The day started fabulously. While returning to my room from the public washroom at the campground, I came across a hedgehog. It’s the first one I’ve seen in the wild. I went back to grab my camera, but my new little friend was gone when I returned.
Birte and I walked together for over 30 kilometers to Aviles, passing a couple of pilgrims who asked her why we were walking so fast. “Are you in a hurry?” No, this is just our comfortable pace. We stop regularly for coffee and pastry, so we’re not in a hurry to get anywhere.
In Aviles, we grabbed a beer and waited for Greg and Kaitlin, our friends from Seattle. We weren’t sure we wanted to stay in Aviles or continue to an albergue in San Martin de Laspra nearly eight kilometers away. We opted for the latter.
For most of the day, we walked along busy highways through industrial areas. The guidebook says it’s the worst section of the Camino del Norte. None of the other pilgrims we met along the way was happy about it. Some parts of the highway lacked a shoulder and some of the corners were blind because of heavy vegetation. It was loud. And it was dangerous.
But this last section to San Martin de Laspra was mostly along a forest path, which was quiet and easy on blistered feet.
We passed a milestone today by completing over 500 kilometers of the Camino del Norte. A little over 300 kilometers left to Santiago de Compostela.