COVID-19 continues. In fact it gets worse and worse and I greatly fear another lock down, so I have made the decision to grab the opportunity and do a little bit of the Camino del Norte. Originally I planned to start on the 8th October but this would mean walking over a Bank Holiday weekend so in the end I decided to just up and off. I bought my train ticket for Oviedo and then saw a weather forecast. Storm Alex this weekend!! Never mind, off I go.
Day 1: Friday 2nd October - to Aviles.
Day 1: Friday 2nd October - to Aviles.
Up early, earlier than I had intended, but it was good that I did, I had forgotten that it takes me half an hour to get ready and out! The weather was foul. I had heard rain several times in the night and I got up to a storm. the drive was a worry but it was OK I only had to avoid one fallen tree!
I was worried about the train journey, I had been imagining all sorts of weird things about travelling in COVID, but it was all fine. Wearing a mask all day was a pain and I almost overlooked the bit about no refreshment services on trains but I realised just in time and bought a bottle of Aquarius in the station. That served as my morning coffee and my afternoon tea. The train I was on was the train from La Corunna to Barcelona, at least 14 hours with no refreshments, it must have been tough for anyone doing the entire journey. Fortunately I only had a four hour journey to Leon, where I had time to have lunch in the cafe, before catching the next train. I had a moments panic when I saw airport type luggage scanners on the way to the platform as I had my corkscrew/penknife somewhere in my backpack. I haven't had my luggage scanned for a train journey in years. In the end I told a security guard and asked if I was going to have problems, he reassured me, no scanner for travelling to Asturias!
On the train I was accosted by a fellow pilgrim. Normally I like to meet fellow pilgrims but this guy was one of those who never stops talking, and most of it was rubbish, when he started telling me that he was divorced and on his own I decided it was time to stop being polite! Originally I am sure that he told me that he was going to Aviles and I was dreading the next few days but he was going to Gijon. What a relief.
The train journey from Leon to Oviedo goes through the mountains and they already had a dusting of snow.
Originally I had told myself that I should go to the albergue first, as soon as I arrived in Aviles, to check the cooking facilities before doing a shop, but instead I decided to do a shop on the way from the station. I was sure that even if there were a kitchen I would only be able to use a microwave. In fact the albergue in Aviles has a very well equipped kitchen and it was open for use.
There were 5 other pilgrims, different nationalities and all female. I spent a pleasant evening chatting to a Lithuanian girl and a couple of German ladies. The place was nice and warm and I had plenty of food.
Day 2 Aviles to Muros de Nalon 23kms
During the night there were some strange wailing noises. I think it was the wind howling around the building, which is on a corner, also there were occasional, very heavy, rainfalls. We all got up just after 7, apart from a young girl who seemed to do nothing but sleep, I saw a glimpse of her in the evening, but she never got up and mobilized. I left in pouring rain to go and find some breakfast, then I started walking. 
There are two options for the first part and I opted for the route through Piedras Blancas as I rather hoped that it was shorter. Somewhere I must have missed a turn but I found a road that I should get on to later so I took the road, it meant a lot of tarmac for the first 5 to 6 km. I had another coffee in Piedras Blancas, a bit early but the day was short on options. After this the path became less tarmac and more wooded, though still quite a lot on the road. Then I did a really stupid thing and ignored a sign and headed up the main road, for what I thought would be a better option, what I hadn't realized was that I had come onto the main road higher than I had anticipated when I googled it, and the signed route in front of me was the one I was looking for. The result was that, after half an hour of walking I ended back at the same place on the main road. That should teach me not to avoid signs, though I really ought to have learnt that before. The paths are very wet, not too muddy but sometimes there are big puddles.
I didn't see any pilgrims until I arrived in Muros, there I saw an old man in the bar, he seemed to be being interviewed for something. He left the bar, apparently to continue walking but, several hours later I saw him sitting in a little park, up the road. He looked a bit like a tramp, but this is not weather for sleeping rough. I took the opportunity of a short break in the rain to have a look at Muros and find the way out for the morning.
Day 3 Muros de Nalon to Novellana 21+kms
I had a room to myself in the albergue and slept till 7.30. Breakfast was at 8, supposedly, but this being Spain it was a bit later! It was necessary to have breakfast here as it was Sunday and no other bars were open, and there was no guarantee of finding anything open on the way. The heavens opened and there was a thunderstorm just as I was leaving but there was no point in waiting, if I didn't get caught in that one I was sure to get caught later on! Walking was difficult, lots of water, lots of ups and downs and they all had streams running down them. I started reasonably well, but between the rain and the water and, possibly yesterday's walk, that was longer than I had anticipated, I got tired very quickly and found that I was getting slower.
The walk went through a village with some very grand houses!
At about 8km I went through a little village with a picnic table and benches, at that point the sun was shining so I was really pleased to have five minutes rest. I doubt that I had five minutes before it started raining again but at least I had had a little break. Then I was off again, getting slower and slower. I finally got to Soto de Luina at 13.30, much later than I had anticipated. It had taken me four and a half hours to do 15km!
I had a beer and three 'tapitas', they were being very generous! I took off my jacket and my boots and I could really appreciate how wet they were, and how wet I was. Being a Sunday I had planned to have lunch in a restaurant in Novellana, but I was now realizing that it was becoming late, even for Spanish meal times. I read my notes and noticed that this was the point where I was supposed to descend to a stream and cross on stepping stones. I am really bad at this even when there is only a little water, I panic and freeze, there was no way that I could cross a raging torrent of flooded stream so I would have to stick to the road. This meant adding 3 km to the walk. I also realized that the 'ballotas' that were mentioned in my guide were repeats of the same thing. I had not taken this fact in previously, now I was staring to think seriously about continuing. I started walking again, mostly on the road though I did turn on to the camino for a little bit, this was not a good bit, I had to walk through a dark tunnel under the motorway, it was full of running water, I could see the moving but couldn't make out the best places to walk, out one point I trod in a deeper puddle, after that I went very slowly and I had a stupid fear of there being rats! Once I got back to the road I stayed there. It was 16.00 when I got to Novellana, too late for lunch but I had food for the evening and it was almost evening. The albergue in Novellana is at the old railway station and is one of the best I have ever stayed in, the owners are so welcoming and share their home and the facilities.
There was nearly a full house here; the Germans from last night, an Argentinian couple, a Bulgarian girl and 3 Spanish women, all pleasant company. When I arrived I asked if trains actually stop here and they do. At 09.30 there should be a train to Ribadeo, just what I need. It did make the option of stopping a little too easy, I toyed with the idea of just skipping a day and getting the train to Canero but I went all the way. The weather was lovely of course, but this would not have reduced the surface water. 
It was a long day of journeying, it took more than 12 hours as I had a four hour wait in Lugo, I filled some of this time by having the lunch I hadn't had the day before. When I got home I saw the news, that I had not seen for several days, and discovered that the city of Ourense was going to be locked down. If I had returned on Thursday as planned I could have had problems, so all ended for the best.
