Distance: 30.2km (357.9km), time spent: 08:57.
Waymarking: Good.
Weather: Overcast and melancholic, then clear in the afternoon.
Any hope of a day beneath a clear and blue sky could be quickly forgotten. The sky was grey and was strung down on the landscape and hills. I had begun to count the number of days since the last clear sunny day, after all, was I not in the sunny Spain? Needed sun now to recharge the batteries. That I became a tiny bit irritated about the weather, which really was not that bad, was probably just a small sign that I was a bit tired. Anyway, the grey sky of today, only wrapped the walk in a melancholic veil, which without containing the most exceptional scenery, was a nice day.
Above, grey clouds attaches themselves to Peña Gobia. Below, green trees attaches themselves to the mountain.
The trail followed the valley from Bóveda further down, with round hills above it. With one dramatic exception, Peña Gobia, which did what it could to split up the low clouds. It was a walk with my shoulders lowered, I did not really knew what to expect when it came to this part of the route, which was to its advantage. I could just go with the flow of it. Another reason may be that it becomes so quiet, so calm, when the clouds lies above the landscape as they did today.
An old door and staircase, with a water spring, in Tobillas.
So, even with heavy clouds draped down over the mountainsides of Peña Gobia, I enjoyed myself where I walked after Bóveda. I had gone into a kind of quiet contemplation. The trail was to pass by some old artificial hermit's caves, a place that I had on my notebook as a possible place to camp. It turned out to be not just one set of caves, but three different ones. I visited two of them; the third was a little too far away from the route that I prioritized to make the trip.
Inside the Ermita de San Vitores, sparse interior, only two benches in front of the altar.
I arrived at the first one just before the small village of Tobillas, the caves was here hidden between the trees on a small hill just above the path. Not large, just openings in the bedrock, but large enough to stay in safe from weather. The second one was cooler. A natural staircase in an overgrown forest led the way to the caves between trees covered by vines. At the end of the tunnel of trees there was a cliff, the path went straight towards a door carved out in the cliff. The caves are from the fourth century. Large enough that you can stand upright inside them. Good places to camp outside. When I looked back towards the grove afterwards, there was nothing to indicate what lay hidden among the trees.
Path leading to the Cuevas del Moro, the door the caves at the end of the forest tunnel.
Scattered around the valley was small settlements and hamlets, all covered by the grey sky. I passed by next to a small chapel, Ermita de San Vitores, which given by its appearance did not look like one, almost restrained in its interior. In Pinedo, there were no one who sat and played chess at the outdoor chessboard with a view across the valley, no pieces on the board, just a few pine needles. Some raindrops came when I walked across the hill to Valpuesta.
Inside one of the Cuevas del Moro caves.
This was the most enjoyable part of the day walkwise, a slightly secluded walk through a forested area. With a visit in Valpuesta on the way, a beautiful village containing some wonderful buildings, I ate lunch outside the restaurant that was closed at the moment. The path afterwards was of the kind that I like so much, a high winding path with views, only marred by the usual barbed wire you encounter down here. Looking back, Valpuesta looked like a village that was situated deep in a remote valley. I could see rain in the horizon.
Overlooking Valpuesta on the way to Villanueva de Valdegovía.
That the restaurant in Valpuesta was closed, reminded me again about one of the things I was worried about on my hike. To meet closed doors at places of need. Accommodations, but most of all, where I could get food. I had felt the same way earlier. I got the same feeling again in Villanueva de Valdegovía, where it was quiet, but then I found a small store that was open. It closed just after I had bought myself a cold coke, some candy and a can of cerveza con limon sin alcohol. All consumed sitting on a chair outside.
Path from Valpuesta to Villanueva de Valdegovía.
It was not such a nice walk afterwards, but I was in such a good mood that I did not let me affected by it. Monastir de Angosto was supposed to be a popular pilgrim destination and a peaceful place, but I felt it was a little bit marred by the large modern additional to the original building. Today, I could also walk without worrying me about the waymarking, it was good, except for a small section before the monastery that gave me some puzzle.
Modern furniture is not something you often see at the bars in the countryside in Spain, here from one of the bars in Espejo.
I was satisfied when I got to Espejo. Oddly enough is this small town located outside the trail itself, but it is waymarked that the trail goes to it. Here at least, one local bar was open, yet another place where time goes on other terms than back home, I love these places. They were also running a small local store, which they opened up for me; I needed to add some supplies.
Supermercado movil. A supermarket on wheels, inside a trailer.
Espejo was not the place where I had intended to give in for the day, wanted to go some more. In Tuesta, two kilometres after, there was a tiny hotel that I had called. This was to be another night where I did not camp. When I came there, I had walked long enough for this day. The surrounding area was mostly occupied by fields and acres, I would prefer to camp at more remote and secluded places. Sunflowers was parading along the road to Tuesta.
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción-kirken in Tuesta.
Tuesta was a pleasant small village. No shop there, but a supermercado movil was visiting when I arrived. My accommodation was in Hotel Rural Amona, run by a nice elderly couple. Language problems made me unsure whether I could get dinner there or not, but they did make me some. Soup and a large plate of pommes frites, eggs and fish. Outside, the weather was lifting.
<- BóvedaArmiñón ->
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