My Camino del Salvador

[Susannafromsweden]

Dear fellow pilgrims,

I've just checked in online, so I guess you could say I've started my trip now!
Feels like that! I'm very excited.
Today I will drive from my house in the countryside to the flat in Stockholm, 2-3 hours something.
And I will start walking tomorrow morning at perhaps 04.00 down to the bus station in Stockholms city.
From there take the bus to Arlanda. I'm flying with SAS this time, as I managed to get a "fairly" cheap ticket which is nonstop Stockholm - Madrid. (And I even got a seat next to the emergency exit = no chair in front of me, i hope!) So only 3 hours 50 minutes to fly, and no change of flights!
There I will hop on a bus (I quite like travelling with bus in Spain) to Leon, where I hope I will arrive at 18.30!
Will now go and pack my bag.

And I will, of course, post reports (and pics!) about my walk in this thread, if my phone and wifi/3G let's me!
Buen Camino!
Susanna

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Buen camino! Asturias -- now those are MOUNTAINS there. They make the Pyrenees look like sand dunes...

 

[peregrina2000]

Go well, Susanna. Though we've had a lot of fun obsessing about some of the little details while you prepared your trip, now the real fun begins, and all that matters is one foot in front of the other. I wish you a wonderful Camino. Laurie

 

[GunnarW]

I'm really curious how you will do it, in how much time you will do it, if you will spot details we didn't see and how you will walk from the old parador till Pajares.
UPDATE: and if you will find the 199 remaining corners.
Buen Camino.

 

[LTfit]

Look forward to hearing your account Susanna. Buen Camino!

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Thank you!
I'm now in Stockholm, so driving is done. Now it's just bus, airplane, and bus again before I can start walking.
I wish you all were coming with me, that would make a nice camino family!

 

[angulero]

¡Buen camino!.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

Buen Camino!
Ha en underbar resa och vandring.

 

[StuartM]

Good luck, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

[Pilegrim69]

Dear fellow pilgrims,

I've just checked in online, so I guess you could say I've started my trip now!
Feels like that! I'm very excited.
Today I will drive from my house in the countryside to the flat in Stockholm, 2-3 hours something.
And I will start walking tomorrow morning at perhaps 04.00 down to the bus station in Stockholms city.
From there take the bus to Arlanda. I'm flying with SAS this time, as I managed to get a "fairly" cheap ticket which is nonstop Stockholm - Madrid. (And I even got a seat next to the emergency exit = no chair in front of me, i hope!) So only 3 hours 50 minutes to fly, and no change of flights!
There I will hop on a bus (I quite like travelling with bus in Spain) to Leon, where I hope I will arrive at 18.30!
Will now go and pack my bag.

And I will, of course, post reports (and pics!) about my walk in this thread, if my phone and wifi/3G let's me!
Buen Camino!
Susanna

Buen camino! Lykke til! Det vil bli bra

 

[ivar]

Buen Camino! God Tur!

 

[SLF]

Buen Camino, Susanna. Reading your post makes me even more excited about starting my trip in May.

 

[juanse]

buen camino susana ,yo desde argentina estare haciendo fuerza para que disfrutes y que te salga todo bien ,y cuentes tus esperiencias ,asi el proximo año yo estare disfrutado de algo que hace años me estoy prometiendo SUERTE Y YO COMO CATOLICO TE DECEO QUE DIOS TE ACOMPAÑE

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Greetings from Arlanda!
I'm having coffee here and I think one of these airplanes are mine.
They sent my backpack as special baggage. I'm hoping it won't be difficult to find it at Barajas:-/

 

[Roger Hogstrom]

Lycka till, bagaget kommer ut på samma ställe som annat bagage. Jag hade i alla fall inga problem på Barajas när mitt bagage gick som specialbagage. (that was good luck in swedish and a little about special luggage

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Jäpp det kom ut på samma ställe
Ok I have now landed safely and got my bag. I'm now waiting at T4 for the bus to Leon. It's hot here, the sun is shining!

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi, Susanna! Have read all of your posts and I'm sure you'll have beautiful hike. I really envy you I have planed for 2 years to walk same camino (among 4 others in combo) but this year really sucks moneywise so I hope to ge there next year. But until then your posts will be my soul food. Have a good time!

