To Llanes ...

Same stage as Spring, though route variations and tempo make for long day on the road and heart moving towards the mountains ... not to Potes in the Picos de Europa, that option came and went in conversation with Ed and Steve, brothers from BSA, both retired and regular pilgrims on the Ways to Santiago ... collected at first stop in Serdio and engaging to Colombres, where a motor cycle rally has filled the town with blokes (mostly) in leather gear and noisy bikes ... all fine fellows, though so many in one place makes a coffee stop less desirable, while the brothers give it a try ... just for context, some of my best friends are bikers, including the editor ... anyway, Spanish pilgrim couple Alfredo and Manuela are next up, stretching linguistic skills for a while ... 54 and already retired from arduous life of a miner ... first coffee stop out of town also full of bikers ... they stop ... finally at Buelna a quiet bar and albergue it's time for an early lunch and rest, though the organism is firing on all cylinders, helped by breakfast of soaked oats and banana in hotel room before dawn ... vegetarian lunch meets calorific requirements, the stomach files official complaint with Central Operating System due to stodgy nature and over large quantity of pasta ... only overcome after an hour or so on the road ... before that Ed and Steve arrive for brief resumption of engagement, along with Aussie Jodie ....

For once common sense prevails and wine is declined in favour of water, enabling four hour afternoon walk near the sea into Llanes ... though smell of the sea more prominent than views ... Spring Albergue skipped for more congenial one at the station ... leading to morning temptation for first train to Oviedo, a 3 hour trip, compared to 3 days walking ... coast feeling rather touristic and pilgrim tourists perhaps perceived as poor tourists ...

Jodie turns up at the hostel for good connection along with Max from Marseille, walking with his tearaway son .... a walk in progress ... as for Ed and Steve, no sign so far, it's already nearly 10pm, laundry washed and drying ... breakfast at very civilised 6.30, decision to walk or train can wait until 7.40 ... meaning Grado on the beautiful Primitivo tomorrow evening ...