Tineo to Santiago - April/May 2012

[Tia Valeria]

We left Plymouth on 22nd April arriving in Santander on the 23rd. A rough crossing, but later in the week the weather was so bad that ferries were cancelled so we were grateful that we had reached Spain without problems. On the 24th we took the FEVE to Oviedo and on the 25th the ALSA to Tineo to start walking. It took us from the 26th April until the 16th May to walk the Camino Primitivo, with 2 night stops in Grandas de Salime and Lugo. Our time on the Camino and in Santiago was amazing. Having completed our pilgrimage in mid-May we took 2 weeks to work our way back to Santander for the journey home. We finally arrived back in the UK on 31st May.

Now we are working through our memories, notes and photos and trying to post on a new blog http://camino-primitivo-2012.blogspot.co.uk/. However this is not without its problems! Hopefully it will work OK and we will also add some more here on this thread.

Buen Camino to all on the Primitivo this year
TerryB and Tia Valerie

 

[Tia Valeria]

Day 1 - 26th April:-
Tineo to Campiello
We set off from Tineo in the sun, with a cool wind. It took us 4 hours to reach Campiello and Casa Herminia as we stopped twice - to eat our apples and then croissants. Valerie runs on snacks or café con leche. Two French pilgrims passed us at our second stop and we saw them again as they had stopped for a drink at Herminia's.
After coffees and empanada we went to our room (in the hotel section) while Herminia served meals to a funeral party. We had a very late lunch after this (menu del dia) at 15.00. Then we sat and admired the view, and a rainbow during the showers. There were 3 other pilgrims staying in the albergue itself who we met again at breakfast.





NB For those who also run on coffee the cafe/bar at the crossroads just after Alto de Piedratecha is definitively closed as the CSJ updates say. It is now a hairdressers.

 

[Tia Valeria]

April 27th:
Campiello to Pola de Allande:
The 3 Italians left just before us to go over the Hospitales route.
We walked the road past La Mortera, meeting a pilgrim from Madrid in the cafe there. Two others passed us and went up the track but we stayed on the road as far as Porciles before turning onto the camino 'proper'.
There was snow on the far mountains, but it was a warm day so we had our fleeces off.
Having booked into the Hotel Nueva Allandesa we had Asturian stew there for lunch and they very kindly took our washing to their laundry room. They managed to get it dry and back to us during the evening in spite of showers.



April 28th:
Pola to Berducedo
We walked the road again, through Peñaseita, to the point where the track starts to climb to Puerto de Palo. This avoided mud, wet and the steep climb into and up from the valley bottom. Wonderful views from the pass, which Terry couldn't see for mist in 2009.
We saw no other pilgrims all day and at 17.00 when we reached the bar in Berducedo no-one had come into the albergue. We had booked into the new private albergue, (Casa Antigua - 696929164) which has some rooms too. Our meal was back in the village at 18.00, in the other bar. Very good but not always available.



April 29th:
Berducedo to El Salto
We followed the camino signs and CSJ guide all day today with a mix of road and track. The walk up to La Mesa and over Buspol is hard work. However the descent to the dam is much harder, on joints and backs of legs, and took 2½ hours. Once again we saw no other pilgrims, although it is possible that some passed us once we had reached El Salto. We asked at the Hotel Grandas (985627230 and 660589130), 1km beyond the dam, if they had a habitacion as we had walked far enough and our legs ached! It was nearly 16.00 but they served us lunch (excellent) before the kitchen closed, then showed us our room. A bocadillo and drinks served for supper. The total cost including breakfast was €90, the same as at Campiello and we felt was better value.
That only left the last uphill stretch to Grandas de Salime itself for next morning, then a rest day and museum visit.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks, Terry and Valerie,
I´m starting out on the Primitivo tomorrow morning and don´t have a guide other than the Eroski pages, so I will be checking on your postings as I progress. Sounds like you had a great trip, and I appreciate your other posting with the list of places to stay. I have scribbled many of them down and will make great use of them. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Tia Valeria]

Buen Camino Laurie, I'll try to 'keep ahead' of you. Today's offering is below, and we are also adding to the blog. :arrow:

 

[Tia Valeria]

April 30th:
El Salto to Grandas de Salime
The recommendation locally was to walk the road up to Grandas as the old Camino would be wet, muddy and very overgrown. We followed this advice taking about 1½ hours to walk the last few kms uphill, wearing our reflective jackets, into Grandas de Salime where we went to the Pension Barra. The new albergue is just past here, signed at the corner by the church. We looked in later in the day and it looks good with a very friendly hospitalero. The albergue was full so there were other pilgrims looking for alternative accomodation, some in our pension.



