A Postcard From... Asturias Pt. 2
Goodbye Norte, Hello Primitivo
It was a bittersweet feeling heading inland, leaving behind the familiar path of the Norte and beginning the Primitivo route of the Camino. On one hand, it was sad to part ways with the route we’d come to know so well, but on the other, there was a thrill in stepping into something new—especially since some of us hadn’t even planned to take this route initially. They say, “the Camino provides,” and it had already given me incredible new friends. Now, together, we were off on an exciting new chapter for the second half of our journey.
Camino Pt 3: Asturias
190 miles | 8,429 meters (27,732 feet) of gain | 12 days
Comillas - La Franca - Llanes - San Esteban de Leces - Priesca - Pola de Siero - Oviedo - Grado - Salas - Tineo - Hospitales - Berducedo - Castro
Priesca - Pola de Siero - 25 miles
The albergue checkout time was 9 am and we made sure to be out without a minute to spare - later and later start times are in our books. It makes me laugh to think back to the first couple of days when Ana and I were up at 6:30 and out the door no later than 7:00.
Today marked the point where we decided to start the Primitivo Route, heading towards Oviedo instead of Gijon on the coast. It was an exciting commitment, and I was happy to be doing it with all of my friends. After the cutoff, we chose the longer route (seems to be a trend), descending into a lush forested area with a beautiful monastery a few of the guys wanted to see. It was a slippery morning, and I took my first (and thankfully only) small tumble, cutting up my knee and leg. Luckily, it was just a few scrapes and a hit to my pride. Good thing we all carry first aid kits - I slapped on a couple bandaids and was able to continue on my way.
We reached the monastery by early afternoon, took a break for lunch, looked around, and used their bathrooms. Our plan was to continue on since it was only about a third of the way for the day, but Fritz and Erik decided they wanted to stay overnight (it was also an albergue). Ana, Joachim, and I had our sights set on a shorter “rest” day the next day, so we said a quick goodbye and continued on for the afternoon.
What we didn’t think about on the descent was the climb we’d have to endure on the way out. This happened to be one of the only humid days on the Camino, so by the time we reached the top of the hill, we were hot and a bit cranky. Our spirits were lifted when we thought about how grateful we were to not have to start the following day with that hill climb unlike the boys we had just left behind.
A couple of miles from town, the Camino took us through the semi-private street/driveway of a local man who offered to fill our bottles with cold water and even gave us plums from his trees. It was just the pick-me-up we needed to get into town. Locals commented on how tired we looked as we approached, which told us all we needed to know about how beat we were.
I don’t think we reached our albergue until nearly 7 pm, and when we arrived, it was mostly empty, save for a few familiar faces we hadn’t seen in over a week. We quickly showered before heading off to dinner, but while Ana and Joachim were getting ready, I got cornered by the albergue host, an older man who didn’t speak a word of English but was determined to chat anyway. He gave me a blessing of sorts, then led me through every photo in the albergue, sharing stories from his Caminos. I don’t speak much Spanish, so there was a lot of head-nodding and playing along. After about 20 minutes, Joachim arrived to get his credentials sorted with the host, and I finally got a break. While Joachim was being entertained, I gathered our laundry we had planned to throw into a laundromat while we were at dinner. However, my long conversation with the albergue man paid off because when I brought down our laundry, he took it from me, gave me a wink, and unlocked a door to a private kitchen with a washer. He loaded our clothes in with some nice smelling detergent and let us wash our clothes for free! Big win.
With that high, we headed to dinner—recommended by our albergue host as having the best pilgrim menu, and he was right. It was the best meal of the Camino so far, with meats, cheeses, oysters, ratatouille, fish, beef, and a local cinnamon rice pudding for dessert, all for a whopping €12 each. We went to bed feeling great after a tough day, with full stomachs and clean laundry.
Pola de Siero - Oviedo - 11 miles
We all woke up in great moods to an empty hostel, as everyone older than us still seemed to be on the “out the door by 7 am” routine. We ate a quick breakfast with our albergue host friend and listened to more of his stories—what I could understand, at least. Once we got out the door, we were pumped for a short day ahead. We’d rented an apartment in Oviedo for the evening and were excited to check in and spend the afternoon running errands—Joachim and I were on the hunt for a massage, and Ana needed a few things at a sporting store.
The walk wasn’t anything remarkable, but our good moods made the time pass quickly. Apparently, we walked faster than expected because we made it to town by noon with a couple of hours to kill before check-in. We stopped at what we later realized was a sketchy bar with day-drinking locals but sat outside, away from the chaos, and then went searching for pastries. We each got two and enjoyed them in a local park until it was time to check in.
