- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances; Aragones; VdlP; Madrid-Invierno; Levante
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Oh my goodness! I was just there 3 weeks ago in t-shirt weather! You are likely asleep now, but a trick for staying warm in albergues that may not be turning on the heat very much or at all is to put hot water in your water bottle(s) and put it inside your sleep gear. Also useful to carry if it's going to be cold on your next day. The climb out of Buiza is pretty intense so if there is snow or cold... and then there is the general Wise Pilgrim warning about the danger zone (weather, and you'll need food and water etc for a very tough 7.9 km from Poladura de Tercia before Pajares....).I have resolved to take your advice to stay warm and dry and to skip dinner this evening. I walked to the local restaurant to ask about dinner and was told that there will be no food or information about dinner until 8 pm. That's the predicted time for a storm. I would prefer to go hungry than to get myself and my clothes soaked through again. Maybe I shall eat something from the food in my pack and lighten my load.
I really enjoyed Oviedo, the Asturians are very fun people! We were having dinner at a restaurant when they started singing the Asturian hymn! RandomI am heading for Oviedo on the train and shall not return until there's better weather in the mountains. I hope to be able to enjoy both city and mountains before I head for Santiago on the Primitivo. I don't enjoy walking in really bad weather and I don't think it is safe. As an alternative, I shall spend a week or so in Oviedo seeing the historical sites and waiting for the weather to improve.
I hope so. I have a recent guidebook. But there are no guarantees. I have been on the Salvador with more basic supplies and more challenging terrain. But some albergues have expressed an intention to close There are no guarantees.I really enjoyed Oviedo, the Asturians are very fun people! We were having dinner at a restaurant when they started singing the Asturian hymn! Random
Do you know if you will be able to find enough albergues that are open on the Primitivo in November?
Perfect weather on the Primitivo today (left Oviedo this morning). Take advantage while you can!I hope so. I have a recent guidebook. But there are no guarantees. I have been on the Salvador with more basic supplies and more challenging terrain. But some albergues have expressed an intention to close There are no guarantees.
I am really reluctant to try to move on in the currently forecast weather. Walking in the mountains, soaked through and freezing, seems miserable and hazardous for a solitary walker. Nonetheless, I plan to return to la Pola de Gordon today. Accommodation is a fraction of the price in the cities and the people are friendly. I have the time to wait for better weather to move on.For those worried about the weather, it looks like it just depends on luck. Álvaro Lazaga started the Salvador (youtube video here) from León today and had, in his words “cuatro gotas” (four drops) of rain. He is in La Robla. If you watch the video, don’t think that his use of the words “hospitalero” and “albergue” mean that the La Robla albergue is open. He is referring to a friend who has opened his home to him and the other two walking with him.
You could also stay in Mieres and take the train in and out of Oviedo. I believe the university dorm, which is offering its rooms to peregrinos till the albergue is built, allows you to stay there multiple days. Good luck AG.Nonetheless, I plan to return to la Pola de Gordon today. Accommodation is a fraction of the price in the cities and the people are friendly. I have the time to wait for better weather to move on.
I sympathize.At the moment I am observing heavy rain and strong winds from the windows of my room in la Pola de Gordon and am soon to go out to look through the two grocery stores in town, which apparently open at 5 pm on Saturday. My intention is to compile a grocery list which can provide me with food for several days of walking through villages where I must provide, and cook, my own food in the albergues. It must not be too heavy to carry: memories of my camping days. If I am going to finish this walk, I must plan.
There will be time before the rain stops to make friends with the people who manage the Pension and the woman who provides dinner in the Meson at 8 each evening. Since I cannot immediately walk on, I am resolved to learn what I can from this place and the people in it. And to get some rest, and maybe tidy up my gear.
Mary Louise
I learned of the Olvidado when I walked the Salvador in 2018. I met Enders (Señor Cuñarro) whose Salvador guide you may be using, and he told me my next camino should be the Olvidado. He handed me a pamphlet on it, and I carried that pamphlet all the way home. He has a guide for the Olvidado similar to his on the Salvador, and has worked hard strengthening supports for both caminos.@Sitkapilgrim
I am not familiar with the Camino Olvidado. But I did see an unexpected sign of it this afternoon. I had walked up the hill in front of the pension where I am staying, to see what direction route markings might give me as to where the Salvador was going next. There were some customary markings for the Salvador, but among them I saw what appeared to be an identical sign, except that the word on the sign was Olvidado, not Salvador.
Ok I’m here now reading. ColetteI just turned on the television screen, and what instantly flashed on the screen was 1 degree C. Maybe I shall be able to stay dry if it snows. And I have noticed that most towns and villages in this part of Spain have Alsa bus service. I cannot control the weather, but I shall run away from it if necessary. There are other caminos to walk.
