2021 has been one tough year and we are glad to say that it is over. We now hope that 2022 will be a lot better and the world will find some sense of normal. We are making plans for some new and exciting adventures for this year. We hope to incorporate a lot more travel and to see more of our family and friends. Until then we want to simply wish everyone a very healthy, safe and Happy New Year.
We say good bye to 2021 with a few photos of our travels and adventures from the past year.
The view of the beach in Alicante in MRay and Shelley in a Winery in the Rioja Regions of SpainRay sitting on a chair of a statue of a shoe shine man in the town of Haro SpainShelley overlooking a valley in the Rioja region of SpainView of the town of Bastida in the region of Rioja.The river of Ebro in the Rioja region of SpainShelley and Ray with fields of grape wines in Rioja region of SpainPart of the fortified castle in the town of SajazarraShelley with fresh Pomegranates picked from a wild tree in the mountains near AlicanteView of the sunset from our terrace in AlicanteRay and Shelley at Christmas time 2021 in Alicante
“Feliz año nuevo y deseándote un próspero y seguro 2022”
The different days along the Camino De Santiago are unique and yet very similar in some aspects. Although each day brings new vistas and experiences they also bring similarities and rituals. Each morning we would awake early and get ready for the day. There was a ritual of cleaning up, stretches and applying our anti blister balm on our feet before starting the days camino. We would start out without breakfast or coffee. Walking the camino until we would find a place to stop for breakfast and coffee. On other days we would take our coffee and snack to go.
snacks and coffee on the go.
We carried a small amount of food in case of long gaps between places. On some days it was not until noon or even later before we came to our first cafe or food spot.
From the town of Salas we continued to head upwards higher into the mountains of northern Spain. It seemed at times that we were always ascending or descending.
Shelley along one of the many climbs towards the windmill along the Camino Primitivo
At this point Shelley had twisted her knee and it was causing her difficulty and pain. We decided to send out packs ahead to lessen the weight on her knee. We would take more breaks along the way. This was also a chance to stop and enjoy the amazing views.
Going up towards the windmills on the PrimitivoThe Dam at the reservoir of Embalse de Salime on the Camino Primitivo.
This dam was amazing to see and is a designated world heritage site.
Ray along the ridge area of the camino de PrimitivoThe view along the primitivo in the upper section of the mountains.
The further along we went unfortunately the worse Shelley´s knee became until we decided that we would stop at Lugo and take a few extra days to recuperate and see if her knee would get better.
The primitivo is an amazing route with spectacular views. Here are just some of the vistas we saw along our way to Lugo from Salas. It was an amazing section of the primitivo but not for the faint of heart as the route is very taxing and difficult with steep and long ascends through the mountains.
We arrived at Lugo and we were grateful for the few days of rest before continuing on the camino. The city of Lugo is beautiful and we enjoyed being a tourist in the city for a while.. But that is for another post.
“Disfruta de cada momento y experiencias de la vida”
We walked from the town of Grado to Salas on the Camino Primitivo. The trail was more enjoyable than our first day because the rain had finally stopped. We started the day around 8am with a coffee and tea to go. It was a nice way to start the camino. Soon this section of the camino began to ascend upwards to the pass of Alto del Fresno. It was not too long of an ascend but it was fairly steep. We stopped several times along the climb to catch our breath and to enjoy some of the beautiful views.
A view part way up the ascend from Grado towards Salas.
As we reached the top, Ray took a photo with his Valerie flutter key chain, which he carries with him when he travels. This is in honour of Valerie Goneau his second cousin. (see previous post) https://wp.me/p6PTzi-1zS
Once we reached the top, it was not long before we then began walking downwards. The walk down was challenging because of the strain is was causing on our knees and feet.
Shelley walking down the incline after reaching the pass of Alto del Fresno.
The trail was not always easy going, there was a fair amount of mud because of the heavy rain the day before. There were times that the terrain was quite slippery and uneven. We were glad we had our walking sticks to help navigate through the muddy areas.
The mud and water on the trails of the camino Primitivo
We walked a total of 26 kilometers this day and the trail and views were quite enjoyable. Here is a video and a few pictures from that day.
Shelley on the Camino Primitivo
Shelley taking a well deserved rest along the Camino
Some of the Camino trail brought us close to farms and at times we walked through the cow trails between the barns.
Selfie with one of the local cowsOne of the cow trails along the Camino Primitivo
We arrived finally at our next stop in Salas. Our feet and bodies were glad that we had reached our destination for the day.
We rested and enjoyed some down time before starting our next day.
We started our camino de Santiago by taking a train from Alicante to the town of Oviedo in Asturias. We stayed the night in Oviedo before starting our camino the next morning.
The cathedral of St. Saviour in Oviedo which is the starting point of the Camino Primitivo
Oviedo is the starting point for the Camino Primitivo and was the starting point of Alfonso II the Chaste King of Asturias who took this route in the 9th century to see the recently discovered tomb of St James the Apostle.
We began the camino in the pouring rain from Oviedo. Our spirits were high with excitement and determination.
We set out at 7:30 in the morning from the Cathedral. We walked for a short while and before long we were in the countryside.
Park on the edge of OviedoAt the outskirts of Oviedo,
There was lush greenery everywhere and the camino soon began to narrow into a trail.
We walked through the rain into some steep declines and inclines along the rail. Some of the trail was very rough and required that we walk slowly and carefully to avoid slipping or falling.
Part of the trail along camino Primitivo between Oviedo and Grado.
Although it was raining the entire day, along our journey we came across some beautiful small communities, sites and views.
Our first day was a challenge, we walked the entire day in the rain.
Rain water flowing down the road like a small river.
Although it was difficult at times, our enthusiasm and spirits remained high.
Shelley and Ray on the Camino Primitivo between Oviedo and Grado
We walked around 28 kilometers and finished our day in a town called Grado. We were tired but content for completing day one of our camino.
We settled into our room and although we had ponchos and rain jackets we were partly soaked. Our waterproof hiking boots had been exposed to rain, mud and water the entire time. It turned out that the hiking boots were not quite waterproof.
Feet wrinkled by walking in wet shoes
We cleaned up, changed into dry clothes and enjoyed a well deserved refreshment.
We enjoyed a well deserved refreshment and celebrated our achievement of day one.
We are staying quiet and not travelling as we wait for our vaccine and the return to a sense of normal. Although we have been quiet we have been looking at our blog and branching out to more of a video presence.
Here is a small ¨teaser¨ as we develop and make videos for future travel blogs.
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