Camino Primitivo // day 9 // Berducedo - Grandas de Salime

Camino Primitivo / Camino Finisterre day 9.
Distance: 20.0km (179.4km), time spent: 7:15 (58:07).
Weather: Overcast before it gradually changed to a cloudless sky.

At least I got a good night's sleep for the money I spent to stay at the albergue here. Today and yesterday where the two days on the Camino Primitivo that I had the greatest expectations for. Expectations are really not good; I often can get quite despondent when they are not met. A peek outside yields a grey sky, again, but the clouds has been in the habit of vanish after a while in the last days. On the way to the local bar to eat breakfast, I pass the church in Berducedo; a pilgrim is sleeping inside the entrance.

Berducedo in the morning.

The highlight of this stage that I have been looking forward to is the view over the constructed lake Embalse de Salime. I have said it before and mentions it again, but water in the landscape brings so much life to it. Before that time, I have to leave Berducedo beneath a pearlescent sky, where the clouds are draped in soft colours. It is a lovely walk in the morning where I am relatively early on the way, around half past seven. Behind me in the horizon, I can see where I came down from the mountain yesterday, Puerto del Palo, in a small gap just below the layer of clouds.

Leaving Berducedo, the sky covered by clouds in soft colours. In the gap beneath the clouds to the right in the picture, you can see the pass that I came down from yesterday, Puerto del Palo.

Alone on the way down towards La Mesa, is the sky about to break apart, the clouds are gradually gliding over into blue sky and back again. In La Mesa, there is a nice and old church of stone, where I find Francis, Robin and Douglas on the grass next to it. Francis and Robin, who are more free souls as they say, has spent the night here.

Walking alone on the road down towards La Mesa.

From La Mesa and over to Buspol, I walk over a hill where I on the highest point has my head in the clouds for a while. The wind is howling as if I am walking in the Scottish moorland, desolate lands, next to me the wind turbines tramples past me like mastodons in the mist. Buspol is yet another tiny hamlet high up, as Montefurado, and there is also a tiny and lovely chapel here. Capilla de Santa Marina de Buspol, which is constructed by flat slabs of stone.

Capilla de Santa Marina de Buspol. A lovely chapel built by flat slabs of stone.

After Buspol, there still is a veil across the sky; but underneath the layer of clouds, I can now look down towards Embalse de Salime. The view is incredible. Below lies the lake like a blue mirror, I can see the ridge that we will cross over tomorrow, El Acebo, and a larger collection of buildings that I assume to be Grandas de Salime. I put down my backpack and sit down on the ground to reverently enjoy the view. Shortly afterwards, Douglas is coming and sits down he as well. While we are sitting and just looking out over the scenery, the clouds are breaking up, amazing.

View after Buspol over Embalse de Salime towards El Acebo.

Today's stage was to offer a real downturn, we are talking height meters, and it begins at Buspol. Downwards the route goes on a nice forest track where you can see Embalse de Salime from several viewpoints, with a series of cliffs with a direct view down towards the lake the most beautiful of them. The descent in itself is by far as bad as it sounds like. For the most part, it is just pleasant. I have to make one of my pinecone animals, which I place on the top of a waymarker. On the way down, I can hear voices in the woods, which quickly passes me by, a young boy and a young girl going at a high pace.

Great view over the Embalse de Salime from some rocks on the way down to the lake from Buspol. Me, Douglas, Francis and Robin had a longer break here to enjoy the view.

I am very hungry by the time I am down at the dam, the little breakfast this morning is entirely spent. The hillsides alongside the dam are lined up with abandoned buildings. It is very tempting to go and jump out into the water, Robin is on his way out to take a swim. I have felt the heat on the body for a while now, but my stomach screams more. So, I go up to the Hotel Las Grandas that lies above the dam. The two Polish pilgrims, Mateusz and Joanna, are at the hotel in the same errand as I am, hungry. A third Pole, Joanna, arrives shortly after.

The last section of the walk down to the dam went in zigzag through the forest.

After over an hour of rest on the terrace outside the hotel, with a large bocadillo and drinks, I set off again. The walk is continuing on a paved road and the temperature is soaring. The sun is baking on the way upward and my refill of water are rapidly diminishing. The view down towards the lake and across to the other side where I came down from, are on the other hand impeccable. The last part of the walk towards Grandas de Salime is fortunately going on a shaded forest path.

