Rest Day in Santiago

[peregrina2000]

Just finished up my rest day in Oviedo, which was great. I visited the new Oviedo albergue and have to say it is a definite and huge improvement over the old one. It is now located in a single family home, has 36 beds (still kind of squished in like the old place), but with a good commons area and kitchen. I stayed at the Pensión Arcos, which I like very much. Great location and the young guys who run it are muy majos.

The hospitalero (who´s been there for a few years and has a good memory, or else I have a very common face) told me that the Primitivo has gone ballistic. In August of last year, he was at Cadavo, which has an albergue with 20-some beds. There were 130 people there!

Today there are 9 people in the Oviedo albergue, so I´m not too worried, but it looks like high summer is not the time to walk the Primitivo!

Buen camino, and thanks to those who have posted such good info on the Primitivo. Laurie

 

[Tia Valeria]

Re: Starting the Primitivo tomorrow

Hola Laurie.
This year there was a surge on the Primitivo around May 1st holiday, with Berducedo over-full on April 29th and folk going on to La Mesa, but no one in Berducedo on the 28th April except ourselves. The rush caught us up in Grandas on April 30th with many in the hostales. They moved on leaving it quiet again. The surge reached Cadabo on 4th May, again with folk in hostales. Apart from that some days we saw a few pilgrims, others none at all.
There does seem to be more albergue capacity than before with some more private albergues, but the Primitivo is certainly going to become more popular we think.
Buen Camino

 

[peregrina2000]

Re: Day 5 on the Primitivo

I am feeling quite like Goldilocks, the Camino Primitivo is JUST RIGHT. Not too many people like the Francés, nor so few people as the Salvador or Vadiniense. I have fallen in with a group of 6 others and we are enjoying each other´s company a lot. Lots of great camino moments that leave me with a catch in my throat.

One thing that is so completely different from my last time on the primitivo is the demographics of who is walking. In 2008, I met two women, and no young people. Right now, I´d say the proportion is roughly 50-50, and there are lots of young people. My own little camino family is made up of 3 20-somethings (two Canadians, one US), a Salvadoran in his 30s I´d guess, two madrileños in their 40s, and moi. We don´t stick together typically but generally eat breakfast and dinner together.

My stages so far:
Day 1 to San Juan de Villapañada. About 1 km off the Camino in an old school. Highly recommended, we brought up food and the hospitalero made a dinner for all 11 of us in the albergue. It sits on the top of a hill overlooking the town of Grado and many beautiful green fields. Hospitalero is a character.

Day 2 to Bodenaya. Every superlative that has been hurled Alejandro´s way is well deserved. This was a day of 8 hours of walking inthe rain and arriving there was like arriving in heaven. Alejandro was a taxista in Madrid for 14 years and gave it up to renovate his house (and his hórreo, where he now lives) for a donativo albergue. He washed all our clothes (in a machine), served us wine made by friends in Galicia, made us a terrific dinner and woke us at 6:30 to strains of Ave María, fed us breakfast and sent us on our way to Campiello.

Day 3 to Campiello, Herminia´s place. This woman is a shrewd businesswoman, but she has made a high quality albergue that´s comfortable and costs 10€. The dinner was good, not great, reasonably priced, and the breakfast, which consisted of the biggest café con leche I´ve ever had plus platters of bread fried in olive oil and spread with homemade (supposedly) mermalada, which kept us going up through Hospitales.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Re: Day 5 on the Primitivo

Hope you have better weather as you go on. Can we suggest that, especially if it has been wet, when you reach Paradavella ask if you should keep to the road to Lastra. The uphill section has wrecked a few knees as it is slippery. The folk in the cafe/bars can advise you. The distance round seems to be about the same as the distance up and over to Lastra.
Buen Camino again

 

[peregrina2000]

Re: Day 5 on the Primitivo

Day 4 to Berducedo through Hospitales. I had walked from Pola de Allande last time, but really wanted to go through Hospitales. Well, the 7 of us stuck together because it was misty and foggy and cold. Unfortunately we didn´t see much of the surrounding mountains, but we did see bands of wild Asturian horses (and I got a lesson on why the Asturian horses were the reason that the Moors never conquered Asturias) and the ruins of three or 4 pilgrim hospitals. I will write more later on the Hospitales option because there´s so much hype about it, but it is extremely well marked, it would be impossible to get lost. Either way you have to get to Puerto de Palo, and the Hospitales option is a bit shorter and has very nice gradual ascents.