Ultreia!

 

[amancio]

so jealous!!!! I just saw parts of the Camino del Salvador live on the telly, with La Vuelta live (a cycling race), it was so special to see El Padrún, Olloniego, the bridge at Portazgo, Santa María del Naranco in Oviedo... so many memories, I wish I were there myself!!! Buen camino, compañera!

 

[jpflavin1]

Susanna:

I wish you good weather and a safe San Salvador journey.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Susannafromsweden]

What a day!
I'm in my little room now, in a hostal close to the parador. Pic taken from my window. I've just been to the albergue and picked up the special Salvador credential. It's nice.
Very tired now. More tomorrow, will start walking in the morning.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Good morning from Leon!
I'm making myself ready for an early start. Thanks to Laurie and the electric coil club, I now got a cup of tea for breakfast!
I was so tired yesterday I did not wash my clothes. Will have to wear them anyway. (KinkyOne, I'm thinking if changing my name to DirtyOne)

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Last pic for a while.
Starting to walk now ....

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Ok I'm now in la Robla

 

[peregrina2000]

Susanna, my motto for the Camino de Levante was -- if it doesn't stink don't wash it. I stuck to that rule pretty well, except for once or twice when I got covered in mud.

So, you are really truly on your way now. Glad you got that caffeine burst early in the morning with your coil. From the darkness of your first picture, I'm betting you wouldn't have found a cafe open when you headed out.

La Robla's outskirts are indeed pretty uninspiring. It's a big mining area, and the townsfolk were up in arms with Rajoy's huge cuts to the mining industry when I was there in May. Lots of demonstrations (blocked roads in Campomanes, etc). I think the cuts stayed in place and the people just suffered the consequences. I'm betting you decided to go on further, so you must be heading for either Pola de Gordon or Buiza -- and then, the MOUNTAINS!!!!!

Keep in touch, and enjoy enjoy enjoy. Looks like the weather is cooperating, I've got my fingers crossed for you on that score. Laurie

 

[FatmaG]

... and from here on: mere beauty!

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Leaving Pola de Gordon. I've found the hostal but it's just too time consuming and complicated to try to find someone who wants to open. I'm off to buiza instead.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

I'm now in Buiza
No 3G so no pics. Good albergue and I just had a looong shower and washed my clothes. There's a pilgrim from Germany here too. And I met a Spanish pilgrim just before the power plant (or what's it called)
I'm glad I did it in one day, but my feet hurts. Ok, more tomorrow! Hope to get some mountain pics then.

 

[GunnarW]

Well done Susanna: León-Buiza in one day!
I hope there will be 3G in Poladura de Tercia and/or Pajares, I didn't pay attention a month ago.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

Well done. Love your updates. Will put that Camino on the I want to do-list. Will follow your updates closely.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Wow, that is some mileage! Take it easy, breezy!
Hope to be up there myself in two or three weeks.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Ok, sunset here and Otto from Germany and I will start walking...

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Laughing. Sunrise of course.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Right now pic ...

 

[Kiwi-family]

I've been away at the snow for a week and missing all this well-anticipated excitement!!! Will be following your every posted step (especially at the tricky spot).
Enjoy!!

 

[Kiwi-family]

Oh look - your pic posted just as I did.
If you have time to answer....does it take much data to post a pic like that? And which phone service are you using? Thanks

 

[StuartM]

Well done, that's good going. Happy memories coming back already.

I hope there will be 3G in Poladura de Tercia and/or Pajares, I didn't pay attention a month ago.

My phone showed a 3G signal in Pajares but it didn't seem to work. I did have 3G in Poladura though (Vodafone).

 

[Susannafromsweden]

And now in Poladura. It took 2 hours 45 minutes.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Otto and I are walking towards Pajares. The weather is fantastic the views breathtaking and there is great 3G right here

 

[ivar]

Wow... Beautiful!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Ivar, three of us plan to walk the Salvador in early Oct. You are welcome to join us!

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Small intermezzo here. On the way down, with busdongo in front of us, otto didn't want to go down an up again. So he suggested a short cut. We ended up in the terrain. Ok I thought down way the best way out of it and went down holding onto whatever what what's growing there. Otto continued. I'n now back on the track and otto is on top of the mountain. Seems like he wants to stay there.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

...and we are now happily reunited and are waiting for our food at the bar next to Pajares parador. Otto has been to 1620 m thanks to the "shortcut".

