned out to be today!!

    Yes, it did rain half of the stage, but I really enjoyed my walk todAy. Very beAutiful setting, nice views, a lot of ups and downs, not a lot of asphalt, it was good!

    And tonight I sleep alone!!!! I have my own bedroom, no one snoring ( last night was the worst everrrrrr)!
    Sweet dreams people 😘    Read more

  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    2
    121
    Day 14

    Cheater cheater

    September 19, 2017 in Spain β‹… β›… 18 Β°C

    I keep cheating on this trip. And today I counted the stages and the days I have left to walk, and I am going to have to cheat if I want to get to Santiago by the 5th of October.

    Yesterday I left beautiful Gijon ...... At 2!!
    What happened, welllll check out at the hostal was at 12, so I had to take advantage of that, and when I was ready to leave, Kristien sent me a msg that she was on her way to Gijon, because her slipper!! (Aka flip flop) had broken!!! Just before starting one of the most difficult stages of this camino! πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ This girl is a hoot! She is too funny!
    So I decided to wait for her to say hi and ended up walking through half of the city to find a room for her for the night. She ended up staying at the hotel with the dinosaur 😬.

    So I went on my way en route to Aviles. The road out of Gijon was ugly, but interesting. A lot of heavy industry, like ArcelorMittal. Then a long walk through the woods, only the lonely, and finally for the last 5 km, I took a train. It was already after 6, my foot was hurting and I just wanted to get to the albergue.

    Finally in Aviles.... Another nice town... I just love Spain..... I arrive at the albergue, and there is Lina sitting in the kitchen. She offered me leftover pasta, which was heeeeeeeerlijk! So thankful! Only thing left to do was take a showet and go to bed! Slept hopi bon, af en toe awake and a snore here and there, but all in all a good night.

    This morning, I had already decided that I was going to take a train to the beach, so I would skip the industrial outskirts of Aviles. I had a tortilla with bread at the beach, heerlijk. A lady came to talk to me to ask if I was doing the camino and offered me cafe at her house, but it was all the way on the other side..... I had to be on my way anyway.... I started my camino around 11:30 and arrived here at Morus de Nalon around 4:30. It was a nice camino today, very peaceful, although sometimes when I am walking in the woods all alone, it is kind of scary. But then I think, there is probably always a peregrino/a not far away, walking behind me.... Not such a good thought, when you are with your bare ass in the air because you have to pee for the 100th time ...... 😝😝

    Btw, I walked the whole route on sandals today and it went well! So happy I bought them last year. Ciaoo    Read more

  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    1111
    Day 12

    Xixon

    September 17, 2017 in Spain β‹… β›… 16 Β°C

    Wow, another beautiful Spanish city, Gijon, capital of Asturias. I would like to tell you that I successfully completed one of the most difficult stages of the Camino del Norte today, but helaas...... I cheated AGAIN πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚.

    Yesterday, I was kapot when arriving in Villaviciosa from La isla. I had walked more than 20 km, it had rained off and on, my shoes were wet and I had pain in my right foot. So much so that I took off my boots and walked the last 2 km's on slippers. So when I read last night, thAt the etapa Villaviciosa to Gijon was one of the most difficult, I said....... No way Jose!

    But let's go back to Villaviciosa, on my way there I stopped in a little town called Colunga, which was about half an hour from the town where I had stayed the night (La Isla). It was raining off and on again and according to the forecast, it was going to rain the whole day.

    Once in Colunga, I had a choice to make, do I take the bus to Villaviciosa (half hour ride) or do I walk five hours. Eventually I decided to walk, motivated by the fact that Lina, the german girl I had left La isla with had walked on and also I didn't want to quit walking just yet.
    So after having lit a candle in the church of Colunga for Mimi, I went on my way.

    After about an hour, I get a msg from my friend Lina, with her location......... She was in Villaviciosa already!!!! 😳😳😳😳
    Turns out, while walking, another german pilgrim she got to know, who was going to Villaviciosa by taxi! (Speakin of cheating 😝) passed her and stopped, and she decided to hop in the taxi !!!!! Pffffff

    Anyway, I don't regret having walked, it was nice and didn't rain too much. It is just at the end that I really had to take off my boots.

    When I arrived in Villaviciosa, I went to the appartement where my friend Mari-jose and her boyfriend Vasile were staying. They took such good care of me, I wasn't allowed to do anything (no complaints from my side 😁😝😜), I took a warm shower (finally) and they cooked for me! We talked and talked and talked! It was so great seeing them again, such nice people! I stayed with them at the appartment and slept like a baby.