May 1st:
Grandas de Salime
A 'rest day', so we had breakfast, did the rest of our washing, went for a walk (round the back of town again) had another coffee and then went to the Ethnographic Museum. This is well worth a visit, but is closed on Mondays. No other peregrinos today, and no-one in the albergue at 17.45, not even the hospitalero, although the hospitalero from La Mesa received a call, while we were talking to him outside and went off to open up there.

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 2nd:
Grandas de Salime to Castro
A fairly early start with a stop in Cereijeira at the Bar Federico, 3kms along the Camino, for a coffee. Then along well signed tracks, wet in places after earlier bad weather but passable.
Arriving at the albergue at 11.30, and climbing over the dog to get through the door, we were told that the museum opens for a time, then closes for the conducted tour round the castro (hill fort) itself. We left our packs in the main room as we were so early, and walked up the hill arriving at the museum at 12.00, then back down to the albergue at 14.00 where a room, and menu del dia, were ready for us.
The albergue has 4 rooms, each with 2 double bunks, and your shower/toilet is colour coded to your room. Very effective. We had the red room to ourselves. Six more peregrinos arrived during the afternoon, by which time it was raining. Although we had eaten at lunchtime they invited us to join them when they had their evening meal and we had our lighter supper. We enjoyed their company and were later glad to see the Polish couple in Cádabo near the albergue.
We learned from the hospitalera that the S African group we had hoped to meet up with around this point had passed through the day before, only 2 now walking as one had an injured knee and had gone on to Fonsagrada by taxi. Sad for them.

(Note:- There are no buses for the 26kms between Grandas and Fonsagrada. We wanted to do the reverse trip after last year's Camino to see the museum.)

<br />

 

[peregrino_tom]

Tia
it's nice to relive the journey with your blog. Thanks.
Your mention of Grandas and the Museo Ethnografico reminded me that when we were in Grandas there was a strong local campaign to re-install the founder of the museum as its director after he was ousted by some local politicking. Did you see whether these posters of him were still around the place please?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peregrino_ ... /lightbox/

By chance we had the privilege to meet this guy they call 'pepe el ferreiro'. He has a blacksmith's forge just as the path and road come into Grandas on the left hand side. The doors were open and he was at work and he invited us in to look around. My Spanish is not good, but I understood from my companions that he had won the legal battle and hoped to be re-installed, but I don't know if this happened, so I'm interested to know if the posters etc are still in the town.
Some background about him and the museum
http://elpais.com/diario/1988/01/25/ult ... 50215.html
cheers, tom

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thanks Tom, glad you are enjoying the posts and blog.
In Grandas the forge is still there as you enter the town, but all is quiet at the museum. No posters around town and the museum itself seems to be OK. There is a working model of the forge, of which they are obviously very proud, and they make a point of showing it to visitors.
The situation would seem to have been resolved.

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 3rd
Castro to Fonsagrada

We had a good start, first on a track to Padraira, then on the road through Peñafuente and up to the pass of Alto de Acebo. Several pilgrims passed us while we were walking and also stopped for a snack, in a chapel porch, duirng a shower. The weather was fine at the pass and the views good although clouds were beginning to gather. We went into the bar Casa Acebedo where there were more pilgrims, some of them cyclists, having drinks and food. We had our coffees and left as still more pilgrims arrived, making 16 seen so far today on the Camino.