Arriving in Berducedo, the 10 bed albergue soon filled up. Heat was pouring out of the radiators but the showers were cold. There used to be a fancy restaurant here (La Culpa fue de María), but it went out of business and has been bought up by a young unemployed guy from town. He has changed the business model totally and I think it might work. You can eat dinner there, but there´s one choice -- a plato combinado of two fried eggs, slices of lomo (the cured pork loin), french fries and a big lettuce and tomato salad. with wine, 8 euros.

Day 5 to Grandas de Salime. We had planned to go on to Castro (5 kms beyond Grandas), but the owners of the albergue nicely called Berducedo to tell the hospitalera to tell the peregrinos that they are booked up with a group. Apparently, we´ve had the misfortune to run into a bus load of pilgrims who will be starting from Grandas tomorrow. I don´t think they´ll be using the albergues since they are going with van support and aren´t going to walk all of ever stage, but I´ve been enjoying the peace and quiet so much! The 3000 ft descent to the reservoir, and then back up another 2000 (?) made this a full day even though it´s only 19 kms.

They tell us the primitivo gets crazy in July and August, but right now it is not crowded, the temperatures are very nice, and the rain hasn´t been too terrible. This is really a beautiful camino -- Galicia tomorrow! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[alipilgrim]

Re: Day 5 on the Primitivo

I'm so pleased you're enjoying your Camino Laurie. I can't believe it's sstill raining in Spain :wink:

 

[wayfarer]

Re: Day 5 on the Primitivo

I don´t think they´ll be using the albergues since they are going with van support and aren´t going to walk all of ever stage,

On our Camino we referred to these as "busegrinos"

 

[peregrina2000]

Re: Day 5 on the Primitivo

Hi, alipilgrim, good to hear from you. Actually, from May 25 till about 4 days ago, I hadn´t experienced any rain at all. And that one day from San Juan de Vallapañada to Bodenaya made me very glad that was the case.

I´m now in Fonsagrada, a good day´s walk with a nice ascent to the Puerto de Acebo. Your reward is that there is a bar there just waiting with its door open when you hit the pass. I had a lot of energy today and made it to the albergue early. It´s about 2kms out of town (which seems like nothing with no pack and no boots), but I came back for the internet -- two days in a row! And, I confess, I also came back up for the pulpo. I can´t eat a whole plate of it, but I just love the simple pulpo gallego, and there are two very highly regarded places here in town. The weather has been great walking weather, with occasional little bursts of sun but a lot of good cloud cover. Supposedly no rain for a while, but I think these forecasts are quite approximate. We are in Galicia now, I can hardly believe it.

Two long but not challenging days between here and Lugo, both around 30 but little elevation gain. Lugo is having some huge fiestas this weekend, some re-enactment of something having to do with the Romans. I had thought about staying an extra day to visit the museum and other stuff I didn´t see last time, but with the town full of fiesta-goers, I guess the pensiones will all be full.

Haven´t seen hide nor hair of the busegrinos, not sure where they are. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[mikevasey]

Re: Day 5 on the Primitivo

Hi Laurie,

Good to read your, Terry and Valeries accounts of the Primitivo. Been getting rain off and on since Bilbao, but not bussed, however seem to keep bumping into people who were still in the albergue when I left and then seem to be tucked up nicely when I arrive at the next one and it isnt just a few, they seem to be in the majority, not been told the inn is full yet but been close a few times.

Going to give the Picos a miss this time, read your accounts of the Salvador, thats one for the future.

Thanks for all the info you have provided.

Mike

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Re: Day 5 on the Primitivo

Wow. Now I´ve really gotta walk that camino... you make it sound so beautiful, and do-able! Thanks, Laurie, for your travelogue.

Reb.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Re: Day 5 on the Primitivo

When we were in Lugo the Roman week-end was advertised. It is an annual event and they are celebrating the founding of Lugo as a Roman town. People dress up in Roman gear and there is a chariot 'race' around the walls. The best preserved Roman walls and only complete ones in Europe. We'd love to have still been there to see it all. envious if you are. You can buy your toga/army tunic etc from a shop near the albergue!!

 

[peregrina2000]

Re: Now in Ponte Ferreira

Four great days of walking have taken me to the new private albergue at Ponte Ferreira, about 8 kms beyond San Román.

Any thoughts I had of taking a rest day in Lugo were quickly dispelled by the all-night drunken parades of singing people dressed as Romans. I don´t think we got more than an hour or two of sleep, and headed out early. The fiestas continue today and tomorrow, so I´m glad to be on my way.