Embalse de Salime.

In Grandas, I get the last free bed. Douglas is already here, and I was certain that he was behind me, he must have passed me by while I was at the hotel (I thought I was going to see him there). There are many pilgrims here that I have not met or seen before, and we are wondering where they all came from. I learn that one of the couples I have met are actually from Argentina and not from Spain, as I believed. The Brazilian family is here, they was a little bit surprised to see me, believing I was farther ahead on the Camino.

Going towards Grandas de Salime on a scorching hot road after having left Hotel Las Grandas (to the left in the picture).

The town of Grandas de Salime is by the look of it a pleasant small town. Together with Douglas, Jeroen, Valery and Marine I spend some time trying to find a recommended place to eat, but after going back and forth we eventually finds it. The dinner is worth the hassle of finding the place. In the evening, I sit outside the albergue together with Klaus, Rafa and Raul (the young Spanish brothers), the Malaga boy (who now has a really nasty looking blister on his left foot), and another pilgrim.

Yet another great day. Walking beneath soft coloured clouds, misty mountain hop and a fantastic view over Embalse de Salime. Today you can say the expectations were met.

Grandas de Salime.

<- BerducedoPadron ->

Camino Primitivo // day 8 // Campiello - Berducedo

Camino Primitivo / Camino Finisterre day 8.
Distance: 28.0km (159.4km), time spent: 9:14 (50:52).
Weather: Cloudy, then very nice before it clouded over again in the evening.

It is an excited pilgrim that is waking up in the morning, to a sky that slowly are filling up with clouds. Herminia serves a just as big breakfast as dinner, so much bread (dosed with their share of olive oil) and small cakes you could want, with jam. In addition to the largest café con leche that is being served on the Camino. I am late on my way, first around half past eight, after I found out that my camelbak was leaking and the lower part of my backpack was wet as a result.

View back from the hill above Borres. Campiello is in the middle of the picture to the left. Still a lot of clouds in the sky.

I am not quite in the mood in the beginning, even though it is a pleasant walk. There is only a short stretch that goes on a road, before the Camino is entering more pleasant gravel roads. In the horizon, I can see clouds rolling over the mountains and I can envision that the whole of the walk over the Hospitales route is disappearing into them. I walk a little bit irritated that I did not choose to go yesterday.

A waymarkerstone with a view, on my way up into the mountains on the Hospitals route. The clouds are on the retreat and blue sky is beginning to dominate.

However, my annoyance soon turns to great joy, for it was about to become a fantastic day and walk. When I begin the ascent up into the mountains on the Hospitales route the weather is starting to lift, and the further up I get, the more blue sky I get. After La Mortera, the Hospitales route goes over a verdant mountain passing three ancient pilgrims hostels, so-called hospitales, hence the name of the route. The view from the path is marvellous.

It is after Borres that you have to choose between the Hospitales route or go by Pola de Allande. The Pola de Allande variant is also supposed to be nice, but it is longer and a far cry from the Hospitales and there is a very steep climb up to where the paths are joining again. The albergue in Borres is nicely situated, but is looking quite worn, which is the reason I chose to stay behind in Campiello and not go here. I also had heard rumours that it was quite dusty and dirty there. The little bar in Borres is open and looks nice, where I to my joy get the same sello as Valery got yesterday (small pilgrims, big joys).

The Hospitales route, from here the route goes over an emerald mountain. In the pass with the light green colour lies the first old pilgrim hospital you come to, La Parodiella.

Just before La Mortera, while I am walking and alternately is glad and a little bit grumpy, I have my most absurd meeting on the Camino. An elderly man comes walking and starts talking to me. I understand very little of what he says to me, but I understand enough that he is asking me to sit down a little and take off my backpack. Whereupon he continues to talk to me, and I politely tries to answers as good as I can (which is not very much). I think it is about the weather, food and my heavy backpack (it is not that heavy).

It is when he begins to ask me about girls that the conversation is taking an unexpected turn. For in the next question it seems that he is wondering if I am often masturbating when I am on the Camino. 'Did he just ask me about what I thought he did' I think. Which he did, he makes a masturbation gesture and then points to the nearest tree. A lot of pilgrims goes out into the bushes and masturbates, he says. Then he wonders if I also would like to do that. It is ok to do that. I quickly makes up an excuse (which is hardly an excuse actually), picks up my backpack and say goodbye to the man.

