Food on the Primitivo

[nreyn12]

Hi all,
Thank you for all the info you've posted here. I've just decided to walk the Primitivo after being loyal to the Frances for nine years. I will be walking this route much like I did my first Camino, which started in Pamplona, with just a list of albergues and an elevation map.

With such minimal tools, I wanted to ask ahead of time about food on the Primitivo. From what I've read, it looks like there will be long stretches without a bar or food shop.

I welcome any tips on how to plan for food. How often do you have to carry your lunch? How often do you go without an open bar in the morning for coffee (I'm a coffee snob and only drink it if it comes from an espresso machine, but fortunately I don't need coffee to get going in the morning)? Is it common to find food shops when you need them?

And the other question on food - I am a vegetarian. What's the forecast there? I prefer not to eat fish or seafood, or really animals of any kind. Will this be solely an egg and cheese walk?

Thanks for your help! I'll also take any other tips you have...

Nancy

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hola Nancy. even if you do not want to walk with it the UK CSJ guide to the Primitivo (Caminos del norte F) gives advice about where it is good to buy food before reaching an albergue. Mostly there is a good supply nearby, but there are a few albergues just after towns/bars/shops, Bores after Campielo comes to mind. We found plenty of bars for coffee - again most are listed in the guide. A few notes from that into your albergue list would be helpful I am sure. Tortillas and cheese were easily available as was bread. We usually carried a morning snack and 'emergency rations'. For us that was bread and a tin of sardines and occasionally a tin of peaches if the small ones were available. We usually had our main meal at mid-day and bought food for an simple evening meal (cheese - bread etc) as we tended to walk short stages and stop walking by about 2pm.
The main issue is that there are not the number of drinking water fountains that there are on the Frances so carrying sufficient water is important.
Buen Camino

 

[nreyn12]

Thanks for the tip on the water! I hadn't even thought of that...

I won't have time to get the Confraternity guide, as I fly from the US on Monday. I am relived to hear that bars are plentiful, though. I do so love the Spanish bar!

 

[fortview]

Hi Nancy, as you are aware, you will need to be more prepared than on the Frances. There are long stretches with no bars or shops. We generally took enough food for lunch with us. We know people who ran out of water going over the hospitales route, so carry extra on that day, if you plan to go that way, which is spectacular , but remote. Hope to hear how you get on.
Buen camino, Helen

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hola Nancy. I didn't realise your start date was so near. I am sending you a PM. Info from 2009 is out of date so it starts from Oviedo - Grado and ends at Ferreira, where we turned down to Palas de Rei in 2012.
I would say bars are 'adequate' not 'frequent'.
Buen Camino

 

[nreyn12]

Thank you everyone for all the tips and kind wishes. I'll share some as I go...although admittedly I am planning to disconnect while on this route. Photos the end, at least, to pull at your heartstrings in gratitude!

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for the tip on the water! I hadn't even thought of that...

I won't have time to get the Confraternity guide, as I fly from the US on Monday. I am relived to hear that bars are plentiful, though. I do so love the Spanish bar!

Hi, Nancy,
Have a great Primitivo. I don't remember having to take any special precautions there. I generally just carry a couple of pieces of fruit and yoghurt and a few nuts/raisins. But I never like eating a big meal till I'm done walking, and all the ending points have food. If you stay at San Juan de Villapanada (HIGHLY recomended, a great way to start the Primitivo), bring up food from Grado. The hospitalero will probably make a meal, or you and the pilgrims can do it if he's not there. He's kind of a bossy and quite opiniated guy, but his heart is in the right place and he keeps the albergue in really tip top shape.

If you stay at San Juan, you are also well positioned to stay with Alejandro in Bodenaya. This is another not to be missed albergue, but staying in Tineo beforehand is also a nice idea. The choice is between a big-ish town with a good sized albergue and a rural donativo with a dynamite hospitalero.