Leaving the bar we had walked for 3kms in the sun when the weather changed completely within minutes. It started to rain, so we put ponchos on, but it was obvious that we needed our over-trousers too as there was now a strong wind with horizontal rain. A tunnel under the road offered shelter and was mostly dry underfoot. As the rain blotted everything out we stood and ate the rest of our bocadillos while the rain lessened but more water crept into the dry area. The cold and the sleety rain made us decide to call a taxi so we were soon in Fonsagrada at the Pension Manolo. Again the heating was on for which we were very grateful.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks, tíos,
You´re one day ahead of me. Just arrived in Grandas de Salime, delighted to find that the Casa de Cultura has 10 computers just sitting there begging to be used. The new albergue here is a HUGE improvement over the old one, which, if memory serves, was in the former jail. I never stayed there because when I was walking towards the door to the albergue, a French man came out and said he just saw a huge rat run across the floor. So I went to the hotel instead. This new albergue is wonderful, though!

Hoping to make it to Fonsagrada tomorrow, that will put us in Galicia! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 4th
Fonsagrada to Cádabo

The day started fine as we walked the first 7kms from Fonsagrada, although we hoped that the snow ploughs seen as we left town weren't a sign of things to come. Then it began to rain, needing ponchos and over-trousers, however it was warmer rain than yesterday. We stood under the chapel porch at Hospital de Montouto to eat our bocadillos. The Camino was very wet in places, with running water, but the mud patches were easy to pass.
Lunch - huge hot bocadillos - at Casa Méson as you enter Paradavella, then on into the village. Taking the advice given at lunchtime we didn't attempt the climb 'off road' to Lastra and took the little local bus. (Our last ride until we left Santiago)
Arriving in Cádabo we booked into the Pension Moneda. A visit to the albergue showed it was 'completo'. Our meal was at the 'Tres Espuelas' (Avdo de Lugo 5), excellent, and friendly folk.

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 5th
Cádabo to Castroverde

Raining! so we set off in full wet weather gear. With mist on the tops there were no views. At Villabade the church was open so we went in. They let us take a photo of the mediaeval wall painting of St Christopher and gave us a sello. There is also a carving of St James over the baroque altar here. We ate our lunch in the huge porch, then went on, in the rain, to Castroverde and the Pension Cortes.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Terry has been trying out flickr with a selection of photos from our time on the Primitivo in April /May. You should find the link here:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiotel/

Some extra photos to either here or the blog
http://camino-primitivo-2012.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[peregrina2000]

In Fonsagrada, going to O Candal for pulpo. Did I get that recommendation from you?

I´ve noted the restaurant in Cádavo, where I hope to be tomorrow. No rain in a few days, hope it holds up.

I´m enjoying your posts -- and I think they´ve re-routed the Camino some, because today I walked from Grandas to Fonsagrada and did not walk through the tunnel under a road where you got some temporary shelter. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[TerryB]

Hi Laurie,
The Camino did not go through the tunnel - we saw it in passing (over the top?) and dived in! Any port in a storm. What was alarming was the speed with which the weather changed :shock: When walking one tends to forget that the track along there is 900 meters or so above sea level (as is Fonsagrada itself).
We found the little cafe / restaurant in Cadavo very helpful. Finding that other places started serving at 9.00 p.m. we looked around for an earlier hot meal. The 'Tres Espuelas' (Three Spurs) were most helpful. We put in our order over a cafe con leche at about 5.30 and went back at 7.30 to eat. Early to bed, early to rise worked well for us until we got to Santiago and met up with John Walker and Co. . . but that's another story :lol: :lol:
Buen Camino
Terry

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 6th
Castroverde to Lugo

As it was Sunday breakfast was at 9.00, so we made our own (croissants and tin of peaches) bought yesterday in the nearby supermarket. Cafe con leche was available in the bar. We set off at 8.40 and it was good walking in spite of all the recent rain. We met a number of local people during the day; including the priest who stopped his car to ask if we were OK, and a lady who took our lunchtime rubbish home with her to save us going back uphill to the bin. We found the Camino well signed and well maintained, especially near Lugo itself where construction works had made it difficult previously. There were still heavy showers as we walked but it was sunny as we came into Lugo where we went to the Hotel Metropol (Calle Miguel Cervantes) - special rate for pilgrims - for 2 nights. We plan to see the museum tomorrow - if it is open

 

[Tia Valeria]

That tunnel:- it was near where the handrail runs out just before the curve in the road and the white house. There was a side slope off the Camino and under the road and, as Terry says, we dived in. Best tunnel I've seen and it doesn't go anywhere, except the far side of the road.

