Day 69 Cabuenes to Aviles

We cut our destination short last night as it was getting dark and we passed a campground that offered special rates to pilgrims to stay in a bungalow. We ended up being thrilled with this decision. It was a huge campground with a nice village of bungalows although we were the only ones staying there.

Several RVs were there but the place was so huge we didn't feel their presence. Having a bungalow to ourselves was really nice. The campground had it all a big social area, restaurant and store. But being off season, we felt alone, which was totally fine with us.

I had a lot I wanted to accomplish today and walking through the big city of Gijon allowed me to do it.  I have had no internet this trip without being in a restaurant or an auberge with it. Since camping out a lot, I don't get internet in an auberge.  And when we do get to an auberge, we wash clothes, wash ourselves, eat and socialize.  I'm just so exhausted. So getting access to wifi during the day will help us so much and just being able to google the weather would be a welcome luxury. So we spent midday in Gijon and lucked out to get the contact of a wonderful IT guy who got us up and running pretty quickly.

Today was a super long day, probably my most difficult mentally. Having to find our  IT contact, anticipating rain, walking out of Gijon and having never walked this leg left me perplexed some. Two years ago I missed this leg as we walked to Oviedo (south) to get our friend, Benjamin, on a bus and walked up to Aviles approaching it from the south vs east.

We arrived in Aviles at minutes before 8pm and were greeted by a man who I assumed was the hospitelerio, the auberge volunteer, but he wasn't and was actually a very seasoned pilgrim. He travels with a push cart and had walked thousands of miles, yet looked so put together. His name is Jean- Francois Aillet. I'm not on Facebook, but he has some pretty interesting stuff out there. I could write a whole post on him, but since I'm well over a week in posting it will have to wait, but clearly one of the most fascinating people I have ever met and wish I had days to listen to him.

About an hour later, we were greeted by one of the nicest guys.  I too thought he was the hospitelerio as he walked into the room where all of the beds were and literally lit up the room with his smile once he saw the kids. He too was a pilgrim named Jordi who had heard about us through Emmanuel and said he had hoped he would run into us. Two amazing men.

It was just the six of us and the two of them this evening.  We has an amazing evening filled with laughter and conversation. We all stayed up longer than typical pilgrim bedtime. One of the sweetest gestures was the two guys were put in a room upstairs because it was small and it was believed they were going to be the only pilgrims. We were in the a huge room with probably fifty beds and they brought their stuff down to actually be with us, the gesture was so sweet and really gave us a sense of pilgrim community. This was one of my best nights on the Camino! We were told the temperature was going to drop and it was going to rain for days.... and it started at the end of our walk. Once settled in it poured all night long....

Pictures of the day...

My fashion designer noticed this dress, made from paper...

We found a Shell station with a Shell stamp for our credential! This was right outside of Gijon. This is our second Shell station that we have passed, the first did not have a stamp. I had heard before my last trip that Shell stations had a stamp specifically for the Camino and got one after Aviles. I had shared this on my forum and someone said there are no Shell stations in Spain....well my stamp back then was proof enough but in case any doubt lingers...prices are for liters for those in the States ( and of course Euros).

Karsh found this license plate in the woods in a bush and tied it to his pack before I knew it. We did leave it with a gentleman who said he would take it where it needed to go ( I think he said post office?). Cute picture while it lasted.

Two kids, Tristan and Bronwyn yelled snake, with enthusiasm, within a nano second apart and about two feet away from each other. They are convinced this big snake birthed the baby snake right there on the trail.

In our final hours this nice man gave us walnuts...

This painted Horreo is in our guidebook, a sweet older man came to the barn door as we passed and seemed confused trying to talk to us, a younger generation came to the front door I almost think she offered us to sleep there. I couldn't totally understand her but the older kids thought so. Tempting if true but Santiago calls...

I didn't think today would end, the thought of rain for seven days, the two hours in the city, the approaching Aviles with what seemed like an endless stretch of city ...

Then we arrived to one of the greatest Camino nights and were greeted by Jean-Francois Aillet...he is a full time pilgrim of sorts, with a huge credential book and an artist with every possession he owns showing his unique style and artist flair...

His credential book bounded beautifully with a Japanese binding technique, hand made lace given to him by ladies in Galicia and tied together with his leather belt he wore when he was ten. I love this man!

Traveling with a modified push cart! So much to share!

My thoughts drift to Skipper a pilgrim who contacted me before his first Camino and said he was entertaining using a cart, I dissuaded him but not so sure of my opinion now. This cart of course alters your paths...

Thousands and thousands of miles on pilgrimage...

Alphabet soup!!!

Karsh has a slight obsession with pi ( always has) and his birthday is pi day!!!! He has pi memorized to 350 digits, crazy thought I know...so I had to take a picture of his plate...

Jordi was in awe over Bronwyn's and Aynsleigh's paintings. They offered to paint for him and he showed them his favorite picture taken and Aynsleigh painted it...

Dog on the blog...

So many wonderful pups today. Some of the most difficult situations seen today especially after leaving Gijon where dogs were on heavy chains, one appeared to have escaped his chain and had worn a huge river in the metal door from where he squished his nose under it. He wanted to play so badly with us.

One of my favorite pups to date is this boxer, no one ever walks backwards on the Camino though I have to admit on this Camino we do often. I was heading up a hill and at the bottom of it was this house which by meters escaped the Camino traffic which meant by meters no Camino love for this pup. I walked up the hill and turned around to see this boxer literally begging for some love. I thought and thought and said out loud I'm going back! Little ones followed me...worth every bit of time!

And a few others...