And you've probably read endless reports/debates about Hospitales. Here is my take on it. If you're thinking about doing it, staying in Bodenaya with Alejandro is the best option, because then the next day you go to Campiello or Borres. Campiello has Herminia's place, she is the much reviled (by the locals) entrepreneur who owns half the town at least and is always building more. But her albergue is spotless, huge industrial washing machine, decent food (with a very filling and yummy fried bread with jam breakfast -- which sounds gross but tasted delicious). Or you can stay at the municipal in Borres -- I heard just yesterday (I'm volunteering in the pilgrims office for two weeks) that is is still in need of cleaning, but there is now a bar open where you can get food. Borres is a few kms closer to the split between Hospitales and the route to Pola de Allande.

The route up to Hospitales is actually EASIER than the route from Pola de Allande to the Puerto where the two options merge. That's because Pola de Allande is at a lower elevation than Borres, so if you go that way you just have to make up to elevation you lost by going down to Pola de Allande. The two options are very different. Hospitales is up on the ridge with wide open views across in all directions. From Pola de Allande up to the puerto is a lovely green tunnel route almost all the way till you are a few hundred m from the top. In any case, both options are stunning, IMO and will just depend on your timing and staging and also on your inclinations. On this stage whetehr it's from Pola de Allande or up through Hospitales, there is a big gap with no services. So bring lots of water on this stage and food to get you through the end of the day, because this is a stage with no bars in between.

I hope you have a wonderful Primitivo. I won't be in the pilgrims office when you arrive, but there will be some volunteers in blue shirts and likely at least one will be from USA, so say hi! Buen camino, abrazos from Laurie

 

[Tia Valeria]

.............. If you stay at San Juan de Villapanada (HIGHLY recomended, a great way to start the Primitivo), bring up food from Salas. The hospitalero will probably make a meal, or you and the pilgrims can do it if he's not there. He's kind of a bossy and quite opiniated guy, but his heart is in the right place and he keeps the albergue in really tip top shape.

If you stay at San Juan, you are also well positioned to stay with Alejandro in Bodenaya. This is another not to be missed albergue, but staying in Tineo beforehand is also a nice idea. The choice is between a big-ish town with a good sized albergue and a rural donativo with a dynamite hospitalero.

Laurie, San Juan is after Grado (yes bring food) and therefore before Salas. Bodenaya is 7kms after Salas (town not albergue) and well before Tineo.
Hope you don't mind me correcting this
We walked the road from Pola to the point where the track crosses the road to go over Puerto de Palo. The locals said the Camino was too wet in the valley. That meant that we did pass a bar which was open. The lady offered to let us go down through her land to the valley, but we felt the original advice still held good as we could see the stream and mud below. Terry walked the valley in 2009 - watch for deer on the hills in the distance.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks Tia. I always appreciate being set straight. I have changed it on my original post as well. Off to write compostelas -- which has got to be one of the most amazing tasks on the planet. Laurie

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

Just a few words from my experience. Hope for the best and be prepared. We can never really know what to expect from day to day, hour to hour, minute by minute. It is advisable to always carry something to eat. AND DO NOT FORGET WATER! Maybe I'm a little nuts but I carry a tiny bottle of household bleach. 1 or 2 drops in a quart is enough to purify it for drinking. Not good for the long run but serves in a pinch.

 

[Pelegrin]

"peregrina2000, post: ,
. " From Pola de Allande up to the puerto is a lovely green tunnel route almost all the way till you are a few hundred m from the top. In any case, both options are stunning, IMO and will just depend on your timing and staging and also on your inclinations. On this stage whetehr it's from Pola de Allande or up through Hospitales, there is a big gap with no services. So bring lots of water on this stage and food to get you through the end of the day, because this is a stage with no bars in between".

In the option Pola de Allande there is a fountain just before reaching Puerto del Palo.
In my Primitivo I only carried 1 litre water, because I drunk in every fountain I found and I had no problem.
I