Day 14. October 13, 2016. La Espina to Campiello. 23 kms

The fog creeps on little cat feet

 

 

Conversation at breakfast this morning turned to tales of tourist pilgrims, whose aim seems to be to collect as many stamps as possible on their pilgrim's passports. The most bizarre of all was the story of a load of pilgrims who spilled out of their bus to grab a coffee, leaving their credentials with the driver to have them stamped.

It was a very pleasant walk this morning along minor roads and tracks around the hillside, occasionally up and down, but generally following the contours, sometimes squeezing behind little hamlets, a few houses huddling together and separated by smelly barns. Off to the south, the mist rested in the troughs of the valleys, and wind turbines turned lazily on distant hills. A quiet morning, but for the occasional lowing of a distant cow or the jangling of a bell, and one solitary songbird. Had she forgotten to go south?

Just before Tineo, the fog descended, and a little later it started to rain. With the help of a friendly client at the bar at Tineo, I donned my poncho and headed off. The path continued to hug the hillside and started to climb. From time to time the fog would lift and I would catch glimpses of the the valleys and towns below.

Finally the path reached the very hilltops. What isolation! I walked along a lane between bramble hedges, fields stretching off on either side into the fog. The only sound was the soughing of the wind, which would gather its force and blow down the lane towards me, threatening to whip the cape off my back. I ate a few last, autumnal blackberries. 

Then it was downhill, a long descent to the road, and into Campiello where two rival establishments, each with an albergue, a bar, and a supermarket, compete for the pilgrim trade. We are staying at the Albergue Ricardo, very modern and very comfortable.

Tomorrow is the most difficult day, with a 600 metre climb, and a long stretch over the mountain with no bars. We are hoping for good weather.