I had a massive desire to hit a small town on the water called Cudillerio...it has been on my radar for awhile, probably because it always looks so festive , the small harbor lined with outdoor cafes and umbrellas. This is not directly on the Camino and I was nit certain how far from the actual Camino it was so I had no idea what I was really going to pull off....BUT mist who know me know when something is in my head I usually will accomplish it. I knew I would be spending the night without other Pilgrim's company and was honestly perfectly fine with that. Sebastian is almost always the first out of the gates....I am almost always the last....I woukd wake with a note on my bed saying, " good morning Neve...I am going to do what I have always aaid I will do and just follow yellow arrows...." this is true from the seconds I met Sebastian when you asked him what his daily plans were the reply was always a simple, " I am just going to follow yellow arrows...", Sebastian has ten days more than I have to complete his Camino and typically walks less distance....so this might be our good bye...
As I left town several men pointed me out in the same direction....one young guy yelled from his balcony, " Buen Camino!" And wanted to know where I was from. The conversation was over before it started but you never get tired of a local wishing you well that is for certain.
Not certain how long I had walked when I heard footsteps behind me...it was near lunchtime and I was unusually hungry. Daniel from last night came up behind me and said some guy yelled out his window that a girl from the US was right infront of him. We walked well together, great pace and his English is better than my French but our conversation was very simple due to lack of a common language. We did seem to have an enormous bond over food, good food, willing to pay for good food and more importantly willing to WALK for good food. Many people do not take a step out of the way on the Camino....but I would for good food and I could tell so would he.
We arrived into a tiwn called Soto Del Barco and he asked a gentleman where a great place to eat was at....we got slightly lost but certainly went out of our way up a hill to a restaurant on a hill where a young man manned the grill and the cooks were proud to show you their kitchen. We were invited into the kitchen to see the meal choices before us. In Spain you can order off the menu or most restauranrs have a " Menu del Dei"... This typically runs you more than off the menu but includes two courses of fine food, a dessert and vino and wine. This will run 8 to 10 euros, being a weekend at an excellent restaurant today woukd cost us 13 euro, a steal for what we got.
How did I feel after this wonderful meal????
I had to be rolled out of the door!!!!
This previous staff kissed us and sent us on our way while a huge line waited for open tables.
If you have ever seen Charlotte's Web and the scene where the rat over eats at the county fair, that is exactly how I felt....how could I keep walking today????
The man who pointed the restaurant out to us was wearing a tan courdoroy jacket...on our way out of town I saw a man on a patio of a local bar with several other local men ( I assume local but not under any impression they were pilgrims walking the Camino at this time). We yelled out to him a huge thanks for the recommendation....I share this for a good reason....there is a little more to this story to come.
As we left town Daniel was looking at his map and referenced his stopping point would be Saint Esteban, a place not even mentioned as a stop in my book. As we approached where it appeared he would go a man came out of a humble dwelling with Cokes for us. He kept talking to us...in his late 80s and when I motioned sadly I must go on as it will get dark and I still had hours to walk this precious man joined us for a kilometer or so. he shared his name is Francisco, his wife had died tragically in a car accident ( per Daniel's Translation to me) and that pilgrims are his only company. my heart bled for this man and I wished I coyld erect a sign in his yard that said, " A friend of all pilgrims lives here".
I kept walking knowing I had a ways to go and that Daniel would be leaving soon, I am totally fine walking on my own and had no concern. I knew I wanted to go to Cudillerio so walking alone took out the need to ask others what they wanted to do and must admit on this Camino this is the way I have wanted to walk it. Daniel said my stop was too far for him but as kilometers ticked on he was there beside me. I noticed what a strong walker he was, our lack of language left much else unknown....I knew he was from Southetn France, I knew like I was he was passionate about good food and more importantly than that he was willing to walk for it but much of our walk had little conversation or basic ones if that.
Signs started to appear for accomodations in El Pito, my book said no auberge but it appeared to be a great stopping point, two kilometers further but not on the Camino was Cudillario where I was determined I would go since it called to me.
I did not need dinner after our huge lunch and Daniel stopped at a hotel that advertised bed, breakfast and dinner ... I said my byes and continued on with my plans to Cudillario.
It was exactly how I imagined it, cute shops, tons of cafes and was packed with socializing, Easter is tomorrow and it was obvious friends and family were out to gather...this is also a tourist haven. I found a place to have a bottle of wine, bought my only souvenirs of my trip...several silver earings, bracelet and necklace and went searching for accomodation. Everything was booked solid, I did find a pension where the owner was so nice ( see information on bike picture), reasonable price for the area but booked he called back up to El Pito, the town I had come from and the tiwn I woukd backtrack to to return to the Camino. A hotel opened an auberge just the week before and in pouring rain I walked back up the hill to El Pito....I put in dome kilometers today I felt!
The new auberge was a sister of a hotel mentioned in my book, 15 euros, and in the piuring rain the lady took me out back to show me my bed. I was suprised I was not alone...she said " French" were there so I was expecting a few French pilgrims when she opened the door....
There in the same auberge was Daniel, the only other person present and he shared that the hotel where he stopped was more than advertised so he had come here.
this auberge had white linens, duvet, cotton sheets HUGE round shower head with nice hot water at a great flow. It was a marvelous place to be. I think I was out within an hour of arriving. I knew from Aviles the night before that my roommate ciukd snore like a champ so ear buds and eye mask for me.
Tomorrow would be Easter and was worried about provisions....
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