We were on the road by about 7am and came to the Cathedral to set our intention and pray a blessing as we began.
We really love the feel of walking in a Spanish city early in the morning - it feels quiet and at rest. And today, walking out of Oviedo the shells led us from the cathedral ...
through the outskirts of the city and over our first railway bridge ...
past the statue of St James ...
and giving us a glimpse of the mountains to come.
Mind you, it wasn’t all flat today - there were plenty of ups and downs as we wound our way through a humble rural hinterland. The sound of roosters, dogs, donkeys, cowbells and goats and the sight of veggie patches, small plots of corn and harvested fields all around us.
It seemed to me (Sarah) that Neil was once again in his natural habitat!
It wasn’t a dramatic day but there was a quietness in the countryside and it was wonderful to just be immersed in the ordinary (sometimes pungent) smells and sounds of a day in the world, This gave rise to my first haiku for the walk!
Hedge row, bird song, foot
fall, wind sough, stream rush, smell dank,
sense rich, Camino.
The first twenty km felt as though it went quite easily and quickly, with only one stop for a fresh peach and crisps from the only open shop on the way. The last five and a half km were more of a slog. But eventually we got there, though delayed for a few minutes at the level crossing!
Our albergue is up the last steep hill of the day - a municipal pilgrim lodging with sixteen beds in bunks all in one room! Here it is from the outside.
And now we are showered with our clothes hand washed and drying in the sun. We are happily perched in a little bar in town, savouring tired legs but a satisfying pilgrim’s progress and grateful to have you following our way.
Buen Camino,
Sarah and Neil
Hello from Texas! Great to be able to pick up this again, the best morning newspaper! Go well and thinking of you. Love, Charles
ReplyDeleteFantastic to be reading your adventures and seeing the scenes. As soon as I saw the upcoming mountains photo, the idea of Frodo and his task came to me. Probably not very appropriately! I am sure your 'task' is much more benign, and I look forward to following it. Stride on, stride on!
ReplyDeleteFabulous photos giving us a real feel for your pilgrimage albeit from the comfort of an armchair.
ReplyDeleteSo delightful to walk with you, thank you dearest S and N! And needing to extend the effect of those colourful rural vignettes I got out a library book about walking called ‘Where my feet fall’. It cheered me up about my walk to the local pond which is lovely but gets a bit boring sometimes. Luckily for me the story quotes a naturalist called John Burroughs saying ‘To learn something new, take the same path you took yesterday’. I need to discover how this can be true too. Are we thinking about the uses of journeys?
ReplyDeleteSorry forgot to sign last comment! The one about the library book is from Jill in Watson.
ReplyDeleteSo special for us to journey with you. Thank you for sharing. I'm so impressed you can walk, take evocative photos and create poetry - even though the surrounds are doubtless inspiring!
ReplyDeleteAn auspicious start!
ReplyDeleteLove the haiku, Vivienne
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