Oviedo to Grado ...

April showers all the way, heavy enough to test the raingear ... which survives and dries in sunny interludes ...

Oats soaked in water plus banana in the room provides fuel for the day, orange juice and cafe solo in hotel bar the spark and place to wait until heavy rain desists ...

Oviedo reluctant to say goodbye, directions from the Cathedral tricky, conches set in the pavement considered more aesthetically pleasing than yellow arrows ... meaning a meander around engaging the locals in route finding, a second coffee while very friendly young bar person explains the way ... keen to speak English and taking classes ... soon leading to third coffee at bar where arrows start ... to pee and deploy cape to combat heavy shower ... after which two bars appear after two hours, both closed and another an hour later, this one helpfully pointing 200 metres off route, and more accurately at the bar itself informing wet, tired, thirsty, hungry, possibly bursting for relief, a particular problem for female pilgrims especially in wet weather, that between January and May they only open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. ..

Meanwhile, on the pilgrim front, things are looking up, especially with a later start and fast pace ... an international selection encountered from Sweden, Ukraine, Italy, Spain and Korea ... mostly older, except Bomi the Korean woman ... the only one detained for much conversation, Annelille from Gothenburg, Camino veteran having already walked the Primitivo amongst others ... retired from teaching in Steiner schools and resonating philosophically ... eventually abandoned as rain persists ... on and on until 3km from Grado, at 1.45, a restaurant and menu del dia ... potato salad with grated carrot, onions, hard boiled egg, for first course, egg and chips second ... vegetarian options rather limited ... rice pudding for dessert, red wine and coffee all for a filling bargain €10 ... and welcome rest for feet and legs ...

In Grado, Albergue Quintana located with more local help ... Lorena opened it last year ... municipal albergue resisted though likely destination for other pilgrims ... chocolate and churros plus language practice, avocado and banana from supermarket make healthyish evening snack ... weather looking drier tomorrow, though unsettled for a while ... and in Stanhope, snow ...

Vilaviciosa to Oviedo

A late start for a long day ... Oviedo the target, in two stages ... climbing steeply for three hours before first coffee stop .... plus tortilla ... on for another two to Pola de Siero for lunch and rest before plodding to Oviedo and the start of the Primitivo as well as routes back to the Norte at Aviles and to Leon for the French Way ... Daniel and Mackie heading direct from VV towards Gijon, slowly, since both are suffering with feet ... plus other burdens ... Daniel yearning for a child, Mackie mourning his, killed by its mother .. suffering with the awfulness and laden with a 24 kg pack ...

Porridge is prepared and shared ... slow release energy for the 40 + day with some alarming climbing, preparing the organism for the mountains ahead on the Primitivo ... feet settling down, shoes ready for the task, mind prepared for evening arrival ... plenty of light in April and mostly cloudy weather cools things down, though rain holds off ... some forecast for the week ...

Pilgrim free day after farewells with Daniel and Mackie, offer of special pilgrim benediction in the Cathedral at 7.30 skipped ... albergues also elusive and Hotel Favila recalled from previous visit, located opposite the FEVE rail station, though assistance from friendly locals required to find it ... Camino signage and enthusiasm notably improved since leaving the coast ... settled and showered by 7.45 and new experience of evening menu del dia means another late night ... tomorrow's stage is 25 with climbing, so early start not required ... and given the forecast of rain a rest day is an option. .. a decision for the morning ...

Ribadesella to Vilaviciosa

As a contrast to the heat-free Albergue in Llanas, the 2 star pension in Ribadesella is comfy but overheated ... fine for drying socks, not so good for sound sleeping ... tonight it's back to an Albergue, this time with two others in the dorm ... Daniel from Germany and Mackie from the Czech Republic ... so far ...

Another early start and glorious over the bridge and along to Vega on quiet roads and tracks .. at Vega Beach there are several bars ... all closed at 9 on a Monday morning ... no pressure, since coffee was found in Ribadesella ... after Vega a Spanish pilgrim, Manuel, appears ... walking in stages from his home in Santander ... finishing today in Colunga and setting a swift pace ... possibly trying to escape ... a teacher of Spanish to immigrants in Torrelevega, a job he finds very satisfying, we converse in Spanish all the way to Colunga, where he heads for his bus ... the clock shows 9, but it is noon and after tortilla, juice and coffee its a more sedate pace for the afternoon 17km, with some climbing and no services until Vilaviciosa, where the people are really quite peaceful ... arrival is too late for lunch and too early for supper, so it's snacks and fruit and pilgrim conversation ... fascinating as always ... other pilgrims about, but not at this hostel ...

Llanas to Ribadesella ...

