To Villaviciosa

September 19 

To Villaviciosa 18km

Today's trek went along the hills with many ascents and descents. There many little hamlets along the way, but not a single place to have a coffee. Cider (Sidra) is a common drink, which is not surprising given the many apple orchards in this region. We often pick apples on our trek and they are not sweet to eat, and are pressed to make sidra. And the locals have a unique custom for pourng the drink. The bottle is held head-level and the glass at hip level. This technique obviously requires many years of practise to master.

To Colunga

TSeptember 18

To Colunga 20km

When we arrived to our accommodations the lady asked where we're going tomorrow. I told her I didn't know, and I truly didn't.  In the evening we make plans for the next day and I spend a part of the morning trying to pronounce the name of the next town correctly.

It was another fantastic day. We started the trek walking past the many old mansions along the coast. Some dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s converted to 4-star hotels. We made our way inland going through a few older villages, with some beautiful homes perched on the hilltops with spectacular views. However, the economic downturn in Spain is evident - with some home construction halted and some homes abandoned. Today's trek took us through a variety of terrains - mushy, rocky and vegetation on all sides, going up and down, and doing it again three more times.  Colunga is a small town with a few hotels and restaurants and bars, with patios busy during the sunny afternoon.

SOMEONE IN THE VILLAGE WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR AND TALENT.

THIS OWNER MUST LIKE FISHING.

OUTDOOR FOOD STORAGE HUTS.

COLUNGA CENTRE OF TOWN.

To Ribadesella

September 17

To Ribadesella 12km

A short walking day, following the coastline and going through many farming communities. At times you couldn't always see the animals, but they could be heard. Cows with bells on their necks clanging every time they took a bite of grass. It would drive me crazy hearing the clanging all day long. And the farm dogs chained up or behind high walls barking at every person waking by. And roosters crowing - as one starts another in the distance would start. These are some of the sounds of the camino. We arrived in Ribadesella after noon, found our accommodation, and did a little town stroll. And what a beautiful place, on the ocean and surrounded by mountains. It is such a beautiful setting! Lunch today was unbelievable. The lunch menu had dishes we were not familiar with and the waiter spoke no English. He was getting frustrated with us because his restaurant was full and he had other customers to serve. Instead of trying to figure out what we wanted, he just brought us different dishes. By the second course we were full. The third course consisted of a veal dish and one of squid. All too much to finish. What a feast!  Including dessert and bottle of wine for only 20euros. 

To Nueva

September 16

To Nueva 17km

Even in Spain weather forecasters don't get it right all the time. The forecast was for rain, lightening and wind. The receptionist at our hotel in Llanes was trying to convince us to stay an extra night. When we left the hotel at 7:40am the sky was dark and overcast, but within an hour the sky cleared and we had sunshine most of the day. The trek today followed the coastline going through many little villages. It was the most beautiful day so far, with panoramic views - mountains on our left and ocean on our right. There was one section of the trek that was confusing and we got lost, along with a few other peregrinos. A few locals stopped their cars knowing we were lost and helped us get back on track.