Valery and Marine at the La Parodiella hospital. The Camino continues on the path going steep upwards in the background.

The whole episode is so absurd that I shortly after could not help myself and starts laughing; at least it got me in a better mood. Which is getting even better on the way up into the mountains. The walk up goes on a nice gravel track and the view is getting better and better the further up I get. It is a stunning walk over the mountain (which must be repeated), and I share the experience at the moment with Jeroen, Marine and Valery. The Camino is winding itself up and down verdant mountain ranges with extensive horizons and deep valley floors next to it.

A cow with a great view behind it comes wandering and then stops wondering when it catches sight of me, Valery and Marine that are sitting and eating beneath a tree. After a while it continues, following the yellow arrows, a cow on a cowmino.

The three old pilgrims' hospitals from the middle age that you are passing are La Parodiella, Fanfaron and Valparaiso. Of those, it is Fanfaron that is in the best shape, here more of the stone buildings are still intact and you can sit inside of them (lots of sheep dung though). You can only imagine how it must have been for the pilgrims of that time to be up in the mountains in bad weather, sitting huddled together inside a very sparse cabin. There were no gore-tex or other equipment the modern pilgrims wear at that time. There is also the thought of why the route went across the mountains and not in the valleys below, it could be that it was less safe travelling on the those roads. I eat lunch at Valparaiso and I have carried a beer with me for the occasion.

The Fanfaron hospital with Cima Pico in the background. This hospital was the one that had withstood the sands of time the best. You can only imagine how it must have staying the night here thousand years ago.

Three times I had to leave the trail and climb up to peaks of more or less size nearby the path. Whereas the last excursion was the peak above Fanfaron, Cima Pico at 1292m, the view is magnificent. A panorama in 360 degrees and the sight of the Camino winding itself further towards Puerto del Palo. I can see the stone fences that encircles Fanfaron. A small sign announces that I am standing at the Cima Pico hospital, a stonewall goes around the summit.

Inside one of the buildings at Fanfaron, far away from the standard todays pilgrims are used to, it was probably a little bit more furniture inside in its heyday.

After Valparaiso, the route continues past Alto de La Morta, which does give some associations to how hard it could be crossing over here. At Puerto del Palo the route from Pola de Allande joins the Camino again. A worn cabane that you can use as a shelter in bad weather marks the beginning of a steep and painful descent. After the climb down you pass through a tiny place looking almost like it is abandoned, Montefurado. The small hamlet consists of charming small houses of stone; there is also a small chapel here, which is the remains of an old pilgrims' hospital. My second beer that I brought along, a cerveza con limon, is consumed between the buildings worn by time.

View from Cima Pico. Below you can see the Fanfaron hospital with the stone fence going around it.

With the Hospitales route behind me, the route goes over a less spectacular area, but still nice, where I for a while walks together with Robin. A young Frenchman that is sleeping in his tent on the Camino, I saw him for the first time while I was sitting in the main square in Grado while waiting for the photo store to open (he does long days). We are both a little bit discontent that the bar in Lago is closed (Sunday). The last part of the walk is more anonymous, but when I arrive in Berducedo I am greeted with cheering and clapping from the large group of pilgrims at the local bar there (Casa Marques).

Puerto del Palo. The routes over the Hospitales and Pola de Allande are joining again and continues together (fortunately, not on the road, even though it might have been easier walking on the road than on the Camino). A cabane is at the pass and can be used as a shelter in bad weather, but it was much worn inside of it.

I had booked a bed in one of the two albergues here, Albergue Camin Antiguo, of the sole reason that there are not that many beds available combined in the two albergues and that I wanted to walk this exceptional route leisurely. And a good thing it was too, a little bit later two very tired women are coming and looks appalled when they hear that it is complete (on both of the albergues). Though I finds the price quite stiff, 15 euro, there is nothing about the albergue that makes it more worth than the other private albergues I have been to.

Montefurado. Walking through this tiny hamlet is like a walk back in time. I wonder how life must be here. You would not be alone here though, pilgrims are passing by daily. In winter however?