 

[StuartM]

Wow that means the answer to the big question is imminent!

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Yum

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Outside parador.
First problem: cows...
And it's very steep.
Otto just said Christ or something

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Ok

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Well i was trying to say I'm walking down the school kids way now.

 

[GunnarW]

Ground control to Major Susanna
You've really made the grade... to Pajares???
Or are you almost arrived in Campomanes???

 

[Susannafromsweden]

No 3G here but trying to post a pic anyway.
I'm now in the Pajares albergue which is nice.
Ok. There were loads of cows outside parador, and I could not se the path on Gunnars map, so I walked say 50 meters along the motorway and jumped over the fence, where there was a cow-free area. I then walked on a small path which was parallel to n 630.
It was okay-ish, walkable but narrow. After a while another bunch of cows stood waiting on the path, not happy to see me. I then climbed up to the n 630 and walked the last 100-200 meters to the place where the camino starts. Where you turn left. I went trough the gate, happy to get rid of the cows. Then, the bull stod there waiting for me. Great. I decided to pass him, that went well. After another while, there was at least 10 cows laying on the camino. Had to pass them too, very close, a meter perhaps. Phew. And I walked on.
Long way this.
Finally I was starting to feel relaxed,thinking wow no more cows.
Pffft. Then, suddenly, another 10 cows laying on the road. Laughing.
It's funny as I tried to escape the cows: and instead there were hundreds of cows on my path.
Will probably dream about cows tonight

 

[GunnarW]

Thank you Susanna for your report.
I can conclude that the "golden" path stays close to the N630
Do you think this path would join the camino path just after "the gate" you passed (close to the water source)?

The picture with the cow and the old tree is very nice!
So many cows. When I passed there a big month ago, there were none!
But on the road to Campomanes we had a donkey blocking the road. Maybe you will meet him tomorrow.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Yes I'm sure if you walk that way all the way (on a cow-free day) then you will come to the real camino. Where the gate is. At the opposite side to the emergency road, or what's it called.
Time to sleep now for pilgrims

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

View attachment 6141Right now pic ...

Beautiful!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Susanna,
Way to go, girl! Beautiful pictures. So glad the weather cooperated and you had lots of sun. I don't think I ever saw cows running around up there near Pajares, so maybe they were just out for their Sunday walk. I did see a few on my way into Poladura, though.

Hope you enjoy the rest of this Camino. Laurie

 

[Rebekah Scott]

hooray! Mystery solved. I think I will stick with the tried-and-true path, across the road from the runaway truck exit.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

First thing this morning was to fill our water bottles at the church. The bar is closed. We are now leaving for Pola de Lena.

 

[GunnarW]

Good choice. I remember locals were saying that the fuente close to the church has a better quality then the fuente a little bit further.
Don't forget to give some food to the small gold fish you will meat in the fuente between San Miguel del Rio and Santa Marina.
There is also turtle food but we didn't find turtles.
Greetings.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Asturias right now....

 

[Kiwi-family]

looks more friendly than the cows!

 

[StuartM]

Good choice. I remember locals were saying that the fuente close to the church has a better quality then the fuente a little bit further.

Yeah, an old man was filling a bucket at the other fuente when I stopped to fill my bottles. There are two pipes, he said the big one is actually a drain from the road and hillside above and that the little one is drinking water. That morning you could actually see a film on the water in the tank, like when you get diesel on the road. I filled my bottles but I dumped it and refilled at San Miguel when I got there.

Don't forget to give some food to the small gold fish you will meat in the fuente between San Miguel del Rio and Santa Marina.
There is also turtle food but we didn't find turtles.
Greetings.

Did you see the huge tadpoles living in the fuente at the village after Llanos del Someron? They looked tough, I was a bit scared I'd love to go back in a few weeks and see what size of frogs they turn into, they must be about the size of dogs!

