LIVE from the Camino Camino Primitivo May 2023

[Arctic_Alex]

Still 11 days until my start on the Primitivo, but I plan to keep this thread updated while walking

This weekend I finally did the packing. 7.1 kg, without food and water, but including tent, mat and sleeping bag and all else I need – even for colder weather than I will likely encounter. I already sent everything not hand luggage compatible to Oviedo, but included the weight of those items in the weight given above.

On the road you will be able to identify me easily by the photo of my late husky Ölina attached to my backpack.

Cannot wait to finally start

 

[WestKirsty]

It's a fabulous route, enjoy! Buen Camino!

 

[AlainC]

I did the Primitivo in October of 2017. You are not likely to encounter cold weather in May. Even at higher elevation, it is comfortable with just one layer during the day.
Buen Camino.

 

[mazzarina]

Hope you have a wonderful time! Wise to pack clothes for colder weather - I walked it in May-June and was battered by sideways hail! I was very glad of my fleece.

 

[HKim]

Buen camino, Alex. When you have time, tell us about your late husky Ölina.

My wife and I hope to walk the Primitivo in October.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Buen camino, Alex. When you have time, tell us about your late husky Ölina.

My wife and I hope to walk the Primitivo in October.

I wrote a bit about here here: Ölina
She was the youngest Siberian husky of our pack. Former sled-dog in the mountains of Swedish Lapland. Bone cancer took her way too early.

 

[scope6751]

Buen Camino Alex
I did the Primitivo in March this year. Had driving rain most days - when no rain either wind or snow with the occasional glimpse of sun. Nevertheless was a great trip - finished off going to Finisterre and Muxia with better weather. Hope the weather is better for you. 7.1kg is a good weight to carry!! Safe travels.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Got out of bed at home 2:00 this morning and now it is midnight in Oviedo. Eating a family sized portion in a sideria … too much for this time of the day
But finally there!

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Today I had my shopping and sightseeing day in Oviedo. Went to Santa Maria del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, both pre-romanic. Really nice
And of course I got my sello at the Cathedral.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 1: Oviedo - La Rodriga/Cornellana. A long day - overall quite wet day with sunny spells. Started early and saw only 6 other pilgrims while walking. Coffee just before Grado and nice Bocadillos in Grado . Stayed at the nice albergue Roca Madre just before you enter Cornellana. Very nice and friendly people and nice dinner with good company oh, and yes, I befriended some puppies

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 2: La Rodriga/Cornellana - Tineo. Summary: rain rain rain and some short sunny spells, hot enough to make you regret wearing that rain gear. Oh, and mud - lots of it. Lunch at the only proper bar/restaurant in La espina. Full of locals and the menu del dia was very good and way too much

 

[HKim]

Full of locals and the menu del dia was very good and way too much

The bar in La Espina - the food was 'way too much' - in quantity, I presume? Or in price? I'll see if I can check out that bar when we get around to our camino.

 

[StayHuman]

Still 11 days until my start on the Primitivo, but I plan to keep this thread updated while walking

This weekend I finally did the packing. 7.1 kg, without food and water, but including tent, mat and sleeping bag and all else I need – even for colder weather than I will likely encounter. I already sent everything not hand luggage compatible to Oviedo, but included the weight of those items in the weight given above.

On the road you will be able to identify me easily by the photo of my late husky Ölina attached to my backpack.

Cannot wait to finally start

View attachment 145945

Just one opinion. I completed Primitivo last month. Rain jacket? Yes! Lightweight. Tent & Mat? No. Instead of mat, consider liner. I started with 2 liters of water and by day 3, only 1 because plenty of places to refill. Buen Camino.

 

[HKim]

@Arctic_Alex - I'm hoping you will post another update soon! Day 1 and Day 2 were terrific - very crisp photography.

By now you are on day, what, 18? How far along? A future Primitivo peregrino would like to know how it is going for you. Have you made friends along the way? Seen remarkable sights? Suffered aches or pains? Have a spot or two to recommend? Gained insights? Found other dog lovers? I have a printout of your backpack and photo of Ölina on the wall next to my monitor.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

The bar in La Espina - the food was 'way too much' - in quantity, I presume? Or in price? I'll see if I can check out that bar when we get around to our camino.

It was the sheer amount of food which was too much for me ... even though I was hungry. But then there might be people bigger than me who would just smile ;-)

@Arctic_Alex - I'm hoping you will post another update soon! Day 1 and Day 2 were terrific - very crisp photography.

By now you are on day, what, 18? How far along? A future Primitivo peregrino would like to know how it is going for you. Have you made friends along the way? Seen remarkable sights? Suffered aches or pains? Have a spot or two to recommend? Gained insights? Found other dog lovers? I have a printout of your backpack and photo of Ölina on the wall next to my monitor.

