Ribadesella to San Vicente

Five km up to San Esteban and a very nice albergue was enough yesterday afternoon. This morning's walk back to Ribadesella for the train along the same route, in light rain, seemed shorter somehow . . . maybe because it was downhill, maybe because it was known . . . probably a bit of both.
Two Spanish cycling peregrinas, Amparo and Pilar, were the only others staying.
The porage purchased three days ago finally found a kitchen with more than a micro-wave and a shared breakfast was appreciated all round. Carrying excess weight at one time on the French Route became an obsession, now there are times the rucksack seems not separate from my body, no longer a burden . . .
San Vicente is the rather random choice at the station . . . an albergue and a train station two days from Santander being the the parameters . . . the ride was spectacular for the scenery and lovely for the company of Juanma, a teacher of German from Cordoba and sometime pilgrim. The station turned out to be a couple of kms from town, where a coffee, bus info for tomorrow and the beautiful albergue on the hill were soon revealed along with an estuary and bay beautiful to behold.
The gothic church is imposing from the outside and amazing inside, though it is still a mystery as to how the ornate altarpieces are dusted . . .
Margaret, from Germany, arrives at the albergue, otherwise no more pilgrims so far.
A filling menu del dia and pleasant wander around this beautiful place, then the public library, since cafe wifi does not always support photo uploading . . .