    In the morning, we had breakfast and all of us had to pack. They were also leaving today to Madrid. Our buses both left at 12, so no one was left behind feeling sad.

    I arrived in Gijon at around 1 o'clock and followed a german pilgrim I met the day before, who was also on the bus, to the hotel he was staying at to see if there were still rooms available........ I am happy to say that tonight I am sleeping al alone, i have my own bathroom, heeeeeeeeeeerlijk πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚. Ofcourse, first things first, I took a siesta, after that I washed my clothes and then I went to enjoy this beautiful city. Echt de moeite waard!    Read more

  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    1212
    Day 10

    La isla bonita

    September 15, 2017 in Spain β‹… πŸŒ™ 14 Β°C

    Tonight I am in a small coastal town called La Isla. Let me set the stage, I am in the only cafeteria in this small town, it is raining outside and it seems like all the locals from this town are in this bar ..... It's loud. I came here to have dinner (by myself) and had a ensalada mixta and tortilla. I decided to take an extra coffee (descafeinao) because it is just raining too much to walk back to the albergue.

    Yes, I am alone. This afternoon, after Kristien her clothes had dried, the hospitalera drove us to the next big town....... Yes, I cheated!!!!
    It was raining, i had more then 20 km ahead of me and it was already 1 o'clock. I left Kristien in Ribadesella and was dropped in the next town by the hospitalera. Kristien had to stay behind because her heel and ankle were swollen after the massage and it hurt to walk, so it was better to take a rest day. I felt bad leaving her alone, but I want to be in Villaviciosa tomorrow to meet up with a friend from Madrid.

    On my way to the La Isla it rained off an on but I was lucky to be able to hide from the rain so my shoes didn't get too wet. While walking the last part, I met up with Lina, the german girl who also speaks dutch. She is also staying at the albergue but was going to cook in the cocina, instead of eating out. Ai no yuuuuu, hopi gana, I guess it's the age...... It must be the age, because while walking here she said, you know...... The name of this place reminds me of the song La isla bonita, I said huh, you know that song??? Who sings it? She said she had no idea......... OMG, I feel old πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

    Ok, I am off in the rain. Bet you lights in the albergue are off already! Ughhhhh 😩    Read more

  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    Day 10

    Heaven or .......

    September 15, 2017 in Spain β‹… β›… 13 Β°C

    Omg, what a dat yesterday. The most km I have walked up to now in a day was yesterday, and believe me, I feel it in my legs! But it was also the day on the camino up to now, filled with the most laughter 😁😁😁.

    I had left the peaceful town of Poo in the morning, after a good night sleep. It was raining a little and I left together with a german girl named Lina. Lina also speaks Dutch, because she studied in the Netherlands.
    We took the coastal route, with beautiful views on beaches, rock formations, amazing. While walking, we came across people standing by a tent in a field. Turns out it was three pilgrims I had met in the albergue in Comillas.
    One girl from Belgium, and two guys from France. They had spent the night in the tent in the field. 😳😳😳😳
    Mind you, it had rained and was very windy, so the girl's tent almost blew away and she had to crawl in the boys' tent.

    Soo, I went to say hi to them and the girl, Kristien, said she wanted to continue walking with me, because tonight she wanted to sleep in an albergue. We ended up walking together, talking, laughing, going the wrong way, having to go back, having to stop because her camel bag broke so everything in her bag was wet......
    A very eventful day filled with ups and downs but always met with laughter.

    When we were close to the albergue, we were both so tired that we got the slappe lach.

    Finally at the albergue, I was soooo happy that I had the sense to have made a reservation the night before and in the morning I had also made a reservation for Kristien.
    But.........

    When we arrived it turned out there was an overbooking......... There where too many people who's names started with krist.....
    There was Christy, Christina and Kristien and the hospitalera thought Christina and Kristien were the same....... And Christina was already at the albergue........ Owh shit.......

    In the end........ We got a room just for the two of us (the hospitalera vacated her room for us πŸ˜‚). It was great! I had a shower, a delicious vegetarian dinner and also the option of having a massage, but just too tired, so I went to bed.

