'Camino hopping' May 2017

[Tia Valeria]

Last year we became 'tourigrinos' taking our car and visiting Camino places we had been unable to see while walking. This worked so well that we have just returned from a similar trip this year.

We touched on the Norte, Primitivo, Francés, Salvador and finally the old route between the Norte and Covadonga.
It does not seem appropriate to post odd threads in each Camino but we are, slowly, adding to our blog. Walking Around has posts too from last year along the Caminos, as well as other walks. We might post a few of the best photos here, just to inspire others, as those who walk longer daily distances might be able to visit places while actually walking to Santiago.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

That was lovely reading and there where some very nice pictures .

Wish you well,Peter.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Slowly adding more photos and comments. So far I have added the area around Llanes, Oviedo and Vega de Rengas(off Camino) and Ponferrada. More to come and all on Walking Around

 

[Tia Valeria]

There are more photos of 'Camino Hopping' for this year now added to the blog. Pola de Lena, Santa Cristina de Lena and Puerto de Pajaro. Also Cangas del Narcea and Mestas de Ardisana, the latter being on the old route through the mountains between LLanes and Covadonga. This then continued to Oviedo and the Primitivo.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I don't consider that being a tourigrino, but simply a pilgrim interested in learning more about the Camino routes they have walked and adding a second layer to the experience of these sites to the first one, their pilgrimage and a gain a better understanding of these historical paths.

Tourigrino to me are the constant skippers, taxis riders from stamp to stamp, absolute comfort seekers at all costs who have every intention of showing up at the PO to pick up a proof of achievement for something they have not achieved.

When walking as much as we do we are often too tired for much else than laundry and finding a meal, we also walk in a linear bubble, which makes it difficult to put where we are in context with our surroundings. Unless one is at ease in Castellano, it is difficult to have conversations along these lines with hospies, or other locals, who can share so much about the area.

 

[Tia Valeria]

I did put the 'tourigrino' in inverted commas as I didn't mean it in the way we usually understand it here. We had the car so were tourists, but are still pilgrims at heart and were visiting places on the Caminos as well as other areas.
Happy to describe ourselves therefore as 'tourigrinos' this year - it was more holiday than pilgrimage and we were not aiming to go beyond Asturias and just into the province of Leon. Time to wander along the routes we did walk, chat with the locals and stay in various B&B's etc. and we still did our washing Camino style
Quote of the holiday, when we were chatting to the hotel staff in the bar (in Hotel Santa Cristina), from a UK cycling touring group - "Have you lived here long?"

I realise that I have not yet put up the photos from Pria (Norte) with the new albergue in the Casa Rectoral next to the church. I'll flag them up here when I get that done. That was our final visit onto the Norte (from Mestas de Ardisana).

 

[Tia Valeria]

I have just added the photos of the Norte around Pria. They include one of the church on the cover of 'Northern Caminos, but with the tide out. Although we walked in May 2017 all the posts are indexed on Walking Around for June and July 2017, as I posted them.