The evening in Berducedo is ok enough. It seems that the people are tired after the walk over the mountain, and after the initial large gathering most of them has retired to their albergues to rest. I eat dinner together with Douglas, Olivier, Isabelle, Valery, Jeroen and Marine. Everybody is really satisfied with the day. This stage is probably one of the most beautiful walks on any of the Caminos.

<- CampielloGrandas de Salime ->

Camino Primitivo // day 7 // Tineo - Campiello

Camino Primitivo / Camino Finisterre day 7.
Distance: 13.3km (131.4km), time spent: 3:21 (41:38).
Weather: Fog in the morning, then sunny and warm.

The clouds of fog is flying just above the rooftops of Tineo in the morning. It turns out that Jeroen also stayed in Tineo; before we go, we have breakfast at a small bar in what must be the plaza mayor in the town. It is quiet in the small streets when we set off in the morning; the clock is only half past seven. Given the thought that I possibly will not be going very far today, I could have slept for a longer time actually, but I am eager to get going again after yesterday.

Leaving Tineo under a low cloud cover in the morning.

Out from Tineo, the view from yesterday is now hidden behind the clouds, where the Camino is disappearing into the fog banks, but I like it today. In the beginning, the route is continuing in the same way as yesterday, and that view I have already seen. While I am gradually gaining elevation, Tineo is disappearing slow but sure into the clouds below. Only vague contours are left, when I pass a small house adorned with various flags and signs, which is the house of 'El Ultimo de Filipinas'. Inside the house, there are two cows that are looking bothered at me, but there are no sello to be found as the guidebook was advertising. Maybe the stamp was on one of the horns of the cows.

The house of 'El Ultimo de Filipinas', Tineo is barely visible through the clouds.

Up through the forest, I continue walking in a light sea of fog, until I am getting closer to Alto de Guardia. At the top, the clouds has been in a hurry to escape to lower ground. Above me, there is a blue sky, the view is stunning and a thin layer of clouds covers the valley floors. The walk across the hill is not so long, but it is wonderful and I am beaming in competition with the sun. In the horizon, I can now look in the direction of where the Camino goes over the Hospitales-route, and a small thought is beginning to gain foothold in my mind.

Walking over Alto de Guardia after the clouds has left the sky.

Down in the woods again, I take the 500m long detour to the monastery of Santa Maria de Obona. The monastery that is from the eight Century is in a bad shape. Parts of it lies in ruins, something that gives it a feeling of being haunted. The church is apparently still in use, but the door is locked (as always), I would have liked to see how the inside of the church has stood against the sand of time. Here it was mandatory for pilgrims to stop in the old days.

View from Alto de Guardia on a wonderful part of the Camino.

After emerging out of the woods again, the last part of the route towards Campiello consists of walking on a paved road. The view is nice though, but the drivers of the cars here probably will not see anything of it as fast as they drive. Next to the road, I walk past a sign that tells me that I am in Las Tiendas, and then I pass by one house before I walk past the sign telling me that I have left Las Tiendas. Must be great to live in your own place. Shortly afterwards, I have walked over a small hill and are passing by the sign telling me that I am in Campiello.

The valley floors are covered by a thin veil of clouds, waymarker-stone outside Piedratecha.

Here, I meet again the group of Spanish pilgrims that I took a beer together with in Tineo yesterday. They are going to Borres, 2.3km further. For my part, the thought of just keep on going to Berducedo today is keeping me uncertain of what to do. The weather forecast has now changed to rain (as opposed to the thunderstorm), but where that will be coming from, I cannot understand. Still, it would be a 28km more to go today. I cannot make up my mind, and that is probably what decides it. Time is running away from me.

The monastery of Santa Maria de Obona, most of the monastery is in ruins, the church is in use

There are two albergues here in Campiello, both are private; I go for a bed in Casa Herminia. The price is more expensive with the 23 euros I pay, but for that I get breakfast and dinner at the place as well. At Campiello, I persuade one pilgrim after the other to take the Hospitales-route tomorrow. Almost all I meet has planned to take the route through Pola de Allande. Telling them about the trail over the mountains makes most of them to change plans and also stay here in Campiello. Like Olivier and Isabel, a French couple who also was among those who did not get a place in San Juan de Villapanada. Marine, Valery and Jeroen also ends up staying here.

Ruins of Santa Maria de Obona.

