PICOS DE EUROPA
DAY 15: 5 km On to the next village & a bus ride to Potes
This morning I wake up feeling much better and decide to take the bus to catch up with Michel and Berrie. It’s very early and not many people are out and about. I ask three people where the bus stop is, and get three different locations, none of which is the right bus stop - so I just walk to the next smaller town enjoying the architecture and find the obvious bus stop. Then I’m am told several different times when the bus is supposed to arrive... so I just wait.
Eventually, a woman with a cute little puppy stops and gives me a ride to the next town of Comillas. The bus doesn’t leave from Comillas until 2pm so I have time to visit a home designed by Gaudi It was built in 1883–1885 for the summer use of a wealthy client who died before it was completed. It fell into disrepair and in 2009 became a museum. I take the bus to San Vincente and wait until 5 pm for the next bus which goes to Potes. At this point, I probably could have walked the route in the same amount of time! The bus finally arrives, Michel and Berrie get on at Unquera, and we all have a wild ride to Potes.
Potes is in the heart of the Picos de Europe, which is supposed to be one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in Europe! It’s like a roller coaster ride with sheer mountain cliffs on either side of the bus: just stunning! When we get to Potes, no one knows where the hostel is. One of the people Michel asks, has a room for rent with three beds. We take it. It’s on the top floor and the view from our room looks directly out at the Picos!
Tonight, Berrie’s birthday is celebrated for a second time, since I missed the celebration last night. Berrie picks the restaurant that looks like it has the most locals in it. It’s an excellent choice! I order the cheese sampler and it has the best cheeses - from mildly flavored to the locally famous, strong Liebana cheese. My entrée is grilled mushrooms which is just perfect. That gets topped off by an in-house made vanilla pudding style dessert. After dinner we hear someone singing in the bar. It’s an older gentleman singing a cappella to a group of his men friends gathered around the bar. His voice brings tears to my eyes - it is so heart felt and he looks directly into the eyes of each person he is singing to. It is one of those magical evenings!
DAY 16: Exploring Potes and 10 km to Columbres
We’re up early and walk up to the famous monastery south of Potes built in the sixth century by Benedictine monks. Just as we arrive, the bells start ringing announcing something: we’re assuming it’s - our arrival! The associated church was built in 1256 and houses the largest known relic of the True Cross. We get our pilgrim passport stamped and visit the very ornate alter holding the cross. A lively discussion about religion and spirituality ensues.
Farther up the mountain is a beautiful place to view the Picos de Europa. There is an older gentleman sitting in his jeep facing the mountains. He has some books on the hood of his jeep. I go to ask him about an alternative hike down the mountain and end up finding out that he was the former mayor of Potes for 10 years. He grew up here, met the king of Spain and loves these mountains. He has written two books: one about his adventurous life and the other about the history of the Picos. Both books will be published in English next year. I would love to come back and buy his books in English.
The last bus out of town is at 5pm so we go retrieve our backpacks that we stashed at the pilgrim museum. While we are waiting for the bus, Mia shows up! She had decided to take this side trip too. She is so happy to see us, she is in tears and we are happy to see her too. Mia usually walks alone, and hadn’t seen any familiar faces recently, and she was feeling lonely. She and Berrie speak Flemish so they spend the whole time on the bus chatting during another wild roller coaster ride out of Potes.
We get back to the Camino trail and it’s a straight uphill walk to the hostel in Columbres.
DAY 17: 28 km to Celorio
Today we have the choice to take the high road or the low road. Michel, Berrie and I choose the high road. It’s more strenuous but the view is worth it. We climb a mountain by 10 am - sustained by Michel’s found walnuts. It’s a beautiful day, with a heavenly walk along a high ridge. At one point, the Camino turns onto a paved road and starts to descend. We don't want to leave this great trail so we continue on an unmarked path which turns into a deer trail. We decide to follow our internal GPS and we are off on an adventure! The deer trail gently descends to where they are doing road construction, which we cross over and find another trail leading us right into town where we get to enjoy a late breakfast.
We climb more mountains, it’s a hot day. When we get to the hostel in Celorio, I go straight to bed.
DAY 18: 13 km to Pineres de Pria
I wake up really, really early. I hear the ocean from our room and slip out and to walk to the beach. It’s windy and cool, there are big boulders on the beach, no one is around and the sun is rising... it's serenely beautiful. I would like to take a picture but, this is when my blackberry decides to stop functioning!
This is the last day Michel, Berrie and I are spending together. When we get to the hostel in Pineres de Pria, we really luck out! We get the whole first floor of a house with a full kitchen, big bathroom, hot water and a private room for me with a queen size bed! Michel prepares oven toasted bread with cheese and rosemary, eggs with mushrooms and peas, a garden harvested cherry tomato salad and apples and bananas with Camino harvested walnuts for dessert. We toast to our time together.
DAY 19: Bus ride to Orviedo
What a storm last night! It felt like a hurricane - the entire house shook. I could feel the pressure. I couldn’t sleep... When we go outside, trees are down and it’s still raining. We were going to walk 10 km to Ribasdella to catch the bus, but decide to catch the bus from here instead. From the bus, I see flattened corn fields and lots of downed trees. It was quite a storm! I stay on the bus to Orviedo and Michel & Berrie get off in Ribasdella, where we say our goodbye's.
Berrie is taking the bus and a train back to Bilbao, and then flying to the Netherlands where his wife and baby girl await him. This trip has solidified his feelings about not continuing in the construction business. He loves food, and wine and people, and eventually would like to have a small farm with a restaurant. Berrie is a good walker and Mr. Gregarious: a real pleasure to talk with.
Michel doesn’t need to be in Orviedo until another week, when his girlfriend is arriving from France and walking the rest of the Camino with him. Michel has been great to walk with too! He is such a pace setter, and always makes sure we have food, and is great to talk with even if we are a bit limited in language. He is fluent in Spanish (he was actually born in Spain even though he is French now), so he was always the one to ask for directions or help and could always understand the response. Michel and I had such a special hike on the alternitivo route!
We all got along so well! I’ll miss the team.
I feel the need to jump ahead. It’s really important to me to finish the Camino and you only get a completion certificate if you walk the last 100 kilometers. It doesn’t matter how many kilometers you’ve walked before that, it’s the last 100 that count. This is a Holy Year, when the Catholic Church doubly absolves you of your sins, and I don’t want to miss out on that opportunity! Since I don't want to take any chances, I decide to take a bus to Orviedo now, so I don’t have to worry about needing to take it later - I lost a day being sick, and now I’m jumping ahead three days... so if I need another sick day, I’ll be fine.
With a plan in place, I enthusiastically anticipate what the Camino has in store for me next!