Camino Primitivo Day 1 Oviedo to Samarciellu (Days 20 & 21)

All pics

Yesterday  was really a rest day again as I took the train from Ribadesella  to Oviedo. 

Oviedo is where the Camino Primitivo starts this is a cross country Camino from the coast on the Camino Del Norte to Spain. It's called the Primitivo cuz this is the first way that pilgrims would come to Santiago they would land on boats on the coast and then they would walk the Primitivo path through nature and over mountains to get to Santiago. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful routes and one full of nature and some difficult climbs

I woke really early and was on the way by 630. I was a bit worried as the weather forecast was for rain all day thru the region and I had planned a long walk day to stay in a special donativo alburgue (free,  with all meals provided) which is also an ecological  alburgue... we actually have an outhouse. 

These donativo alburgue tend to be the best,  fewer beds,  great hosts and great food.  

It was a hard decision whether to leave the coast or to walk the Primitivo but so much of the walking on the coast seem to be on roads and very busy and I really wanted to find more natural Camino to walk on and today was great example of this.

 As soon as I got out of the city of Oviedo it immediately went into Forest paths and smaller country roads really Farm Road sometimes just two wheel paths through forest and farmland it's great scenery. I didn't think it was going to be very strenuous but then it seemed like today mostly I was either going up or going down which of course takes a lot of energy going up and your knees and Joints take the beating going down. But it was a lovely walk.

 I finished the first 12 miles out of 20 without any rain and since I left so early I'd pass several bars but they were all closed and immediately as it started to rain I Came Upon the first open bar and sat down for a bit. I checked the weather again and looked at the radar and it looked like it was going to rain and maybe even thunderstorms and throughout the whole region until later in the afternoon when I would of course be finished. So I only stayed there about 30 minutes had a grande cafe con leche, a big hot coffee which was lovely and an orange soda for some sugar and headed back out.

 Interestingly it only rain for about the next 2 miles and then the sun started to come out. And of course the sun Shone brightly at the very end of the Camino which had the longest and steepest climb of the day right before I arrived at the alburgue 

I'm still somewhat amazed at the difference in my strength and stamina especially when I'm climbing even more so when I'm climbing in Sun. It's amazing what sleep food and exercise can do so quickly and the bgrowth happens.