It is still a lot of time left of the day, so I use some of it to take a small walk in the area. From Campiello, I go down to a tiny place called Bustiello, if nothing else because there was a church there (locked). The only thing meeting me there, no humans to see, was a curious dog. Valery got a nice stamp in Villaluz, so I just as well walk back there only to return with another unresolved case and sweaty in the heat.

The locals playing bolhos (?) in Campiello, we did not manage to completely understand the rules. Here he throws the ball (it is dipped in water before he throws) at the wooden sticks, we assume that the goal is to hit down as many wooden sticks as possible (but the points they are coming up with did not match the number of sticks being hit). Afterwards, the opponent should roll (bowl) against the wooden sticks from the other side.

Enough walking for the day, so the remains of the day and evening I spend together with the other pilgrims staying here. There seems almost to be like two rivalling groups of pilgrims here, those who lives at Casa Herminia and those who lives at the other albergue, Casa Ricardo (which is being run by a relative of Herminia). A couple of locals are playing some sort of game/sport that we have some problems of understanding, bolhos; it looks like a mix between bowling, cricket and kubb.

Campiello. Someone takes pictures from the Camino; Valery was drawing pictures of it.

The dinner is formidable and huge, where the main dish is a gigantic pot with meat, paprika and potatoes. I make a new acquaintance in Douglas from Scotland. Even though the walk came up short today, the benefit of it was big. However, I do have to stand and look a little bit longing towards the mountains. In the evening, there is a fantastic colour in the sky, when the sun makes its encore on the firmament.

Sunset from Campiello. In the horizon, I can see the mountains that I will walk over tomorrow.

<- TineoBerducedo ->

Camino Primitivo // day 6 // Bodenaya - Tineo

Camino Primitivo / Camino Finisterre day 6.
Distance: 12.1km (118.1km), time spent: 3:11 (38:17).
Weather: Sun and a clear blue sky.

The day almost begins with a disaster, but before that we had been awaken with calm classical music at precisely 6 o'clock and the smell of fresh coffee. Below, all the clothes that had been washed was lying nicely laid out and the breakfast stood ready on the table, as promised. It should have been a great morning, because the breakfast was good and big, and the weather was looking brilliant.

Bodenaya in the morning.

Then it all comes tumbling down when the lens to my camera breaks apart, to me that is a small disaster (you could say that I live my adventures through the lens). Inside the lens, I can hear that there is something loose and I can no longer use the zoom, though I can use my hands to pull and push the lens in and out. Short after, the lens is completely jammed and I can no longer focus either. My camera is broken and useless. It is a good thing that I carry a backup camera, but that one does not nearly take as good pictures as my slr does.

A lonely tomb among cows in a field outside La Espina.

David is trying to comfort me and tells me that Tineo is a large town and that there are two stores there who sells photo equipment. I am a little bit sceptic to that, but chooses to be optimistic. That the weather is showcasing off its best side and the walk is offering a magnificent view makes me vexed given the thought of the nice pictures I could have got, but I am still in a good mood. Today's walk is way too nice for me to whine it all away, and I do get to take pictures.

Between Bodenaya and Tineo, the route mostly went on charming paths and gravel roads with a nice view, like here.

From Bodenaya it is only a short walk to La Espina, a small town where you can also find a couple of albergues, in a lovely morning sunlight. After La Espina, it is a wonderful walk on pleasant paths and gravel roads. The view from the trail is the best. I can look out over a green and rolling culture landscape with mountains rising up back in the horizon. White veils of clouds are floating along the valley floors beneath the mountains.

The highlight of the walk was the magnificent view towards mountains over a rolling culture landscape.

In between, the charming route goes down to and through small villages and farms. In La Millariega, the locals have built another typical resting place for pilgrims, El Rincon del Peregrino (sello available), with chairs and tables inside and vending machines that you can buy drinks and snacks from. Before I came to the place, I had chased a poor small calf for a long while, which could not find any place to escape from a scary pilgrim on.

A misleading waymarker-stone, where both the yellow arrows and the scallop was pointing in the wrong direction.

The great view is visible in my left field of view all the way to Tineo. I passes Vicente, who seems to be in a better shape and now carries a bigger water bottle. I really wanted to check what it is he carried with him in his backpack, but I feel that it would have been too much invading. In a small bar outside Tineo, I find Elke, Elisabeth and the Austrian woman with the difficult name I never remember, as well as Pol. I buy myself a coffee and get sympathies for free for the loss of my camera from the other pilgrims.

