This is my final day on the Camino de San Salvador, completing a walk from Leon to Oviedo in Spain, for a distance of approximately 122 kilometers.
The walking today felt light and easy. The route followed mostly asphalt and sidewalks, but there were a couple of short treks through the woods that made Birte and I happy.
There wasn’t a raindrop to be seen, and I thought I might actually make it to the end of the walk with dry feet for the first time in 19 days, but there was a section through the forest that left me with the option of walking through water or trying to go around it through a nasty patch of nettles. I chose the lesser of two evils and walked through the water.
Birte and I couldn’t have asked for a better day to finish this Camino. The weather was great, we were lucky to find two cafes in which we indulged in cafe con leches and delicious pastries, the views were delightful, and all of the locals we met were friendly and helpful. One fellow pushing a wheelbarrow, seeing that we were about to follow the fleches (yellow arrows) down a steep path, suggested we follow the road instead. Although the path is shorter, he explained, it is steep and muddy, making it very dangerous. We heeded his advice and took the longer route down the road.
The Camino de San Salvador ends at the Cathedral in Oviedo, and it’s where I must part ways again with my friend, Birte. She has once again been a wonderful hiking partner, helping me keep fit with her speedy walking pace. This last day went by so quickly because Birte and I chatted away the entire day, laughing at silly things and smiling at the joy of simply being on the Camino in good company. I wish her the best in her upcoming journey to Porto, Portugal, where she will walk a short section of the Camino Portuguese with a friend.
As for myself, from here in Oviedo, I’ll continue on the Camino Primitivo to Santiago de Compostela for my last Camino of the season. I’ve still got 11 days and 303 kilometers of walking to go before I end this year’s Camino adventure.