 

[GunnarW]

Hello Stuart,
I didn't notice tadpoles after Llanos del Someron. But I noticed them in a swamp on my way to Pajares.
I also attached the gold fish and our friend.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

I'm now in Pola de Lena.
We walked to Campomanes, and wow that was tough. So we decided to stay at a hotel there. But there wasn't any room left, so the hotel owner put us in his car and said I will drive you to a place where you can stay. Then he dropped us off at the albergue in Pola de Lena!
Ok, there Otto wasn't feeling well, as he had been bitten by something. We are now at the hospital, where the doctor have been taking a look at him. He will now have to take some pills for a few days, so thank god nothing serious

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Susanna,
I'm sorry to hear about Otto. I hope he recovers quickly. Glad that you are well and have made it to Pola de Lena. If you have nothing to do this afternoon, you could always go back to see Santa Cristina de Lena.

Enjoy the rest, as you know you've got a lost of asphalt in your future! Buen camino and thanks for keeping in touch, it's fun to get up in the morning and see pictures from the Salvador! Laurie

 

[Susannafromsweden]

View attachment 6162
Back from a very late lunch which was delicious. Otto says that the man who drove us here made him think of camino angels. that's nice.
Otto will (after this camino) go to an albergue somewhere between Sahagun and Leon (I have forgotten which) and work as a hospitalero.
Ok, tomorrow we will go back to the church and start walking from there! More then

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Cows at the parador ....

 

[Susannafromsweden]

...and here's a pic from Ottos "shortcut" yesterday! Please note, the guy in the left corner is Otto heading towards 1620 m.
About here I decided this was too much for my sandals.

 

[peregrina2000]

hooray! Mystery solved. I think I will stick with the tried-and-true path, across the road from the runaway truck exit.

Yes, but now the dilemma is whether to take the off-road path on the right that goes up and through barbed wire and near bulls and then back down to the runaway truck exit. OR to walk alongside the highway for those 500 m to the runaway truck exit. Neither one of those options is too appetizing, Reb, which will you do???

buen camino, Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

View attachment 6162
Here is a pic of Otto at the cross yesterday!

Ok, tomorrow we will go back to the church and start walking from there! More then

When I walked, that cross had not yet been installed, can't wait to see it in person! Great pic.

Looking forward to tomorrow's adventure -- I know you're a power walker, but Campomanes to Oviedo in one day might be too much even for you, Susanna! Mieres perhaps?

 

[FatmaG]

This reminds me so much of "my" camino del Salvador.
No cows and no cross (neither Angulero's yellow flechas* nor the wooden bridge before Poladura), but the picture of Otto in the thorny bushes, Laurie's consideration on which way might be the best to arrive at the Parador - or the less worse one - together with Susanna's pictures and words, all this give me the slight impression of "déjà vu"...
Would just love to be there with you.
Greetings to you , Grüße an Otto, and buen camino!
FatmaG
I just remember: there were plenty of animals between Pajares and Campomanes: two very black horses galloping down the very small path, also a little group of curious goats. And a fire salamander.



* Perdona, Pardon - I think I made a big mistake, all this waymarking was Ender's work.Right?

 

[StuartM]

Yes, but now the dilemma is whether to take the off-road path on the right that goes up and through barbed wire and near bulls and then back down to the runaway truck exit. OR to walk alongside the highway for those 500 m to the runaway truck exit. Neither one of those options is too appetizing, Reb, which will you do???

buen camino, Laurie

I'll have to check back through my photos and see if I have one of the barbed wire fence. It's really not that bad, it's just too tall for me to step over but there is plenty of space to climb under it. If there was a couple of you then it would be fairly easy to hold it up with a couple of poles, or maybe even squash it down. The route marking is dead simple too. The hard part is actually the downhill as it's maybe the steepest section of the Salvador, it's like vertigo-inducing, double black ski run kind of steep.

 

[GunnarW]

Hello Susanna,
Very nice that the owner of the hotel in Campomanes helped you both. He is a really nice guy.
Aha, tomorrow the corner counter.....
It seems that your camino is almost over because you will arrive in Oviedo maybe before 12:00. You did it like a tornado. How does that feel?

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Yes, but now the dilemma is whether to take the off-road path on the right that goes up and through barbed wire and near bulls and then back down to the runaway truck exit. OR to walk alongside the highway for those 500 m to the runaway truck exit. Neither one of those options is too appetizing, Reb, which will you do???

buen camino, Laurie

Me? I have spent too much of my life wandering down (and UP) steep paths that peter out. I would scamper down the road that small distance and take the path I know leads someplace I want to go. (and one day when the weather went bad I walked the entire way from Pajares pass to Pajares Pueblo along that roadside.)