I stayed in La Pola de Gordón (Pensión 15 de Mayo, perfectly decent) before doing la reina de las étapas on the Olvidado, possibly of any camino I've walked, La Pola de Gordón to La Magdalena. It goes up to 1670m near the Pico de Santiago and then through the spectacular Desfiladero de los Calderones canyon. Just fantastic.The Olvidado runs from Bilbao to the Frances at Villafranca del Bierzo and intersects with the Salvador at Buiza, La Robla and La Pola de Gordon. I think I have that right.
I met these 3 at the San Marcos square where I started with another Spanish pilgrim I met in the train. We met them various times throughout the day and in La Robla. They went in to Parsjes today accompanied by Jose Antonio Cunarro whereas we made it to Poladura de Tercia in fog, heavy rain and wind gusts of 80 km/hr. Jose came to meet me in P Tercia and encouraged me and an Australian man walking with us to do the 14 km to Pajares tomorrow despite the forecast. Thereafter onwards to Oviedo. Rain is rain.For those worried about the weather, it looks like it just depends on luck. Álvaro Lazaga started the Salvador (youtube video
For those worried about the weather, it looks like it just depends on luck. Álvaro Lazaga started the Salvador (youtube video here) from León today and had, in his words “cuatro gotas” (four drops) of rain. He is in La Robla. If you watch the video, don’t think that his use of the words “hospitalero” and “albergue” mean that the La Robla albergue is open. He is referring to a friend who has opened his home to him and the other two walking with him.
Oh sorry you couldn’t come to Poladura de Tercia and cross over with us to Pajares. I’m sure the weather will improve Monday for your Olvidado.I stayed in La Pola de Gordón (Pensión 15 de Mayo, perfectly decent) before doing la reina de las étapas on the Olvidado, possibly of any camino I've walked, La Pola de Gordón to La Magdalena. It goes up to 1670m near the Pico de Santiago and then through the spectacular Desfiladero de los Calderones canyon. Just fantastic.
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I can’t believe Alvaro is doing the Salvador again! He was just there at the beginning of the year sloshing through the snow and sliding on his rear end in the sleet and rivers as posted on his YouTube videos. Madre mía, what a San Salvador diehard!For those worried about the weather, it looks like it just depends on luck. Álvaro Lazaga started the Salvador (youtube video here) from León today and had, in his words “cuatro gotas” (four drops) of rain. He is in La Robla. If you watch the video, don’t think that his use of the words “hospitalero” and “albergue” mean that the La Robla albergue is open. He is referring to a friend who has opened his home to him and the other two walking with him.
I am heading for Pola de Lena on the train tomorrow morning, arriving a little before noon. Hopefully there will be a tourist office where I can ask about access to Santa Christina de Lena, located, according to maps.me, about three kilometres before the train station in Pola de Lena. I should like to get inside to look around. Regardless, I plan on walking there, or taking a taxi, and spending some time learning what it has to show me about early Christianity in this place. I should prefer to walk there.Such bad luck. I’m glad to see everyone is safe and sound. Maybe heading south is not such a bad idea. Mozárabe, anyone?
I have posted the weather forecast for la Pola de Gordon today on my camino thread . It is about as bad as it could be for here, so I hope that it is better where you are. It sounds like you have a good companion to walk with and a fairly short day to walk. I shall consider meeting you in Pola de Lena tomorrow, as the long term forecast for la Pola de Gordon is still negative and walking the Salvador seems increasingly less probable for me. There is a church service here today and I shall pray for you there. God bless.
Good decision. As an experienced walker from the Rockies you wouldn’t be missing much by skipping the Salvador due to weather. The highlight is the pass but your views would have been obscured. It’s a great deal of effort for a 2-3 hours of sightseeing from the pass. Sorry for the disappointment but to paraphrase “there are bold hikers and old hikers, but few bold old hikers”. Your common sense and perseverance is admirable.I am heading for Pola de Lena on the train tomorrow morning, arriving a little before noon. Hopefully there will be a tourist office where I can ask about access to Santa Christina de Lena, located, according to maps.me, about three kilometres before the train station in Pola de Lena. I should like to get inside to look around. Regardless, I plan on walking there, or taking a taxi, and spending some time learning what it has to show me about early Christianity in this place. I should prefer to walk there.
Bombay Bill, calling Mary Louise BOLD! Amen to that. Please share some pictures if you go inside.“there are bold hikers and old hikers, but few bold old hikers”.
Well, he also called me "old" which is quite accurate. I don't really remember whether I told him about meeting the same grizzly bear in Banff Park twice in one day, so that might account for the second label as I saw no need to share the lunch which I was eating with the grizzly just because he sauntered past my picnic table at lunch time.Bombay Bill, calling Mary Louise BOLD! Amen to that. Please share some pictures if you go inside.
