Gijón | Out with the Old - Day 106 and 107

I love this colorful staircase in Gijón, Spain. Each step is a different color, and the risers have various bands and albums on each side of the railing. It made me think of my own Travel Playlist I created on Spotify. I also love how each step is well-worn and dirty. Like many of the albums listed, they have withstood time.

Day 21 takes me from Villaviciosa to Gijón, Spain. The stage is 31 km (19 mi) and has two steep climbs. The first is before Peon and reaches 400 m (1,312 ft). The second is right after Peon. Again today, the trail is mostly pavement. Day 22 is a rest day.

It feels strange leaving the Albergue without my rucksack this morning. The only things I need to get to Gijón are food, water, and rain gear. That is all that fits in my Cotopaxi daypack. I would be surprised if my pack weighed 3 kg (7 lbs). I feel like I can fly this morning. 

The overcast skies are perfect for walking this morning. Before this junction, I passed Jo (yo) from the Netherlands. I met Jo briefly after leaving Celorio and introduced him to Lena since both planned to do the Primitivo route. I enjoy connecting good people with others and never miss an opportunity to introduce people I am walking with to others I know. It brings me pleasure.

The Primitivo splits away from the Del Norte route at this junction. The Primitivo is shorter than the Del Norte. It cuts inland here and joins the Del Norte with the Frances. It is more mountainous, has fewer Albergues, and is considerably cheaper to walk. In visiting with other pilgrims yesterday, a significant portion plan to walk the Primitivo. This should work in my favor for finding Albergues along the Del Norte.

I love walking in these conditions. It reminds me of walking along the coast of Ireland and Wales. It is hard to compare the beauty of each place as each is so different. I am enjoying walking with Céline this morning, although we don't hardly say a word to each other. We are simply enjoying each other's company. Finally, the young French woman with the white baseball cap I passed earlier breaks the silence and joins us this morning as we do our first climb. Fanny is from the northeast region of France, near the Alps.      

I fly up to the first climb. I am shocked by how easy the climb is. Walking with such a light pack is almost unfair. I laugh at the burden I carried for all those kilometers (miles). This is a different Camino now. I look forward to the new experience. I leave everyone behind as I ascend. I pass several massive old Sidra barrels along the Camino this morning. 

It's noon, and the grey skies are lingering as I descend into Gijón. I am outpacing my walking partner by some distance this morning with my ultralight pack. 

As I descend into Gijón, these succulent green bouquets pop along the roadside. I have not seen any like this along the Camino until now. They remind me of green roses.

I pause for another beautiful moment of vivid color. These plants are cultivated varieties, but I have no idea what they are. I simply enjoy their beautiful colors.

The Camino takes me off the pavement and downhill via a dirt two-track. In the distance, I am reminded that fall is arriving quickly. The ivy on this eucalyptus tree is already turning red. It is as if the tree is wearing a warm blanket for the cool evenings that will soon be here.

I'm still 6 km (4 mi) from the center of Gijón at 130 pm when I spot what I think is a huge church. However, when Céline catches me, she tells me it is not a church but Laboral Cuidad de la Cultura (Labor City of Culture). 

I am hungry and decide to stop at a local restaurant a few kilometers later. The Menu del Dia is seafood soup, albondigas (meatballs), and chocolate mousse for 15 euros. Céline and I split a bottle of Sidra with lunch. When I see the waiter pour my glass, I take my phone out. I previously mentioned that Sidra needed to be aerated. This gentleman is quite an expert pourer. He never looked at the bottle or the glass. As I take the picture, I notice two things. First, he is looking at me. Second, the glass he is pouring into is tilted. He never spilled a drop. I am growing fond of Sidra because it is refreshing and acidic.

Around 4 pm, I finally reach the boardwalk in Gijón. My hotel is still several hundred meters from here, near the end of the beach. I booked a two-day stay at a hotel downtown as Albergues do not allow you to stay longer than one night. I didn't want to mess with relocating and waiting for check-in times to arrive on my rest day. The hotel cost me 40 euros per night. As I near the hotel, I run into Ivo. "What's up, man," he says. Interesting running into you here. "We need to grab a drink later, man. The lady at the hotel where I am staying says the tourist drink Sidra wrong. You are supposed to drink it like a shot after it is poured," he says. Ah, that's why they only pour an inch in your glass. "Yeah, I wanna try it, man." Sounds great. After I check in and get cleaned up, we'll grab Lap and Céline.

The harbor in Gijón is quite lovely. I feel great after the 31 km (19 mi) hike today. Transporting my pack is a game changer. After check-in, we all head out to grab a drink.

A short while later, around 730 pm, we pass a tiny bar where locals hang out enjoying beer and Sidra along the street and curb. "Let's go there," says Céline. 

When in Spain, do like the Spanish. "I can make room, man," says Ivo. No need. I'm going to sit on the street like the locals do. This is why I love traveling and the experiences of immersing in the culture. Once seated, I start laughing. No way I would have ever done this in the States. It is not customary. I am perfectly comfortable though and enjoy the evening with my friends.