 

[enderjace]

Hola a todos, espero que Laurie o Amancio traduzcan mis mensajes ya que no se inglés.

Primero agradecer a Laurie la divulgación de este precioso camino y a todos vosotros por hablar tan bien de él.

Aclarando el tema del camino alternativo desde el parador de Pajares hasta el camino oficial deciros que es una senda que, si bien cuando hace buen tiempo no es muy peligrosa, no es en ningún caso recomendable para todos los peregrinos, Lo marque con flechas y al día siguiente me arrepentí de ello, volví al lugar y puse “senda peligrosa a Pajares”, el sendero es en patio y si alguien no preparado y acostumbrado a caminar en montaña pasa por ese sendero puede ser peligroso para él y un remordimiento muy grande para mí por haberlo marcado.

Quiero que quede muy claro que este sendero no es apropiado para todos los peregrinos, ni siquiera lo deberíamos publicar sin advertir muy claramente de su peligrosidad.

La alternativa de la carretera para mí no es ninguna alternativa ya que es aún más peligrosa que el propio sendero.

Lo mejor es seguir las flechas y subir por el camino que marque al lado de las naves de la carretera, subir por Tibigracias y pasar a Asturias por el mojón asturiano y la alambrada, esta tienen una puerta que se abre soltando un alambre, no es necesario saltarlas solo hay que fijarse un poco y soltar el alambre, luego volver a dejarlo como estaba. La bajada reconozco que es pronunciada pero se puede hacer con cuidado, yo la hice muchas veces con nieve, lluvia y bajando con cuidado y despacio lo más que nos puede pasar es que caigamos de culo pero sin más contratiempo, por el sendero si nos caemos rodaremos pendiente abajo.

Por cierto, si encontrais vacas o yeguas en el camino seguir por el, las vacas se apartaran de vosotros, por suerte caminan por la montaña mejor que nosotros.

Si en algún momento necesitáis algo podéis poneros en contacto conmigo en la página de Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caminodelsalvador o a través de Laurie.

Muchas gracias y un saludo a todos, Buen camino.

 

[enderjace]

Este mensaje es para Susannafromsweden: Pasado el pueblo de Olloniego cruzaras el puente y te encontrarás en el Portazgo, allí hay un antiguo leguario que indica a: Oviedo 1 ½ leguas búscalo al lado de la carretera un poco antes de la subida por el camino, una piedra grande que estará un poco tapada por la maleza, si la encuentras pon la foto y tendrás premio

Un saludo y disfruta del camino

 

[peregrina2000]

Hola a todos, espero que Laurie o Amancio traduzcan mis mensajes ya que no se inglés. Muchas gracias y un saludo a todos, Buen camino.

Ender himself has joined the forum! For those of you who don't know who Ender is, he is the leader of a little band of Camino Angels who have made the Camino passable for those of us who can only follow arrows, not navigate with maps and compasses. They have built bridges, they have put in the beautiful cross Susanna showed us today, they put in all the metal arrows and conch shells, they wrote an illustrated guide to the route and translated it into English. And many more things......

Anyway, here is the text of his message (he asks me to translate it into English).

"To clear up the topic of the alternative camino from in front of the parador of Pajares until the official camino, just to tell you that is a path that isn't dangerous in good weather, but it is not recommended to all pilgrims. I marked it with arrows, and the next day I was sorry for having done that. So I returned to the spot and put up a sign that said "dangerous path to Pajares." The path is on a ledge and if someone who is not prepared and used to walking in the mountains were to go that way and get injured, it would be a terrible source of sadness/regret for me for having marked it.

I want to stress that this alternative is just not appropriate for all pilgrims and we shouldn't even talk about it without stressing how dangerous it it.

The alternative of walking alongside the highway is not a real alternative because it is even more dangerous than the path.