Before La Millariega, I encounter a young calf that ran away from me without finding a place to escape the creepy pilgrim that was following it.

In Tineo, which looks like to be a charming town, I try to find the two stores selling photo equipment. The tourist information can confirm what I myself has feared; it is more likely that it is stores selling small compact cameras than real photo equipment. For that, Lugo or Oviedo is the safest cards, but both towns seems too far away to get to and back again today. Grado emerges as a possibility and the lady at the reception makes an enquiring call, and gets a positive answer. There is a photo store there that says they have lenses for my Nikon camera. I check the weather forecast for tomorrow and makes a stupid decision.

Pilgrim statue at the entrance to Tineo.

So there was only to be a short walk today, which ends here in Tineo, just 12km and 3 hours only. I do not bother going back to the municipal albergue here, which lies just outside the centre of the town. Instead, I checks in at the Palacio a Meras, which is both a hotel and an albergue, it cost 10 euro for a bed in the albergue that is more luxurious than the usual ones.

Tineo, a nice and small town.

Tomorrow I was supposed to walk the stage between Borres and Berducedo, which is the one stage I had the greatest expectations for on the Camino Primitivo, where you walk up in the mountains on the Hospitales-route. However, the weather forecast was a thunderstorm. The combination of bad weather tomorrow and the possibility of fixing my camera is the reason for why I am sitting on the bus to Grado. Where I pass by all the places I have been going through since aforementioned Grado, La Espina, Salas, Cornellana and so forth. I can see pilgrims following the same yellow arrows that I have done on the previous days.

In Grado, while I am waiting for photo shop to open. I passed quickly by here two days ago, then it was a marked on the same place.

In Grado I have to wait for over two and a half hours for the store to open, slightly annoyed over the siesta, only to find out that the lenses they have for sale is for Canon and not for Nikon. In my mind, I am also wondering what I would do if I do not catch the last bus back, all my belongings are at the albergue in Tineo. The temperature is also so high that I cannot bear to take a proper look at the town while I am here (I did not get to see so much of it the last time I was here either). With an unresolved case, I get on the bus back to Tineo again, passing by the same places yet again (the bus ride is however quite nice). And now, the pilgrims that I had begun to be familiar with one day ahead of me, my mood is not at its best.

Dinner in Tineo at the Palacio a Meras, together with Julio, Eva, Marine and Valery.

Luckily, others that I have met that has come to Tineo. I grab a beer together with a group of Spanish pilgrims I have met and talked to earlier. Together with Marine, Valery and two other Spanish pilgrims that have finished their walk here, Julio and Eva, I eat dinner at the restaurant at the hotel. Menu del peregrino, where the primero is a very good plate with peas and bacon, the secundo is an ok hake, with a pear as desert. The day turned out nice in the end, saved by a great view and a nice evening, but the vexation still lingers a little bit in me.

<- BodenayaCampiello ->

Camino Primitivo // day 5 // San Juan de Villapanada - Bodenaya

Camino Primitivo / Camino Finisterre day 5.
Distance: 25.5km (106.0km), time spent: 10:21 (35:06).
Weather: Foggy and heavy in the morning, then sunny and blue sky (hot).

Yesterday, Domingo (the hospitalero at the place) recommended that we booked a bed in Bodenaya if we were planning of going there, so I put myself on the list over those wishing to book a place in advance (Bodenaya is a private albergue and it is possible to book in those). Still, I feel that this is a little bit against the spirit of the Camino. However, what is done is done and hence I could take it easy on the walk and enjoy it without being concerned for where I would spend the night. So, when most of the others started walking relatively early in the morning, I slept a little longer.

San Marcelo, the clouds are in retreat when I am on my way down from El Freisnu.

Only Valery and Marine are still at the albergue when I leave, outside there is even more of a depressive weather than it was yesterday morning, I cannot see Grado through the clouds that lies like a tight pillow in the valley below. The heavy layer of clouds lay brooding down in the valleys for some time, before it sank down into the ground and disappeared; leaving behind a scorching day in its wake. The route to Bodenaya is characterized by several ascents, when the Camino are entering the Cordilerra Cantabrica.