Crossing the northern mountains of Spain at this time of year is likely to be a wet experience, but it sounds like you got absolutely drenched.Autumn on the Salvador appears to have ended. I walked yesterday, Leon to La Robla, and found it tedious at times, and needing more climbing than anticipated. But today has been heavy rain and cold for most of the day. I am wrapped in a thick blanket, hiding out for the rest of the day in Pension El Arenal in La Pola de Gordon as my clothes dry and I wonder if I shall be wet through again before I can reach a nearby restaurant for dinner. I have walked the Invierno in rain, but it was nothing like this. I have time to make what progress I can from day to day, but I shall hope for better weather as I try to make it to Oviedo, then on to Santiago.
Santa Cristina is closed on Mondays, which I think is when you’re planning to visit (tomorrow)? Otherwise opening hours are:Hopefully there will be a tourist office where I can ask about access to Santa Christina de Lena, located, according to maps.me, about three kilometres before the train station in Pola de Lena. I should like to get inside to look around.
Well, I shall be going to the pilgrim albergue first, to leave my bag before walking to Santa Cristina, so I suppose I shall decide then whether to go to Santa Cristina to view the outside only or to stay for another day, depending on the weather and the forecast. I might compromise by taking a taxi to the church if the forecast is as awful as recently. I doubt if I would ever return.Santa Cristina is closed on Mondays, which I think is when you’re planning to visit (tomorrow)? Otherwise opening hours are:
Winter:
11:30am-1:00pm and 4:30pm-6:00pm
Summer:
11:00am-1:00pm and 4:30pm-6:30pm
Navarre/Aragones/Catalunya or the South of Spain seem to have sun!!!
Good luck in whatever you decide to do
Yes, I agree, I have just finished a section of the Camino Mozárabe from Almería to Granada. For 6 out of the 9 days it was blazing sunshine at 30°C, then I had three cooler days of around 23°c with the occasional light showers that barely lasted 5 minutes. You'll get some hill walking on that route for sure, and the views are absolutely gorgeous:Such bad luck. I’m glad to see everyone is safe and sound. Maybe heading south is not such a bad idea. Mozárabe, anyone?
Yeah, the heat of "Lorenzo" was a bit of a beast at times, especially with there being little shade for large parts of each stage.I don't know which I dislike more: pouring rain and freezing when walking or 30 degrees heat. On balance, I suppose that I could run from one to the other- never comfortable. For now, I shall see whatever I am experiencing as my fate and just try to survive. But I probably should have gone south this year.
So glad that you are finally able to walk after all the weather delays!Today is a perfect day for walking: cool and breezy. I left the student dorm in Mieres where I stayed last night and am now more than halfway to Oviedo, where I shall spend tonight in a pilgrim albergue. This is hilly and interesting territory - and it isn't raining!
Yesterday was a challenging day to walk, much of it on secondary highways leading west from Oviedo towards Santiago on the Primitivo route. I finally realized that maps.me was not working properly and was leading me off~route repeatedly. So I was walking much farther than I intended and on some unsafe routes. There I was, late in the evening and exhausted, trying to train myself to use Google maps and find a place to stay for the night. Eventually I settled in at a private albergue in Paladin, a tiny hamlet a few kilometres short of Grado, where I had intended to spend the night. I was the only pilgrim in the albergue. Now it's early morning, still pitch dark. I may stay for the 9 o'clock breakfast, as the manager here is a skilled cook and I shall need the energy. Wish me well on this next pilgrim adventure.So glad that you are finally able to walk after all the weather delays!
At least from tomorrow the mornings will be lighter (daylight savings ends tonight).Now it's early morning, still pitch dark.
Thanks for the reminder - I knew it was close.At least from tomorrow the mornings will be lighter (daylight savings ends tonight).
Ultreia peregrina!
If you had previously downloaded Camino Ninja, I found it’s one of the fastest gps tracking app showing the Camino route. However it doesn’t show variations/alternatives… (maybe it does on other caminos but not on the Primitivo). For example, when arriving in Cornellana, there is the option to go straight to monastery vs going through town, and Ninja only went straight to monastery.I finally realized that maps.me was not working properly and was leading me off~route repeatedly.
Because you’re in Paladin tonight, tomorrow you may choose to stay at the monastery in Cornellana (18km)! It was too short a day for me after staying in Grado, and too long for a first day from Oviedo, although I know someone who did that.Eventually I settled in at a private albergue in Paladin, a tiny hamlet a few kilometres short of Grado, where I had intended to spend the night.