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 7th
Lugo

We finally posted cards home which we had carried all the way from Tineo, and we also sent just over 200gms of guide books and leaflets which we have collected along the Way. Then we went for a walk on the walls and bought new stick rubbers in the 'corderia' (rope shop) just inside the Porta de San Pedro. The lady there has a lovely sello too, and Buffalo cream to waterproof boots. Then it was time to go to the Cathedral office for their sello, and the priest on duty was the one who stopped to speak to us yesterday.
We went round to the museum and finally found it open. (Last year it was closed when we stayed in Lugo on our way home) We spent the rest of the morning there.
In the afternoon we saw a few other pilgrims, one wearing a Rohan poncho like ours.



May 8th
Lugo to San Roman de Retorta



We left Lugo, in the rain, by the Porta de Santiago, over the Roman based bridge and on past the chapel of San Lázaro. The local priest was nearby by and opened the chapel for us and to give us a sello. (So many churches, that are often closed, have been opened just as we are passing.) Two pilgrims passed us on the hill. We stopped at Seoane and sheltered in the church porch (again) for a snack.


In the bar at Burgo we caught up with two peregrinas who we had seen from the church porch. They were drying themselves by the gas heater and kindly offered to move over for us. However we had our full wet gear on so we left them the fire, but all sat together chatting over drinks and bocadillos. They went on to the public albergue at San Roman, we were heading for the private one.

We passed an area of Camino with very useful granite slabs and a bridge, it ended just before a bad muddy patch!! Then there was the tree that had fallen across the path and had a way cut through in 2009 (Terry said it must have been after he had gone past)
We arrived in the albergue O Candido to a warm welcome, and a pilgrim couple who hogged the fire all evening, so different to the 2 girls earlier. However we found a lovely warm spot in the drying room, upstairs by the old range cooker.
We ordered our 3 course meal, 8€, as did the 3 wet cyclists who had arrived after us. They also took advantage of the drying room. The hospitalero went off with our washing which he brought back dry, along with the meals, for the 5 of us, just before 20.00.
(Bunks, also single, double and triple rooms here. Rooms have own bathrooms. Meals brought in. Drinks machine.)

 

[Tia Valeria]

The date painted on the trunk section is 2009.


Not all of the Camino Primitivo is mountain or wide tracks. Here it passes between mossy walls.


The new albergue was the old carpenteria and has plenty of room. They also can accomodate a pilgrim's horse.

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 9th
San Roman de Retorta to the 'Casa da Ponte', Ferreira.

Only 8kms today, on the Via Romana Lucus Iria Flavia still, to Ferreira and the 'Casa de Ponti' (a Casa Rural). One heavy shower on the hilltop,followed by a light one, then it turned dry and sunny but water was still running down the road in places. We paused near a farm for a quick snack and were joined by a very friendly dog, which we did not feed!
Arriving in Ferreira/Mosteira at the 'Casa da Ponte' we were served a bocadillo lunch, menu del dia will be for supper at 20.00.
After siesta, and a spot of translating on the phone for an incoming pilgrim, we went to look at the very pretty church. They are long lived here, many of the memorials are to over 90 year olds.
We shared our table at supper with Reuben and at the next had Hans and Cristina, so an enjoyable chatty meal and excellent food.
Tomorrow we sadly leave the Primitivo itself to walk to Palas de Rei and join the Camino Francés there.

