Avilés | A New Beginning - Day 108

I grab my camera and take a photo while I stretch this morning. I feel great and love my new colors. I look forward to what the day brings.

Day 23 takes me west from Gijón to Avilés. The stage is 17 km (10.5 mi). A short stage that passes through the industrial part of Gijón. It has one climb that reaches 190 m (623 ft) about 20 km (6 mi) in the morning.

The streets are empty, and it is still dark when I leave around 7 am. Many Peregrinos skip large cities like Gijón, especially the industrial parts of the city. Instead, they opt to walk the more scenic places of the Camino. I look forward to seeing what the day brings. I loved the walk from Bilbao to Portugalete and hope today surprises me too. The weather app tells me there is a high probability (60%-80%) of rain every day for the next 10 days. It rained last night, and the streets are wet as I leave Gijón.

When I reach the harbor, I pause to take a photo looking east into the morning sky, before it breaks the horizon. The sun has a long way to go, but I love the dark blue sky and clouds this morning.

Every city in the Asturias Region of Spain marks the Camino differently. It is a challenge every morning trying to locate The Way. One additional feature of being in the Asturias Region is that where the rays of the clamshell come together always point in the direction I need to travel. This is not common to all regions along the Camino. The bronze clamshells are easy to see this morning. There is one at each street corner. Looking carefully across the street, I can see the next clamshell glittering in the morning light between the two dark plates on the opposite sidewalk.

It has been a while since I took a picture of the sunrise. This one looks like it might develop into something spectacular. But unfortunately, there are too many clouds this morning. The sun dives behind them, never revealing the beautiful morning colors.

I am enjoying the solitude this morning and use the opportunity to experiment with filters on my iPhone 13 Pro. I have taken many stunning photos so far. Can I make them better by trying different filters? This silvertone filter looks spectacular this morning, and the smoke stacks lay behind the auto recycling center Desuage Puente Seco. Unfortunately, this part of the trail is not as well marked.

The Vivid Warm filter makes this complex pop in the photo. I am not quite sure what the purpose of this building is, but I love the contrast of the red against the morning colors.

I love the walk this morning. Because I am fully present with others, I take fewer photos when walking with someone. This morning, the solitude allows me to be present with my camera. These photos look amazing! I love how the morning is starting, and I breathe in the strength from the sites this morning.

The old truck scale and abandoned buildings with broken windows tell me that this part of the city was once essential. I wonder how the activity would have looked during the peak. 

I enjoy this walk a lot. Dang, it! This is poorly marked. I haven't seen a clamshell or yellow in about 20 minutes. I pull out my phone. Rats! The Camino turned left about 20 minutes ago. I laugh. I was so in the moment that I didn't see it.

After a short climb, the trail veers off the pavement, a welcomed relief. I feel like I am flying this morning. What a pleasurable experience this is, walking with such a light pack. Only carrying what I need during the day. As I pass Peregrinos I have learned to say Hola, Good Morning, and Bonjour, I have made it a habit. I find this opens up the communication lines faster. Several people had told me they thought I was Spanish when I said Hola.

I start a conversation with Erin from the United States, who is from Illinois, and recently completed a 5-week trip with her brother before beginning the Camino. Our chat is effortless, and it feels good to speak English this morning. Erin and I walk together to the Albergue, discussing politics, the environment, and travel. The next 2.5 hours fly by.

As I near the town of Avilés, I encounter another industrial sector. I watch the yellow cranes lift massive steel beams.

Parts of this sector are being demolished, though. I love seeing the exposed steel beams of the structure. Something I rarely get to see with this type of building. It reminds me that to move forward sometimes, it is necessary to start over like I am doing today on the Camino.

Before arriving in town, I pass Jeff and Kim, who helped me transfer my pack a few days ago. We chat briefly. I introduce Erin to them, then continue on. I really enjoy connecting good people. The Albergue in Avilés is near the edge of town and not from where I took this picture.

After check-in, Erin and I decide to grab a bite to eat. All the restaurants are closed since it is Sunday. We find the only grocery store with some local fresh baked things. We buy a flatbread stuffed with chorizo and onion, a small apple pie, and some Sidra, then head back to the Albergue.

"So, I haven't heard you say you are retired yet. Only that you quit your job," says Erin. Yes, I am retired from the natural resources field. But I may find something else to do in the future but not for a while. "I was listening to a podcast with Sam Harris [Making Sense] and they explored people's careers. They found that people make the most creative contributions early in their careers. Then, they reach an inflection point. Their careers decline, or they transition to teaching or mentoring," she says. I laugh. That's interesting because I always said I would be in this field for a while and then transition to something else like teaching. "You live in a great place. Fort Collins has Colorado State University. A guy like you who has 30+ years of experience might be valued, just saying." as she laughs. I plant this seed and let it germinate for a while. I told myself I would not think about work for at least 6 months.

After our conversation, I head inside to meet my bunkmate, who Erin suggested I meet because he's from Colorado. Timo is taking a gap year from college and is from Boulder. Next to him is Jean Pierre, from Portuguese. Jean Pierre belongs to an order that helps Peregrinos along the Camino. He's completed 19 different paths and over 50 Caminos. He has a wealth of information for Timo and me. He connects us to his Facebook group, where I can find many resources about the Camino.

I'd like to think these conversations are unusual on the Camino, but they aren't. This happens when people communicate openly and take the time to listen to each other without judgment. It feels great to be in this creative environment where I engage other Peregrinos. We frequently lift each others' ideas and improve them. Sometimes, we simply plant seeds to germinate in the future. This is a great new beginning and a fantastic way to restart!