I decided not to update more while walking! By now I am back home again and will start posting some more experiences and images on here

Oviedo - Santiago was actually 9.5 days for me. Or even less if you consider that I took half a day off for exploring Lugo. After a full day in Santiago I then added 2.5 days to get to Fisterra.

Aches and pains? Sure ... got blisters on day one which I never truly got rid of again. Day 4 was the worst, from then on it got more or less easy.
I found dog-lovers, even made friends with a guard dog in Fisterra that wanted to follow me to the hotel room later when we met again.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Just one opinion. I completed Primitivo last month. Rain jacket? Yes! Lightweight. Tent & Mat? No. Instead of mat, consider liner. I started with 2 liters of water and by day 3, only 1 because plenty of places to refill. Buen Camino.

I had 3.5 liters one time as I was staying in a tent and needed water for the evening and morning alike. But you are right, on many days 1 liter would have been more than enough.

I was happy to have my heavier rain jacket AND those light rain trousers as it was raining alot the first 5 days. It more or less suddenly stopped when I left Asturias. From then on mostly sunshine only.

I had an additiuonal silk liner, which was sufficient for albergues.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 3: a mere 24 km: Tineo - Hospitales ... yes, for me a very short day in terms of distance, but I could not be bothered to walk any further as a kind of wet day developed gusts of horizontal rain, with clouds/fog drifting through the hills. While on the day before I had an overall climb of more than 1400 metres, this day only gave me slightly more than 900. Still I was quite a slow walker in the end ... in the constant drizzle only interrupted by serious rain
When approaching Hospitales, I was quite impressed to see so much green already growing in much of the burnt areas. Also amazing how unmotivated I became when climbing into the Hospitales route, so I finally just slept out in the open. That is just me ... do not try this yourself! The horses were curious and good company.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 4: 33 km: Hospitales - Embalse de Salime ... in one word: downhill, a lot of it. Still I accumulated over 1000 metres of climb. What started as a rainy foggy day on the Hospitales route, later turned into the first really warm and sunny afternoon. Almost too warm for my taste.
Had some afternoon snack at La Mesa. Really liked that place and was almost convinced to stay as several people I had met on the days before started arriving one after the other. But in the end I decided to follow my plan to take the next hill and then all the way down to Embalse de Salime, with a small hotel in the perfect location with beautiful views across the water and towards the dam.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 5: 36 km: Embalse de Salime - somewhere near O Piñeiral … all the downhill from the day before had to be compensated by 1466 metres of climb ... a tough day for some reason with mixed weather, some sun, some rain. My first early morning climb lead me to Grande de Salime ... hungry as I was still without breakfast. With me really low on energy literally everyone who just started their day in Grande de Salime was overtaking me. A strange experience ... and I guess many other pilgrims thought someone should get that poor limping guy a taxi
Made it quite late to Complejo O Piñeiral just a couple of km after A Fonsagrada, clean, practical, modern ... but maybe also with less charm than some other albergues and hostels. But I was happy with what I got and with the food and the people

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 6: 34 km: O Piñeiral - Souto de Torres ... the day with the two steepest ascents of the Primitivo. Suddenly perfect weather. It felt very sunny and warm most of the day but lots of green vegetation would give plenty of shade. Also my blisters started getting better. Back at home I had not been walking on solid ground for many months as we had so much snow. Hence my start on the Primitivo was sort of tough with feet and body more used to cross country skiing and walking in soft winter boots on soft ground. During this day however I felt that this was the day when my body finally adjusted to the walking. I gained pace.
Of the few bars / potential places for second breakfast many were closed unfortunately. Had a nice break in A Lastra though, good drinks after a steep climb
Left some people behind in O Cádavo ... I had met again and again before, and had some beers with a jolly Brit and an Irish bloke in Castroverde and finally continued on a bit further.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 7: 18 km: Souto de Torres - Lugo … half day off for sightseeing in Lugo.
Easy day, as I started early I walked without any pilgrims in sight most of the time. Had an improvised breakfast after 5 km and arrived in Lugo for lunch and then had plenty of time to explore the city without haste. Some of the people I had left behind caught up with me and we had a nice time ... including a proper pizza in pure self defense of tortillas, bocadillos and all that of which you have too much on a Camino in Spain