I have been struggling to post anything on the forum for the last day or two: no idea why. I am now at the monastery in Cornellana, after a second wet and challenging walk yesterday, ending in a dangerous downclimb. A pilgrim who arrived at the monastery after me inquired whether I had any problems on that section and I said that indeed I did: a steep and rocky surface made very slippery by rain. I now have no idea where I shall be going to today. Time to get up, with yesterday's time change.If you had previously downloaded Camino Ninja, I found it’s one of the fastest gps tracking app showing the Camino route. However it doesn’t show variations/alternatives… (maybe it does on other caminos but not on the Primitivo). For example, when arriving in Cornellana, there is the option to go straight to monastery vs going through town, and Ninja only went straight to monastery.
Buen Camino has all the dangerous crossing warnings, route variations/alternatives including all the excellent Roman temples etc… so I was flickering between Ninja and Buen Camino, as well as my own homemade GPX track that is showing the route on my watch.
Because you’re in Paladin tonight, tomorrow you may choose to stay at the monastery in Cornellana (18km)! It was too short a day for me after staying in Grado, and too long for a first day from Oviedo, although I know someone who did that.
Or if you want to do more than 18km, I had coffee at the albergue in Casazorrina just before Salas, and it was such a lovely place. The building is set a little back from the entry gate, which is right on the Camino. And they have a lovely garden, lovely terrace with hammocks, swing chairs, table footie etc. I later met 2 pilgrims who stayed there and they liked it so much they stayed for 2 nights(well they crossed from del Norte, so they’ve been walking for a while!).
Cool, cloudy with showers every second day. But that is just in Salas. I shall be moving on every day.Salas (10k) ? or La Espina (16K)? Looks like it is all uphill.
What's the forecast?
Is that the one run by Italian couple? We stayed there too! Please give Ghana the dog a big belly rub!Monday morning early, just about time to get up. I slept in a donativo albergue in La Espinoza: just me and five men. I have not yet decided where to stay tonight. I am beginning to wish for a private room in a hotel, but most of the hotels seem to have closed. My plan at present is just to keep on trucking: 20 km/day until I get to Santiago, to stay safe and warm and enjoy the scenery.
I stayed last night in Albergue El Cruceiro, one of the few (2?) currently open in La Espina. It has no resident dog. I believe that there's a hotel available in Tineo, but that is not far enough for me to walk today. I hope to stretch my walk to 25 km and end up in Campiello, maybe in a hotel.Is that the one run by Italian couple? We stayed there too! Please give Ghana the dog a big belly rub!Tineo will have privates/hotels/pensions with private rooms, hopefully still open
Both Casa Ricardo and Herminia have private roomsI stayed last night in Albergue El Cruceiro, one of the few (2?) currently open in La Espina. It has no resident dog. I believe that there's a hotel available in Tineo, but that is not far enough for me to walk today. I hope to stretch my walk to 25 km and end up in Campiello, maybe in a hotel.
I spent the night in the hotel, at great expense and with a non-functioning heating system that I was told provided underfloor heating, which was the reason why I was being charged extra. It was set by a staff member but did not work. Thank heavens for a blanket found in a cupboard, when I could not sleep for the cold. The food served at dinner was dreadful and overcharged. I shall be looking for a bed, preferably a private room, in one of the albergues while I plan my walk for tomorrow, ultimately to walk the Pola de Allende route, as the safer of the two options. Miserable weather has discouraged me on the Primitivo route, which is challenging to try to walk in November.Bot Casa Ricardo and Herminia have private rooms
I'm fine. Thanks for asking. I spent three days in Lugo in a comfortable hotel, resting after the long walk from Oviedo and becoming familiar with a fascinating city. I left there yesterday morning, heading for Santiago, on various interesting backcountry routes. I finally spent last night in the albergue "O Candido," luxuriating in a private room with bath (and heating).AG, how are you?
I go on camino in the autumn because I cannot bear the heat and crowds of late summer or the early autumn. But I may start my camino earlier in the autumn to avoid early albergue closures and the darkness of Spain after the november time change.Just as a question @Albertagirl
I notice that last few years you have made your trips in the late fall/early winter. Is there a specific reason you chose this timeframe? We've been to Spain a few times in the summer and a few times in the fall/winter. Most of that for us depends on my ability to get away from work (although Phil is retired and can go by himself when/if he wants).
Thinking when I retire in 18 months, we'll be camphosts at national parks in the summers in the US and then do our Caminos and volunteering in Spain after the tourist season in the in the American West is wrapped up. Do you find an advantage to visiting Spain in the late fall/early winter?
It certainly went much better than I anticipated. All my physical needs were met: mostly by the generosity of the local hospitalera and the food available in the next-door food dispenser. At the last minute the panederia truck arrived and we pilgrims shared what we could find.Buen camino, @ albertagirl!
An adventure for sure. May it be a joyful one.
Yes it was, a Xunta albergue with the usual lack of facilities and no bedding available. All was well, but largely because I was given a small private room with underfloor heating to compensate for the lack of bedding. And the hospitalera gave me some food.Was the adventure albergue in As Seixas?
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