A pleasant walk between San Marcelo and Santa Eulalia de Dóriga.

I have to eat another breakfast at Cornellana, after having walked for about eight kilometres since San Juan de Villapanada. Where I was most excited about the walk down from El Freisnu (I went for a look at the cloister at the top but the door was locked as usual) where the clouds started to dissolve and the walk through San Marcelo and Santa Eulalia de Dóriga going on a path of a forgotten character. In Cornellana I see several of the pilgrims that were in the albergue, I did not have to walk so very far to catch up with them again.

Before Santa Eulalia de Dóriga, it was like walking into a forgotten place.

The old monastery, founded in 1024, in Cornellana is partly in ruins, but they are working to restore it to former glory. Inside the church, signboards are hanging explaining that you need to wear a helmet in some parts of the adjourning monastery. Light from the windows are reflected in the dust, from secluded corners one can hear coughing from pilgrims of old. After the monastery, you start the second climb of today, which leads to a long, but pleasant enough walk towards Salas.

The monastery in Cornellana, partly in ruins.

During the ascent, you pass a small industry area not yielding the nicest view of the day, but to compensate the factory has put a small resting place for pilgrims next to their office in a good Camino spirit. There, I find Xavi and Ruben together with Jeroen (Geronimo) from Holland. Jeroen was one of the pilgrims that had to be turned away from San Juan de Villapanada last night, but had a nice stay at Cabruñana instead.

Light in the darkness inside the monastery in Cornellana.

Just before Salas, Xavi, Ruben and I come across Vicente. He is lying tired next to a tree, empty for water in the heat (the clouds has now altogether disappeared). He carries a way too big and heavy backpack, and a way too small water bottle. We keep company to Salas, where we together with Pablo and Rocio sit down at Casa Pachon to eat. They explain to me which dishes I can select from for primero and secundo, but according to Xavi the food is heavy and more suitable in winter. Therefore, we retreats to another restaurant (Bar La Campa) further up to eat. Vicente is walking on, Marine and Valery arrives later (they stop for the day here in Salas).

View down towards Cornellana.

It is hot and we have been recommended a place where we can go bathing, but we overlook where we have to go to get there. So instead, we are walking in the forest on the steepest and longest climb of the day, from Salas and up towards Bodenaya. Neither at Cascada de Nonaya, a small waterfall around 250m off the route, is it possible to go swimming. Over us, the highway is crossing on huge bridges. We yet again find Vicente out of water, just after the worst part of the ascent; Ruben keeps company with him to Bodenaya.

Entering Salas, with Vicente, Xavi and Ruben.

We arrive at Bodenaya just about 18 o'clock, and it is a fantastic small albergue. It is private and donativo, which means that it is yourself that decides how much you want to pay for the stay. Axel, Elke, Jeroen, Fabrice, Elisabeth and Pol are already there, as well as the Austrian lady. David, the hospitalero, greets us welcome and tells us the rules at the place (you get a sort of new age-feeling of the place, here we are all a family and so forth, but it is never intrusive). We will be served a common dinner (three courses with wine), and afterwards we have to decide together at which time we wants to be awaken tomorrow (no own alarms allowed). In return, we will be waken up with calm music and come down to the scent of fresh coffee with the breakfast standing ready at the table. It sounds superbly. After we have taken a shower, we can throw the clothes we have been wearing in a basket, and then David will wash the clothes and we will find them dry and ready the next morning.

After Salas, the route passes over this old bridge. Below is the Cascade de Nonaya, a small waterfall.

Before dinner, David tells us a little about the coming days on the Camino. The dinner consists of a pasta salad as a starter, a lentil stew as the main course and I choose flan (caramel pudding) for desert. We decides upon being awakened at 6 o'clock tomorrow. During the dinner, we learn that it was not two choices of dishes for primero and two choices of dishes for secundo at Casa Pachon, but when you ordered you got all the four dishes. That is a lot of food.

Dinner in the albergue at Bodenaya.

Bodenaya is really just a small cluster of houses the route passes through. In the evening, we gather outside the albergue, where Xavi is entertaining us by playing guitar and singing (he is a musical teacher). It is a lovely evening, and a perfect end of a nice walk.

In the evening, Xavi plays guitar and sings outside the albergue (to the right) at Bodenaya.

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