    Now, a lot had happened since then, the short version...... Kristien did get a massage after dinner, during which the masseuse discovered all these red spots on her and told her she has bed bug bites, so all in rep and roer, everything has to be cleaned, the hospitalera not so happy, because she might have brought bed bugs in her albergue, haaaai diosssss, anyway, I am still at the albergue now, waiting for her clothes to dry.........

    To be continued    Read more

  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    Day 8

    P for Poo and Playaaaa

    September 13, 2017 in Spain β‹… β›… 8 Β°C

    This morning when I woke up I looked outside, clear sky and the sun was shining..... Change of plans...... No walking ..... But a beach day!

    So I walked about half an hour from the albergue in Llanes, to the Albergue in Poo de Llanes. Such a nice place, nice hospitalero and close to a beautiful beach. This is my stop for today, I am writing this while sitting on playa de POO, surrounded by Germans, who all speak german....... No spanish ...... So I am their translator.... 😁😁😁

    Yesterday when I arrived at the albergue in Llanes, a german girl I had met in the albergue in Serdio, was at the reception and she was so happy to see me, because her ankle was really hurting and she had already gone to the doctor but they told her she had to go to the hospital to have a picture taken of er ankle to see if anything was broken. The hospital was at 50 km away from here and she had to take a bus. Communication with the hospitalera wasn't really going well, because she doesn't speak spanish and the hospitalera doesn't speak english. In comes the translator......... Me!

    Turns out there is a private clinic about 5 minutes from the albergue where a photo could be taken of her ankle, so no need to go to the hospital. I offered to go with her to translate, and she said GRAAG 😁.

    Turns out nothing is broken, but she just overdid it. This girl walked 250 km in 11 days 😳. So the doctor told her she needs to rest a week. He said that she was already the 2nd german he had seen this week, but that the first one could not continue, so she should take it really easy so it doesn't happen to her too. Let's hope she follows his advice.

    After the doctor's visit We went back to the albergue and I could finally take a shower, much needed cause I had walked more than 20 km yesterday. The albergue in Llanes was nice, good bed and I slept well.

    My walk yesterday was beautiful, I walked the ruta de la costa and also came by the bufones de arrenillas (I think it was called). Wow, gewoon geweldig! Please look at picture if you don't know what a Bufon is or look it up😁

    When I finally arrived in Llanes, I was mesmerized by the beautiful buildings, again look at picture to know what I am talking about 😁

    All in all a good day, as is today 😁😁😁    Read more

  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    Day 8

    Reborn

    September 13, 2017 in Spain β‹… β›… 20 Β°C

    Ok, so I skipped an update yesterday and with good reason...... My worst nightmare came true 😳😳😳😳 Ok maybe not my worst but definitely up there........ BED BUGS!!!

    I was preparing to leave the albergue in Serdio yesterday morning and while packing, I noticed something crawling on my underwear...... So I immediately sqooshed it and it gave off blood ... Eeeuw...... But I didn't know what bed bugs looked like so I looked it up on google.... Jaaaaaa hooooor, that was a bed bug, hopi gross, but it was only one so....... Pfffff .... WHen grabbing my pants I saw another one, sqooshed that bugger too, again.... Pats..... Blood. Ughhhh

    Ok, by now, I was completely paranoid and my main aim for the day was to find somewhere I could wash my clothes and find a farmacia where I could buy spray for my mochila.
    Unfortunately I wasn't passing through any big towns yesterday....... So chances of finding an albergue or hotel with washing machine were slim........

    After about 12 km walking and worrying, I walked by a house on the camino that said albergue Renacer, so I thought let me just pop in and see if they have any advice, because I thought for sure they wouldn't accept me staying there with my chinches.

    While I walk up the stairs, a woman opens and greets me. I explain what had happened and she said, no problem, I will help! Wow, she took all my clothes put them in a plastic bag to wash and alsoput my backpack in a bag and sprayed it with the stuff that I had bought.

    Later, while waiting for my clothes to wash and dry, more pilgrims arrived, all spanish. When my clothes were dry I finally put something on and at 8:30 dinner was served.

    It was a home cooked meal, prepared by my bed bug saviour Maria Del Pilar and we ate together at the dinning table. It was gezellig.

    This morning when I left the house, I felt like I was reborn! The name for this albergue, could not have been more fitting 😁😁😁    Read more

  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    Day 5

    Bingo!

    September 10, 2017 in Spain β‹… β˜€οΈ 19 Β°C

    Thank god for oordopjes!!! Last night in jail was a symphony of snorers. I had been wise enough this time to bring the oordopjes to bed, so I wasn't really bothered with the snoring.