We split four bottles of Sidra at dinner and drink it like the locals. Once it is poured, we drink it all without waiting. Sidra is only 6 to 6.5% alcohol by content, so there's little chance of getting drunk. We had a ball. Around 1100 pm, we finally wrap up dinner and head back. The three of them are all continuing tomorrow. We wish each other Buen Camino! as we part ways. It will be different without seeing these guys every day. On my way home, I stop to take a picture of the night lights along the beach.

I have just completed my 3rd week on the Camino. It is Saturday, and it has become customary for me to do laundry at the end of each week. It's a way to reflect while symbolically starting fresh for the coming week. Before heading out, I spend the morning with my blog. I have not had much time to write as in-depth as I would like. I will use today to change that. 

Around 1030 am, WhatsApp pings me. Cami has arrived in Gijón. I have not had breakfast yet. I decide to meet her downtown for coffee. Seeing Cami and her new friend Sierra (Gunnison, CO) is great. Cami says, "I learned from other Peregrinos yesterday that you can enter the phone number of the Albergue on WhatsApp and make reservations that way." Really? I say. This is a game changer for me and will help me considerably in transporting my rucksack via Correos (Postal Service).

After breakfast, Sierra says she is taking the bus to the next town, Avilés, because the walk is "boring and industrial." I love those kinds of walks. You see some different landscapes and get a real feel for the culture. "I don't know what I want to do," says Cami. I tell her, if you decide to stay in Gijón, I have a spare bed in the room that you can use. Everyone does their own Camino, so listen to what your heart wants to do. "I have some errands to run, postcards I need to send, cash I need to get. So I'll decide after," she says. "What are you doing today?" she asks. Laundry and shopping for new shoes. It is a rest day for me. So, I pick up the breakfast tab for the three of us. It costs me 10 euros. Cami and I wish Sierra a Buen Camino! Then we head back towards the shoe store near my hotel.

Cami runs her errands and then joins me inside, where I sit trying on nearly every pair in my size in the store. She decides to try a couple while she waits and falls in love with a pair of trial runners. "I am going to send my boots home. These are so comfortable. How are you doing," she says. These La Sportiva trail runners feel good, but my left big toe feels like it is falling asleep. They are everything I want, waterproof trail runners that fit like slippers. "I don't think these shoes are for you if your toes fall asleep. Take the shoes off. Then try them again after your feet feel normal," she says. I do as she suggests. I have the same issue. The store closes at 2 pm today, so I decide to leave them there and keep looking. As we walk out the door, Cami has her new shoes in hand and says, "I am going to take the bus to Avilés too." That is a good choice, you will rejoin the others, and they will be happy to see you. 

After parting ways with Cami, I head out searching for shoes. I find a sports store with a wide range of running shoes, including Asics, which I love. The store is fantastic! I find shoes, Asics Gel Turbucco, which has a rock guard in the sole that firms up the sole and protects the foot against sharp rocks on the Camino. Unfortunately, they are not waterproof, and I will have wet feet if it rains. Next, I find a pair of compression knee sleeves. My choices are black or Day-Glo yellow. Of course, I pick up the yellow ones and laugh. Black is so boring. 

After laundry, I head to the Tourist Office to get my stamp for the day. I laugh to myself. I once said I had no use for Tourist Offices. That was before the Camino. Today I need one. I look at my phone. Shit! It's 730 pm. I have not made a reservation for my rucksack. I sit on the curb, pull out my laptop, and take care of that before leaving for the Tourist Office before 8 pm. 

Around 9 pm, I find a vegetarian cafe near the hotel, order a vegetarian lasagna, and green tea. Oh my gosh, is this good! One of the best meals I have had in Spain. It isn't just because I am craving vegetables. It is cooked perfectly. I have not had many vegetables in my diet since starting the Camino. They have been challenging to find on the menu.

When I return to my room, I prep my bags for tomorrow. As I do, I remember that photo of the worn boots that reminded me of Christopher McCandless in Bushmills, Ireland. So, I pay homage to my boots by taking this photo before parting ways with them and tossing them in the trash. They have served me so well.

Before Calling it a night, I spend a little time researching what is causing my knee to be tender. The dull ache is in a different place than my injury in Ireland. The tenderness I feel is higher in the middle of my knee and on the inside of the knee. It appears I have irritated the Plica connective tissue in my knee. The source of irritation is too many road miles and insufficient cushioning on my heels (i.e., worn-out boots), which is compounded by the weight of my backpack. Starting tomorrow, the changes I plan to make will help me resolve this irritation. One of the main reasons I took a rest day and invested 200 euros in new gear.

Today is exactly what I need. I have my gear replaced. A plan for the next week, and I'm shedding weight that does not serve me. I am excited to see what the next few days will bring. It's been a while since I've walked in solitude on the Camino, and I know that I will have some different experiences that were not accessible to me because I was traveling with a group. I look forward to making new friends and am excited by the possibility of experiencing a whole new Camino.