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 10th
Ferreira to Palas de Rei
The 11kms from the Casa da Ponte, at Ferreira, to Palas de Rei is mostly on the road. At last the sun was out again and we were actually walking without fleeces or ponchos. Some hills and views across to the windfarm on the Primitivo, part way to Melide. A builder signed our credenciales, 5kms out of Palas de Rei, as we ate our mid-morning snack on roadside bench.
At Filgueira, near the cruceiro and church, Terry had a chat with one of the local householders. Then it was on again for the last 2 kms into Palas de Rei and the pension recommended at Casa da Ponte.
Later in the afternoon we visited the church for our sellos. A lot of pigrims around including a bus load, who disappeared off elsewhere leaving it fairly quiet.







Although we are now on the Francés this is part of our Primitivo pilgrimage so we will continue our journey on this thread

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 11th
Palas de Rei to Melide
There were more pilgrims at breakfast in our pension's cafe than we had seen in total so far on our whole Camino!! :shock: Well we are on the Francés.
There was one couple, about our age, wearing almost the same clothing as ours. The lady and I had identical shirts. We had time to talk before we all set off, they came from Northumberland and we saw them again several times during the day.
It was dry again and slightly cloudy, great weather walking on tracks, some ancient (and some more modern) paving and mud, with granite blocks through to help the pilgrims keep dry feet. There was a family with 2 young children, carrying their own mini rucksacks, walking along and later picnicking at the track side. There were several other pilgrims we also met more than once as we all took in coffee breaks and snack stops.
We stayed in a hotel on the outskirts of Melide, joined by one of the young couples we had met during the day. The use of a coin in the slot washing machine and dryer was very useful - we washed the lot and had it dry and packed before evening.
Along the Way we visited various churches as well as the parish church (sello) in Melide and the museum next door. This was the 'new' pilgrims' hospital in 1900.

Terry said the Francés was much quieter than when he was on it 3 years ago from Melide, we had times when there were no pilgrims in view. This was true much of the way into Santiago, so it wasn't as bad as I feared. However at other times there were so many around that it was impossible to get a walking rythm and any wild-life had hidden away.

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 12th
Melide to Arzua
It was cooler again, sunny but with a breeze as we walked the mix of track and road. There were strawberries for sale at the roadside, with an 'honesty box' and sello, but no bars open until Ribadiso. We stopped for coffees and empanada on the way down to the bridge. Then it was uphill into Arzua where we had a reservation at Pension Rúa, which also has a private albergue 'Don Quijote' (981 500 139). We ate lunch in a restaurant in town and supper later in the cafe below the pension.
Looking around town we found what could have been an interesting souvenir, a miniature still, just like the ones for making Orujo. We were told it worked. However its weight and cost made it easy to resist the temptation. We did buy a small container to put our Buffalo cream in and gave the rest of the tin to the albergue, gratefully received. It was a big tin, slightly heavy to carry and we now expect to carry our fleeces in our packs.
The unexpected sight was of 2 cows being led down the main street, fortunately I had my camera with me.

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 13th
Arzua to Brea
We walked the 15.5 kms to Brea by lunchtime having had breakfast in the Cafe below our pension, and coffee with empanada about 7kms from Arzua, in the first bar we found. We met up with pilgrims we had seen yesterday including 3 Irish ladies. We also met a couple from Atlanta several times during the day and they arrived in Brea not long after us. It was here that we met an 80 year old Canadian peregrina staying at the pension for the 6th time. She walks a little and stops often, 2kms one day and an 8km stretch was her longest. She was amazing. We all had rooms in the pension, a Spanish peregrina was in the private albergue section and Terry helped another couple call for accomodation and transport to it further along the Camino. We hung our washing out, went for a walk around and watched our host cut into his ham with an axe before using a knife. All in an afternoon's entertainment. Seven of us had supper together, including Carol and Don from Atlanta, so another friendly meal.