    We had to leave the albergue at 9 o'clock, so at about 7 I decided to get up. You all know how slow I am, and I don't want to feel rushed.
    And even today, I was one of the last ones to leave 😁😁😁

    My first stop after the albergue was the same restaurant where I had my dinner last night (ensalada mixtaaaaaa yummy). I wanted to have a coffee and had also read that they have wonderful tortilla. Helaaaaaas, no tortilla, so I had a coffee and bocadillo con queso, ook lekker. Now, while I was sitting and enjoying my breakfast, I could see out of the window, a lot of pilgrims walking by, however, these people didn't have big backpacks, and there were lots of them. I found it a bit strange... And I was thinking, shit, all these people walking by, the next albergue is going to be full and I will have to walk further......

    Anyway, I started walking and pretty soon out of the town of Comillas I was walking a very nice route, passing a river, a beach, I was walking in Parque Nacional de Oyambre. Hopi nice, and suddenly I walk by a parking and there is a bus standing there, and outside of the bus they have drinks, snacks, and it looks like they are waiting........
    Turns out there is another way to do the camino, you can book with these people that basically provide everything for you, you don't have to cary a big backpack, no worries about enough food....... Heck...... No staying in albergues!!!!
    It's doing the camino the comfy way 😁😁😁
    I am sure it also costs a comfy price, NOT 😝

    Moving on I arrived at Playa de Oyambre and continued walking along the beach, heerlijk, the sun was shining but there was a lot of wind. It was very nice, big waves, lot's of surfers. At the end of the beach I went back up the road, to later again go down and walk along the next beach.

    It was about time to have lunch, so when I arrived at the beach before San Vicente de la Barquera, I decided to have the rest of my bocadillo con queso. What a beautiful view 😁

    From San Vicente I continued walking about 8 km further to Serdio, where I am now. I am sitting in the kitchen, showered, clothes washed and writing this, while I hear the hospitalera downstairs announcing numbers.
    There are a bunch of old spanish ladies sitting downstairs, so I think the hospitalera has set up her own Bingo game down here 😁😁😁.
    You gotta love Spain.

    O yeah, next to the albergue there is a small field, with cows and a bull. The bull must be very busy with keeping his ladies in line because he keeps moooooooiing really loud.
    Soooo tonight's symphony might also include some moooooooo's πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

    Hasta majan    Read more

  • TravelerBuen Camino 2
    Day 4

    GO TO JAIL

    September 9, 2017 in Spain β‹… 🌧 16 Β°C

    This morning when I woke up it was raining. I already knew it was going to be that kind of day........ WET WET WET. During breakfast I had a chance to chat with some really nice spanish people also staying at the albergue.

    One couple was from Bilbao en the other from Valencia. It was the last day for the couple from Valencia, so they gave me a pair of socks (so I wouldn't get more ampollas) and they also gave me their bastones ( walking sticks).
    I gave them my curaguide card, because they guy has always wanted to visit Curacao 😁.

    So after saying goodbye I started walking and after a while it started raining...... Hopi hard.... And there was nowhere to hide from the rain, so helaas my pants and shoes were empapados.

    When I arrived in Cobreces, the rain stopped for a little bit and then just when it started up again, I passed this little capilla. I call it capilla but don't know if that's the correct name. It was this little stone house with two stone benches on each side and at the back there was a statue of a saint.
    Anywayyyy, I stopped here out of the rain and had a chance to tend to my feet, which were wet and painful. After a while, feet rubbed with Vaseline and a compeed or two further, I started walking again.

    It rained off and on, and when I arrived in Comillas there was a light drizzle.
    I did not want to stop here, but with the rain and also the feet situation, it was the wise choice. The next albergue is 12 km away, and my feet can't handle that.
    Fingers crossed that I don't get bed bugs from this place 😁😁

    Comillas is also a nice town. Popular because a couple of buildings here are (partly) by Gaudi. I have been here before, and I think I even took mama, mimi and opa here to see El Capricho. So then I've been here twice already. Notice how I am trying to convince myself that it's okay that I'm staying in bed instead of exploring the town. Did I mention it's raining 😁😁😁😁.

    The albergue I staying at is referred to as La carcel, the jail! Because in the olden days it used to be a jail. No, I am not sleeping in a cell, they have been taken out. Tonight I am sleeping with 14 other people..... Let the snore fest continue 😝😝😝😝    Read more

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