After more than two weeks in Italy we finally made it to Spain to begin our Cinco Caminos. A train from Lucca to Florence and on to Bologna, a flight to Santander, and finally a bus brought us to our trailhead of Llanes. The sky was clear and sunny and the air was cool as we walked from the bus station in Llanes to join the Camino del Norte, one of the many pilgrimage routes that traverse Spain and lead to Santiago de Compostela. The Camino del Norte begins in Irun, France and follows the North Coast of Spain for more than 800 km. We have joined near its middle and will only walk on it for five days before branching off onto the Camino Primitivo.
Our weather was perfect for photos so we took an alternate scenic route that stayed close to the coast. Rocky headlands punctuated with sandy beaches provided amazing vistas, but also challenged our legs. A text message from a hostel in Villahormes, informing us that they had not yet opened for the season, allowed us to stop sooner in the village of Naves.
The beautiful section we walked today is a very popular holiday spot for Spanish tourists. Beach bars, restaurants, and campgrounds are everywhere. Unfortunately for us, the season doesn’t start until May and so nearly all were closed. One campground bar opened its doors to us, defrosted a frozen pizza, and provided a lesson in pouring sidra, a local apple cider. We had no such luck in Naves, where all three restaurants/siderias are closed. Luckily our room comes with breakfast!
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| Our starting point in LLanes. |
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| Basilica de Santa Maria del Conceuyu – Llanes |
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| Our first beach (at Llanes). |
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| Sharing an orange on an estuary while the tide was out. |
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| Pouring local cider after the bartender instructed us in the proper method. |
They pour the cider the same way that Moroccans pour their mint tea. Walk on--can't wait to see tomorrow's venture.
ReplyDeleteIts hard to believe that most of it ended up in the glass!
DeleteLooks lovely. Thanks for the update!
ReplyDelete