Camino Primitivo – days 1 – 2

The plane landed 10 minutes early at Asturias Airport.  I grabbed my bag off the conveyor belt before making an uncivilised dash to the coach station outside.  By good fortune I caught the early bus, saving a 2 hour wait. It was raining, but I didn’t care… It all felt good. 

On alighting at Oviedo around 9:30pm, it soon became apparent that something was going on in the town as I made my way to the hotel.  The receptionist confirmed that it was the festival of St. Michael so I decided to check it out, guided by the loud music coming from the old town.

Oviedo feeels special.  Many of the town’s buildings were lit up and looking stunning at night, including the cathedral that I stumbled across, adjacent to a Plaza where a Spanish rock band were playing to a large and adoring audience.   After purchasing a beer and chorizo bocodillo at a nearby pop-up bar, I returned to the hotel for a well needed sleep. 

​​The next morning I was determined to make an early start, so crossed the town in the gloom to the municipal albergue to get that important 1st stamp on my ‘Credencial‘ – the pilgrim’s passport.  The albergue’s large wooden entrance door was locked, but whilst staring at it wondering what to do next, a pilgrim exited and allowed me through, only to find reception was shut.  So no stamp and revert to Plan ‘B’ – to the Cathedral. 

I was about to ask a local looking man for directions, when he asked me in English with a strong French accent, where he could get his own Credencial stamped, as the Cathedral was shut!

And that was how I came across Jean Max, my new Camino companion.   We decided to check out the tourist office as they also stamp Credencials, but it too was closed, so I offered to buy him a coffee at the café opposite whilst we waited for it to open, and we exchanged brief histories.

I found out that he is a 69 yr old retired psychiatrist, a widower of 6 years, and this was his 2nd Camino. Over successive days we learned a lot more about each other! 

I immediately took to Jean Max.  He has no smart phone and no camera, just some pages of a Spanish guide book.  “So where are you staying tonight?” I asked.  He didn’t know, he had no real plan.. he just walks until deciding it’s time to stop!  

So that’s what we did, although not until getting stamps from the bar, the tourist office, the cathedral and for good luck.. the monastery behind the cathedral!

Once out of town, the route was quite undulating and tough, but immensely rewarding with some stunning vistas.   We targeted Grado as our stop for the night as it had a municipal albergue, but we’d heard from other pilgrims on the trail that it was likely to be full, and we were running late already. 

My plan for the day was thus already blown… I was 3 hrs behind schedule, had nowhere to stay, the next albergue was isolated and a further 4km away and also likely to be full…. I’d lost total control of my day.

Last year it would have been a cause for panic, and even now I was a little uncertain, but Jean Max’s relaxed approach and belief that everything would be alright in the end made me realise the futility of worrying about something that may not even happen.  That was quite an awakening. 

And of course it was fine… Walking into Grado, I noticed a small advert in a shop window offering beds for pilgrims.  The lady inside the shop made a phone call and directed us up the street to be met by a man who led us to the 2nd floor of an apartment block and a twin room with shared bathroom. For €10 in cash, I was not complaining. 

We walked down into town and sat at a cafe in the plaza chatting over a couple of drinks before going to the restaurant Jean Max was recommended by a lady working in the pharmacy, who I’m sure took a shine to him.. In any event, it was a good choice and we ate well. 

There was no question in my mind that Jean Max and I had crossed each others paths for a reason, and as the days unfold, it has become even more apparent that we are meant to be sharing this journey together.