After settling in, out of nowhere, Fritz showed up, drenched in sweat because he’d been walking a 15-minute mile pace for the 22 miles he had to cover. We weren’t expecting him for a few more hours, so it was a happy surprise—24 hours apart on the Camino feels like a week. Fritz wanted to run errands with Ana, so Joachim and I left the two of them to find a massage for the afternoon. I’d been having some issues with a pinched nerve in my neck along with all my calf/arch pain problems so I was hoping this would cure me. After about 45 minutes wandering around, we found a place that was both open and had spots available - a much harder feat than anticipated.
The spa was absolutely gorgeous and when we were called back to change (we got Thai massages so we had flowy garments to put on) we realized we may have accidentally booked a couples massage since we were put in the same changing room together (Spanish mistranslation?) We were trying to contain our laughter as the spa scene was quite quiet but it turns out we did have separate massages however just barely divided by a thin curtain. A hilarious bonding experience to say the least.
On our way back, we grabbed groceries for dinner, and by the time we got to the apartment, Erik had arrived too. All back together, it felt like a big reunion (a day feels so much longer on Camino time), so we cranked up the music and had a little dance party while unpacking and cooking. It was fun to trade stories and hear about the rest of Fritz and Erik’s day.
Oviedo - Grado 17.5 miles
Our apartment check out was 11 and although we told ourselves we would be out earlier, we were not. Since we wouldn’t be hitting another big town for over a week, the boys wanted to ship a few things home (perks of being European) to lighten their packs before the Primitivo. Oviedo is the official starting point of the Primitivo route, so it was Day 1 for us! We didn’t leave town until noon, though, and since we’d eaten breakfast around 9, we stopped for lunch barely two miles in.
Once we were finally on our way by around 2:00 in the afternoon, it looked like we’d be storm chasing for the day, which kept us moving quickly. We didn’t stop until we reached our albergue, where we lucked out with our own separate “cabin” apart from the main building. One other guy joined us (probably unfortunate for him since we’re a lively bunch), but we had a private bathroom and shower. We caused a bit of a spectacle stretching and doing yoga in the grassy yard, much to the amusement of a couple of older women who seemed to enjoy the view of the guys—ha!
We made it to dinner just as the kitchen was closing. To the boys’ disappointment, it wasn’t the biggest meal, but it did the job. With our extra roommate, we couldn’t be as rowdy as usual, so we spent an early night all reading in our bunks before heading to bed.
Grado - Salas 16 miles
Ana was dealing with some extreme Achilles pain, so she made the smart call to take a bus to the next stop. She said she'd scout out an albergue and let us know where to meet up. So, it was just me and the boys for the day.
We were expecting a big climb right out of the gate, but it ended up being easier than we thought, and the rest of the day was smooth sailing. Along the way, we met some adorable animals, picked fresh fruit, and soaked in the scenery. Now that we were further inland, though, the heat hit hard—definitely the hottest day on the Camino so far.
We stopped for lunch (surprise, more tortilla) and a pastry about halfway through the day. By then, Ana texted us to let us know she'd snagged a private room with five beds at an albergue. We were making good time to meet Ana until we weren’t. We found a cold stream to cool off in - a much needed reprieve from the heat. The stream was below a bridge and so. before we could go, the boys decided they needed to see who could throw the biggest rock of the bridge… highly entertaining and there is truly never a dull moment with them.
The albergue was adorable—a narrow, three-story building with creaky stairs and, honestly, not enough bathrooms for everyone, but we didn’t mind. Our private room was a huge plus, and they served dinner on-site. After showering and unpacking, we headed downstairs to join the other guests. About twelve of us crowded around a big square table, and it was great to meet new people, most of whom had just started their Camino on the Primitivo route. Everyone was older than us, but it was fun to hear about their experiences and what they’d learned so far. Their daily routes sounded similar to ours, so we knew we'd probably keep crossing paths. It was nice to connect with new faces since we'd left behind the “regulars” of the Norte.
After dinner, with about an hour left until the doors locked, we found a local park to hangout in and do some stretching. Our albergue had instruments anyone could borrow, so to our surprise, Erik entertained us with some guitar while we stretched an enjoyed a very calm and wholesome evening. That being said, the rambunctiousness came back full speed when trying to get ready for bed and the boys may or may not have been asked to “quiet down” - like i said, never a dull moment.
The first few days of the Primitivo treated us well - new people, new adventures, + lots more to see.