Clocks go forward an hour, though Sun is up only a little earlier ... breakfast at Albergue, coffee, juice, bread and jam a wise choice, since first open cafe on the road arrives 3 hours later after a coastal track, some woods, a little road ... shorts on as Sun comes up and gorgeous all the way to Casa Raul near Navas for fresh orange juice and good coffee though no meat-free pinchos to be found ... never mind, Sun brings energy directly and almost half the stage is done by 11 ... an hour later Nueves appears with lots of cafe choices including tortilla ... after that it's a steady plod mostly on dirt tracks all the way to Ribadesela by 3 and a filling menu del dia before looking for a bed ... which turns up in a 2 star pension for a little comfort after yesterday's austere delights alone in a 6 bed dormitory with heating spared and three blankets to keep warm ... proper sleeping bag skipped for sake of weight and volume in the pack ... possibly a problem in busy hostels, but they seem very quiet now ... no pilgrims seen all day ... perhaps things will pick up for Easter ...

San Vicente to Llanes. ..

Soaked oats, banana and yoghurt enables extra early exit and epic stage  ... crescent moon in clear dark sky ... uphill for dawning and along quiet roads to Serdio for first coffee at 8 ... quick second coffee at 9 and juice plus pastry at Unquera at 10 ... the last town in Cantabria ... over the river and up to Colombres, where a bus load of children from Gijon are roaming round asking questions ... the teachers trying to get them to speak English (it's important for them) ...

On into Asturias on back roads and hard shoulders with occasional dirt tracks ... feet complain at all the asphalt, left knee joins in, then shoulders ... all connected and conspiring to find softer surfaces and shorter stages ... a brief excursion on coastal tracks lift the spirits, before returning to hard shoulder and lunch an hour before Llanes with extended rest ...

The rather fine town finally arrives at 5, tourist info is open for update on coming stages (each region is responsible for Camino info and infrastructure) ... hostel located in search of pilgrims, absent all day, though there none here ... too early they say ... season starts in May ... except for Germans and the odd Englishman ...

Ribadesella tomorrow perhaps, 32km a little gentler than today's hard 45 ...

And for readers who like pictures, the blog has decided not to load them ... users of FB may find a selection there ...

Santillana to San Vicente

Perfect walking weather for a 30+ stage with sea to the right, snow capped mountains to the left, beautifully restored buildings along the Way. .. early start and brisk pace means San Vicente and main meal of late lunch is reached by 2.30 ... though since the Albergue closed a while back alternative accommodation has to be found ... which turns out to be the rather lovely Hotel Luzon, where Jose Antonio plays the game of haggling with the pilgrim and finds a reasonable offer ...

Before which, a diy breakfast at the Convento is laid out before 7 ... muesli, an apple, coffee, some sliced white bread for toast, skipped for the sake of the stomach ... Lena shows up first, then  Hubert and finally Claudia ... the rest taking it easy ... Remo with inflammation of the leg, advised to rest, but thinking of a few kilometres, others aiming for Comillas, where the Albergue is closed until May, when the main season starts ... ringing ahead to find alternatives ...

The first pilgrim, Peter from Switzerland, appears after Comillas ... fluent in Romansch, German, French, English and Spanish, though more in speaking than listening ... he seeks a dune diversion to avoid the road and asks a passing local, who points the way ... he heads duneward prematurely and has not been seen since ... the river may possibly be forded at the sea, updates if he turns up later ...

Meanwhile, the forecast looks fair for a few days before some rain appears next week ... hopefully not turning to snow on the mountains after Oviedo ...

Tomorrow, out of Cantabria, into Asturias ...

Santander to Santillana

An early night and an early start sets up a decent first day of 40km  give or take a few miles. .. or kilometres ... since the stage is confusing, with marked routes leading to a stretch where the train is recommended for safety reasons ... experience confirms the danger ... in any case the first bridge available to pedestrians is at Puente Arce where the N611 runs, motorway and railway bridges being downstream ans shorter, but prohibited to walkers ... so, some hard shouldering is chosen since the 611 goes to Torrelavega via Puente Arce ... a tough enough challenge for feet with tarmac all the way ...

So, 7 am is coffee in Santander, 8, first breakfast of tortilla and coffee in the outskirts, 9, second breakfast of fresh orange juice and croissant and after the medieval bridge at Puente Arce a change to shorts since Sun has emerged from clouds and briskly to the impressive chemical factory ... the universe's way of offering contrasts, since beautiful Santillana is coming up ... a barber produces a proper pilgrim short shorn look, not shaven like the Buddhist monks, but short and comfortable ... then a quiet back road with protected pedestrian space all the way to Santillana, Claudia, a nurse from Germany met along the way as she was talking to a Basque cyclist heading home, having been robbed in Llanes ... checking in at the Convent Albergue by 2pm suggests the distance was more like 35 km, but still a good effort for the first day ... perfect timing for a shower, rinse some clothes and hang on the line and off for a filling menu del dia ... enough for today with a little fruit for later ...

The group which has been together along the Way is German speaking, except for Andrea, from Vigo ... as usual they speak English since she speaks that, but not German ...

Tomorrow a 7 am breakfast leaves plenty of time for Comillas or San Vicente de la Barquera, though the Hostel there has closed ... let's see what the morning brings ...