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 8: 33 km: Lugo - As Seixas. Early start, quite easy walking. Warm and green again . Had a quite late breakfast after km 16 or so. So I was walking pretty hungry part of the day . Before breakfast I saw no other pilgrim. Very flat countryside.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 9: 40 km: As Seixas - Salceda. A long but relaxed day as I took long breaks.
After an early start I made it quickly to Melide. Just in time to see the last pilgrims who slept late leaving town ... while I already had some milage under my boots and rewarded myself with an extensive breakfast
From Melide onwards it would get more crowded, but the wave of pilgrims from the Francés was bearable as I walked an hour or two behind peak pilgrim numbers.
Spent about 16 km talking with a young girl from Moscow so time just flew by.
Salceda in the end was a bit of a disappointment though. I think I payed too much for a room that was modern but not properly cleaned. Unfortunately the whole village had a very intense stench that hurt all your senses – the price you pay for intense agriculture I guess. Plus the place I was staying at was crowded by elderly men from Ireland, most of them drunk, shouting, arguing. Staff was telling me they had been drinking all day already. Unfortunately they would continue doing so until early morning. So I did not really get much sleep.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Day 10: 28 km: Salceda - Santiago .. half a day of easy walking.
Early start, late but big breakfast and later even a second breakfast. Just as last time I do not think this last stretch too enjoyable as it is lots of noise from cars and planes, you are surrounded by pilgrims in a hurry and it is not specifically scenic. But this does not really matter as the goal is near.
I allowed myself for 2 nights in Santiago before continuing to Fisterra

 

[Arctic_Alex]

@Arctic_Alex - I'm hoping you will post another update soon!

It has been done now

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Alex, I'm enjoying your dialogue and beautiful pictures. I loved Oviedo and the Primitivo, and they are bringing back many memories for me.

EDIT...I see you made it! A very nice shot of you at the cathedral.
I will say, you do walk long kilometers!

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Alex, I'm enjoying your dialogue and beautiful pictures. I loved Oviedo and the Primitivo, and they are bringing back many memories for me.

EDIT...I see you made it! A very nice shot of you at the cathedral.
I will say, you do walk long kilometers!

I know not many will go through my images here, but I also know that a selected few will really enjoy them ... hence it was worth the effort

Yes, I made it more than a week ago, but I was too busy to update on here earlier.

As for my kilometers, it was also a test if I can still do it ... probably should have allowed for a slower ramp up though. Had to pay the price for day one and two in blisters later.

 

[LauraMan]

Alex: I will start my journey on the Primitivo on June 15th. I very much enjoyed reading your updates. Thank you very much for taking the time to do them. Much appreciated! I am excited, but a bit nervous, about the trip. Can't wait to start.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Alex: I will start my journey on the Primitivo on June 15th. I very much enjoyed reading your updates. Thank you very much for taking the time to do them. Much appreciated! I am excited, but a bit nervous, about the trip. Can't wait to start.

Nice to know my updates were entertaining All the best for your Camino ...! Buen Camino!

 

[HKim]

It has been done now

Thank you, Alex! I loved the fine photos, and the evident beauty along the route. Also, it was nice that the first (#1) and the last (#108) photos are of your backpack with the picture of your late husky Ölina, to whom you dedicated your Camino. I'm glad that you and the Cathedral of Santiago were also including in the final pic.

You have legs like mine used to be. I likely will not touch the pace you kept, but look forward to walking the same road.

 

[HKim]

Alex: I will start my journey on the Primitivo on June 15th. I very much enjoyed reading your updates. Thank you very much for taking the time to do them. Much appreciated! I am excited, but a bit nervous, about the trip. Can't wait to start.

@LauraMan - It would be sweet were you able to post a bit about your journey here for us to enjoy. As I prayed for the buen camino of Arctic_Alex, I intend to do for you as you walk the way. My wife and I hope to walk the Primitivo by April/May 2024 (had to bump from our original plans for October this year).

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Thank you, Alex! I loved the fine photos, and the evident beauty along the route. Also, it was nice that the first (#1) and the last (#108) photos are of your backpack with the picture of your late husky Ölina, to whom you dedicated your Camino. I'm glad that you and the Cathedral of Santiago were also including in the final pic.

You have legs like mine used to be. I likely will not touch the pace you kept, but look forward to walking the same road.

Thank you! And I hope you and your wife will have a wonderful Camino next year!
Pace is not all, but you know this yourself As we get older we have to adapt and try not to follow old habits too hard – something I probably should tell myself sometimes.

 

[lisakline11]

Still 11 days until my start on the Primitivo, but I plan to keep this thread updated while walking

This weekend I finally did the packing. 7.1 kg, without food and water, but including tent, mat and sleeping bag and all else I need – even for colder weather than I will likely encounter. I already sent everything not hand luggage compatible to Oviedo, but included the weight of those items in the weight given above.

On the road you will be able to identify me easily by the photo of my late husky Ölina attached to my backpack.

Cannot wait to finally start

View attachment 145945

did you need a tent?

 

[Arctic_Alex]

did you need a tent?

You do not need a tent on the Primitivo, but for people like me who walk long days it can be useful. So yes, I did use it occasionally.