Tomorrow we will merge with the Francés in Melide. Not sure what to expect, and I will be sorry to leave the primitivo. More from Santiago. Laurie

 

[Tia Valeria]

Re: Now in Ponte Ferreira

Good to see you have got so far Laurie. I can imagine Lugo being very noisy with the albergue being inside the walls. It was very quiet in town when we were there and because of staying 2 nights we were at the Hotel Metropol, outside the walls, so that was quiet too.
Hopefully you will have good weather for your final days. It is awful here in UK
Buen Camino

Edit:-
I have found a link about this year's Arde Lucas festival. In Spanish, but there are some pictures.
http://maloca-mitribuna.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/arde-lucus-lugo-vuelve-sus-origenes.html
There is also a report on last year's festival on the same blog
http://maloca-mitribuna.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/arde-lucus-ya-es-fiesta-de-interes.html

 

[jennysa]

Re: Now in Ponte Ferreira

Four great days of walking have taken me to the new private albergue at Ponte Ferreira, about 8 kms beyond San Román.

Any thoughts I had of taking a rest day in Lugo were quickly dispelled by the all-night drunken parades of singing people dressed as Romans. I don´t think we got more than an hour or two of sleep, and headed out early. The fiestas continue today and tomorrow, so I´m glad to be on my way.

Tomorrow we will merge with the Francés in Melide. Not sure what to expect, and I will be sorry to leave the primitivo. More from Santiago. Laurie

I hope you will still keep us up-to-date, Laurie. I am so enjoying following your journey - cant wait for the next instalment.

 

[peregrina2000]

Re: Now in Ponte Ferreira

Thought I would just sign in to say I am now enjoying a rest day in Santiago before leaving tomorrow for Muxía and Finisterre. The relatively new albergue in Ponte Ferreira is nice enough, but has microwavable food in a machine and no bars-stores, etc. So we walked back to the Casa Rural Casa do Ponte, about 300 m away, for a 15€ meal that was overpriced but the only game in town. Nice place, nice family, nice evening.

Sunday was the day we joined the Francés. Our little camino family decided to spend the night in a new albergue in Boente, about 5 kms beyond Melide. It was market day in Melide, so we spent a lot of time there, including a good meal in the pulpería that has apparently taken over the title of best pulpería in Melide from Ezekiel -- it´s called Garnacha. The word I heard was that Ezekiel died or his family sold the business or something happened to make it lose its excellence.

The brand new albergue in Boente is great, run by energetic lovely young people. It has rapidly eclipsed its competition, the private albergue Os Albergue, which now gets only the spillover crowds. Dinners served in the bar downstairs.

Arca seems to have more albergues than private homes. I couldn´t even count them. We stayed there for our last night and I have to say that though it´s only 3 months old, the Otero Albergue is not very nice. If you have a choice stay somewhere else.

Temps yesterday in Santiago were in the low-mid 30s. Thankfully they have cooled down.

Not all caminos involve strong bonds between/among peregrinos (for me at least), but this one was all I could have hoped for in that regard. After more than two weeks alone on the Liebana/Vadiniense/Salvador, I was ecstatic that on the first night in San Juan on the Primitivo, it was pretty clear there were 7 of us who would bond. We wound up as a real camino family, which involves many teary farewells but an appreciation of the joys of serendipity and how human beings from so many different places and walks of life can make such strong connections. I´m starting out from here for Finisterre with the three remaining members of the group, but one by one we will peel away. So goes the camino.

I´m now going to check some posts for info on Muxia and Finisterre and will try to send back some info as I walk. The Camino is quite busy but not overloaded. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Tia Valeria]

Good to hear you have arrived and are continuing.
Buen Camino for the last section

 

[Deleted member 3000]

the private albergue Os Albergue

It is the only albergue I ever checked into, then left. The dust, noise, and cigarette smoke are overwhelming. The Melide albergue is one of those with coed showers and no shower curtains, so the new albergue in Boente should be quite welcome!

Albergue Boente
Overall impression:
Condition: Opened in June 2012
Hostel Availability: In principle all year (confirmed from late October to spring)
Price: 10 euros in low season and 11 in high (between May and September)
Places
Total seats: 22
Number of beds in bunk: 22
Number of places in soil:
Number of mattresses on floor:
Number of beds:
Description of rooms: 5 rooms, one on the ground floor and above the rest
Reserve a place in the hostel: Yes
Admission requirements for access to the hostel: both pilgrims and tourists
Opening hours: 12:00
Closing time: 23:00
Possibility to leave or not when you close: Yes