The best thing is to follow the arrows and go up behind the industrial sheds (on the right side of the highway), which I marked with arrows. This takes you up to Tibigracias and you enter Asturias there with the Asturian waymark. The barbed wire fence has a door that opens, by dropping some of the wire. It isn't necessary to jump over it. And if you just look at it a little, you'll see how to do it. Open the gate and then close it again. The descent (which takes you back down to the highway and the emergency turn-off spot for trucks) is steep, but I've done it in rain and snow and it's manageable. If you go carefully and slowly, the worse thing that can happen is that you fall on your butt and start to slide down.

If you find cows or horses, just keep going, the cows will move aside to let you pass, luckily they can walk through the mountains better than we can.

If you need anything, you can always contact me on the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/caminodelsalvador or by contacting Laurie (that's me, peregrina2000). Many thanks and greetings to all -- Buen camino from Ender."

Thanks, Ender, well, I'm going to go back next year, and I will try the "right side of the road" path that goes up to the barbed wire. And then I will have done all three alternatives! Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

Este mensaje es para Susannafromsweden: Pasado el pueblo de Olloniego cruzaras el puente y te encontrarás en el Portazgo, allí hay un antiguo leguario que indica a: Oviedo 1 ½ leguas búscalo al lado de la carretera un poco antes de la subida por el camino, una piedra grande que estará un poco tapada por la maleza, si la encuentras pon la foto y tendrás premio

Un saludo y disfruta del camino

Message for Susanna: Once you go through Olloniego, you will cross a bridge, and you will then be in Portzago. There is an ancient "league sign" (meaning, I assume, a sign showing the leagues by water to Oviedo) -- it says "To Oviedo, 1 1/2 leagues. Look for it on the side of the highway, a little before the ascent. It's a big rock that will undoubtedly be covered by overgrowth, if you find it (the ancient league sign), take a picture, post it here, and you will get a prize!!!

Susanna, I don't know what the prize is or how you would get it, but I know that Ender is a man of his word.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Hola everyone!
Greetings from Pola de Lena! Pic taken from the window in the albergue. Guess what!? Today we will take half day off as we like it so much here Otto wants to go to a cafe and eat lots if cakes, and I want to go back and have a proper look at Santa Christina de Lena. So we start walking the camino again in the afternoon, and only to Mieres. So Oviedo and Olloniego tomorrow! I'm very curious about Olloniego now, hope I win the prize! And thank you so much Ender for explaining the way to us! It was so fun trying to figure out how it was. I loved it!
More later then. This is such a great walk, the best camino ever I think!

 

[Susannafromsweden]

...in case you wonder what we are doing right now

 

[StuartM]

Susanna, I don't know what the prize is or how you would get it, but I know that Ender is a man of his word.

Buen camino, Laurie

Hee hee, I found it and took a picture and I wonder if the prize was the blackberry bushes it was covered with as they were one of the nicest things I'd eaten that day.

Does anyone know the history of Portazgo? I assumed it was a toll bridge for road traffic but Laurie says "leagues by water". As the waterway has now vanished was this once a canal route or something to Oviedo?

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Now at Santa Christina de Lena, where we got a stamp on our credentials.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Never mind about routes away from the Parador, I need the GPS co-ordinates for those cream-filled delights! Nothing less than an exact location will do!

 

[GunnarW]

What is the white thing on the picture? A human body?

A yellow metal home made conch shell or arrow made by the master to put in your garden would be a very nice price.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hee hee, I found it and took a picture and I wonder if the prize was the blackberry bushes it was covered with as they were one of the nicest things I'd eaten that day.

Does anyone know the history of Portazgo? I assumed it was a toll bridge for road traffic but Laurie says "leagues by water". As the waterway has now vanished was this once a canal route or something to Oviedo?

Stuart, I really don't know anything about its history and suggested water only because I thought "leagues" were a measure of water distance only. And I remember the bridge in the middle of the field outside Olloniego that has no water running under it or anywhere near it. But I have written to Ender asking for a historical backgound, and will let you know what I found out.
Buen camino, Laurie

 

[angulero]

Creo que habláis del puente de Olloniego. Si es así, el puente se hizo sobre otro que ya había para salvar el río nalón. En el siglo XVII, una gran riada cambió el curso de éste por lo que quedó en medio de un campo.

Aquí hablan un poco más de ello.

http://el.tesorodeoviedo.es/index.php?title=Puente_de_Olloniego

 

[StuartM]

Thanks, both of you!