 

[Tia Valeria]

May 14th
Brea to Lavacolla
Once again the Camino was mostly on tracks, but there were some long hard uphill sections. We had coffee at the Cafetería Miras on the far side of Pedrouzo, and were given a lovely little sello of a happy pilgrim. Later we stopped for fresh orange at Amenal (9.5km from Brea).
At the right hand turn to go round the airport a peregrina asked us to take her photo by the mojon, and took ours for us. The distance on these old mojones is about 4kms short, they must date from the time before the runway was extended. Our CSJ guide was correct.
We had seen Don and Carol a number of times during the day and walked into Lavacolla with them, but to a different hostal. We were booked into Hostal San Paio, just down past the church and through an archway on the right. It was good that we had booked last night as the hostal, which is very big, was full.
Lunch in the restaurant (milanesas) was good, then siesta and the usual washing, walk around village and to village shop, then to the cafe/bar A Concha and Tarta Santiago.
The clouds had finally cleared and the sun was out but there was a cool breeze at 20.00. It was good walking weather but cold sitting around.

 

[Tia Valeria]

15th May
Lavacolla to Santiago
It was slow walking today on a mix of track and side roads. We stopped at San Marcos for coffee and for Valerie to change her liner socks which were slipping. Then on to Monte de Gozo where we found the chapel sello before taking the shorter route down the hill. Valerie's sock was playing up again so a stop to pull it up and adjust boots before we arrived in the suburb of San Lazaro. Another drinks stop (fresh orange) and Tarta Santiago - expensive but appreciated. Then we went on into Santiago itself stopping to go into the churches of Santa Maria del Camino and San Benito del Campo, where sellos for both churches were available - the last before the Cathedral stamp. Then we went down the steps to Plaza de Obradoiro straight into the arms of the 3 Irish ladies which delighted all of us. We have a lovely photo of them.

There was no queue at the pilgrims Office and we received our Compostelas very quickly. We have finally walked the Primitivo together.

Next stop was the Cafe Dakar and lunch, and at the tables for the next cafe was the young couple we had seen last in Melide. After siesta at the Hostal Linares we went round town and stopped for a drink at the Cafe Suso, and Don and Carol came down the street, so came over and joined us. We saw nearly all the folk who we hoped would be in Santiago at the same time as ourselves that first afternoon which was really good. Not having seen Johnnie in the Pilgrims Office we sent him a text as promised, as he had hoped we would arrive in time for the official inauguration of the Amigos.

Looking at our feet Valerie realised that she had a red mark on her big toe which just shows that it would be possible to get blisters, even on the last day, if you don't stop and look after your feet. Stopping after Monte de Gozo was obviously the right thing to have done.

 

[Tia Valeria]

16th May
Santiago and the Pilgrims' Mass

After a slow start to the day we went back round to the Pilgrims' Office for 11.30 as Johnnie had asked. He had asked us and a newly arrived Irish pilgrim to join with the Amigos at the inauguration service. An unexpected honour to be included in this, given a blue T-shirt and a front seat in the Cathedral, along with some of the Amigos and representatives of both the English and Irish Confraternities.
The service itself was truly wonderful and at the end the Botafumeiro flew. At that point we got our cameras out and took these photos and the video clip, part of which you can see on Flickr (link below)
Johnnie, thank you again for making such a moving ending to our pilgrimage possible.





The botafumeiro flying
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiotel/
and finally



[Edit:- Terry updated our flickr page and unintentionally deleted it. I have edited the address above to show all our photos and video clip. It now works again]

 

[Tia Valeria]

After our pilgrimage we spent a few more days in Santiago and walked part of Johnnie Walker's 'Route of Routes', up Monte Pedroso. Terry has just added the photos of this to the album at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiotel/
We will add others to our post Camino blog Walking Around
the specific post is at http://peripatio.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/monte-pedroso-may-2012.html
From Santiago we went by various buses to Coruña (Moores grave and the Tower of Hercules); Lugo (walls and cathedral again) and Ribadeo. Then FEVE to Oviedo, Llanes and finally Santander and the ferry home.

 

[Tia Valeria]

I always find it difficult to start reading a blog when it is effectively completed. With that in mind, and following an excellent tip from KiwiNomad, I have re-dated our blog for the Primitivo. It now reads downwards from the top, so you can just keep scrolling down the page.

http://camino-primitivo-2012.blogspot.co.uk/

Reading it again brings back the memories

 

[pilgrim b]

Thank you for that Valeria it was a good informative read