I remember wondering about it when I passed it at the time and meant to look into it when I got back. It's an odd place, the river has disappeared and the whole thing looks a bit stranded. Some lovely old cottages on the way out of Olloniego too as I remember.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I have a pic of that league marker somewhere, but I don´t want to spoil the fun!
Meantime, I found this: http://elcaminodesantiagodesdeasturias.blogspot.com.es/2012/02/el-portazgo-de-olloniego.html

 

[StuartM]

Wow so there is actually still a river there? I'm pretty sure it was dry when I crossed it.

 

[angulero]

No te fijarías Stuart, los ríos aquí nunca se secan, ni siquiera en un verano seco.

 

[jpflavin1]

Reading your comments and looking at these pictures has brought back a flood of great memories. I will definitely have to walk this route again. Hopefully in better weather.

Ender is correct when he says there is a section in the barb wire where you can safely pass through (if you choose the off road route). As I recall it is near the electrical tower. He is also correct in saying the slope back down to the road is very steep with no clear path. I would recommend staying to the left because that is the closest to the section where you cross the road and pick up the path again.

I agree with you Laurie in the definition of a league.

Thanks again to all for the pictures.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[juanse]

susana muy bueno tu relato y hrmosas las fotos ,espero el proximo año disfrutar yo como tu lo estas haciendo .,,,,,, buen camino y que dios te bendiga JUAN DE BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Good morning from Mieres!
My app isn't working and I ran out of mb yesterday so I'm trying to post a message in Safari.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Phew. I'm now in Olloniego, where I found a good wifi in this bar, and I have now deleted the forum app and installed it again. And it's working again!
Ok. Back online! And will soon start looking for Enders secret sign

 

[Susannafromsweden]

View attachment 6185
And if you wonder what we did yesterday when I was offline all evening...
Manuel and the Sidra!

 

[Susannafromsweden]

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Oviedo....

 

[Susannafromsweden]

So close, yet so far away.
Here we are lost. No clue where to go. Otto test walked the alternatives and no makes sense.

 

[enderjace]

Ok. Muy bien, lo has encontrado. Espero darte tu premio en Oviedo.
Disfruta del camino.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

I'm here now!
And I have just checked in to a one star hotel not far from the cathedral, where I got My own double room and My Own bathroom (with a tiny bathtub) for 33 euros a night How I've been longing for this!
Now I'm going to take a bath and wash all my things. Later I'm going to find the place where I get my diploma. And I need a new credential for camino Primitivo.

 

[peregrina2000]

Ok. Muy bien, lo has encontrado. Espero darte tu premio en Oviedo.
Disfruta del camino.

Hi, Susanna, I hope you are not lost in the hills around Oviedo. If you didn't get lost in the mountains, you won't get lost here.

Ender says he hopes to give you your prize in Oviedo, I guess he thinks you will be easy to identify.

 

[peregrina2000]

Turns out I was wrong about the "leguario" being only for water measurement. What Ender wrote was the following:
The leguario indicates the distance in leagues, which was only used in Spain as a measurement during the times of El Cid and he was married with the daughter of the Count of Oviedo. The league is the distance that a person could cover in an hour, and it fluctuates between 4 and 7 kms. It wasn't a universal measure, and it disappeared because of its inaccuracy, it was a different distance in each place of Europe. It's logical that you wouldn't be able to cover the same distance in the mountains as on the meseta. The leguario of Portazgo is 8 kms from Oviedo. There are very few leguarios (league markers) left in Europe, which makes it more unusual. It's a little gem of the Camino. In Oviedo there is another one that says "1/2 league" and they have moved it to a little square in the city.

 

[peregrina2000]

View attachment 6190
View attachment 6191

I'm here now!
And I have just checked in to a one star hotel not far from the cathedral, where I got My own double room and My Own bathroom (with a tiny bathtub) for 33 euros a night How I've been longing for this!
Now I'm going to take a bath and wash all my things. Later I'm going to find the place where I get my diploma. And I need a new credential for camino Primitivo.

Hi, Susanna, our messages must have crossed in cyber-space. Enhorabuena! Congrats on your arrival. Enjoy a well-deserved rest. Many hugs from your cyber camino friends!