Switchbacking and Birding : Berducedo to Grandas de Salime

 

After a breakfast of café con leche and toastada we set off down the road out of town, beginning today's climb almost right away.  We found ourselves on a winding paved road and then a dirt track, climbing up through pleasant countryside.  For the first few kilometers we walked along the side of a valley in the shade, the hills beside us providing shelter from the sun which was already flooding the valley below us with golden light. 

 

 

As we passed through a stand of tall pine trees we were surrounded by birdsong.  The sound of cowbells filled the valley below us, and we could hear the gusty breathing and soft munching of the cows directly beside the trail.  Many tiny birds hoped along the grey wooden fence posts that lined the sides of the pathway. 

 

 

Before we knew it we arrived in La Mesa, a tiny community with a slate chapel and a beautiful looking new Albergue that we'd heard wonderful things about.  Even though we had only walked 4 km and it was still early, we decided to stop for another café con leche, as this was the last stopping point for a while. As we sat on the sunny terrace enjoying the view we were soon joined by Ben, Tom, and several others.  Although we knew we should continue on to avoid some of the coming heat, we enjoyed a leisurely chat before continuing on. 

 

 

It was a steep climb up out of La Mesa on a paved and winding road.  The hill above us was crowned with windmills, and the valley below was filled with rolling green fields.  Already the sun's rays were strong enough to make us grateful for the small patches of shade provided by the occasional small group of trees shading the roadside.  We stopped many times on the climb up hill, not just to rest but also to watch and photograph the multitude of birds that were busily collecting food for their young along the road.

 

 

When we finally reached the top of the climb and began to make our way down the other side we came to a sign suggesting that the Camino had been re-routed due to a forest fire in 2017.  It wasn't too clear what the re-route involved, so along with a relatively large group of other pilgrims we decided to continue down the hill on the officially waymarked route. 

 

Soon we diverted off the road onto a farm track which led us to Buspol.  This settlement turned out to consist of little more than a single farm with a tiny slate chapel.  We stopped to look through the metal grate, and found a beautifully decorated alter inside covered in a white lace cloth and a set of very interesting figures. 

 

 

After Buspol we began a very long and at times steep descent, although thankfully it wasn't difficult.  It began with a dirt track that crossed a cow pasture, and suddenly the valley in front of us came into view.  Steep forested and logged slopes led down to the blue waters of a reservoir far below us.   It was amazing and a little daunting to look down between our feet and realize that in a few hours we would be at the bottom of the valley, and on the other side of the water. 

 

We cautiously began the descent, walking along the side of the valley between golden yellow gorse bushes and delicate pink heather or heath.  From our lofty vantage point we could see the hills and mountains extending away into the distance ahead of us.  Although the landscape seemed a little barren and exposed it was absolutely full of birds, and we stopped often to watch and photograph them.  As we walked we also caught glimpses of lizards of various sizes as they hastily vanished into crevices and grassy patches at our approach.  

 

 

As we slowly snaked down the valley we saw evidence of the forest fire that occurred five years ago.  Most of the trees were gone, and their stumps seemed to have been removed as well.  We noticed a lot of forestry activity as we walked, with slopes that looked far too steep to log being cut, cleaned in long rows that looked like furrows running straight down the slopes, and replanted to create striped forest stands.  

 

As we slowly progressed down the valley we caught a glimpse of a small white town tucked in among the hills and mountains on the far side of the valley.  We guessed this was Grandas de Salime, our destination for tonight.  Although in some ways it appeared to be quite close, it took us quite a while to reach it in the end. 

 

 

We switch-backed down the hill on a wide gravel track.  The walking wasn't too difficult, but by 11 am the sun was already very hot.  Slowly we approached the bottom of the valley, walking between striated rock faces covered in mosses and succulents.  Together with the gorse, heather, and abundance of delicate wildflowers it was a colorful and highly textured landscape. 

 

When we neared the bottom of the valley we left the wide track for a narrow dirt footpath that was shaded by a canopy of trees.  It was a lovely change to be walking in a lush green tunnel, and we greatly appreciated being sheltered from the sun.  In this stretch there were a lot of huge (6-7 inches long) black slugs making their way up the mossy rocks. 

 

 

Eventually we emerged onto a paved road that took us back up the valley towards the hydroelectric dam at Embalse de Salime. Just before we reached the dam we came to a small metal door in the side of the cliff that was standing open.  We ducked inside and through a short tunnel, which took us to a lookout point over the dam. The dam extends across the Rio Navia and is a very impressive 128 m tall.  

 

After visiting the lookout we crossed the river, getting a close-up view of the Salime Reservoir, sitting as it was at the base of steep, forested hills.  It looked like the water was at least 50 ft below where it would be at its highest point.  We were grateful for the cool breeze travelling down the water as we crossed over the dam. 

 

 

We were even more grateful when we arrived at a lovely bar, restaurant, and hotel a few meters down the road.  We stopped for a large and deliciously cold zumo and a bocadillo con queso.  Most of the other pilgrims in this stage were also there, enjoying a much needed respite from the heat on the patio. The shaded and flower lined patio was peaceful, the view over the reservoir was beautiful, and it felt good to relax among friends.

 

 

After this point the walk to Grandas de Salime was mostly along a winding, paved road under a canopy of tall pine trees.  In the hot afternoon sunshine the fresh tangy smell of pine was strong in the air, reminding us of the forests in Algonquin Provincial Park back in Canada. 

 

 

 

We arrived in Grandas de Salime around 2:30 pm, very hot and ready for a shower.  We made our way down the narrow winding streets of the small town that were lined with three story high white stucco buildings.  We checked into our accommodations, cooled off a little, did our laundry, took our showers, and went back out to the grocery store to purchase some snacks for tomorrow.  

 

 

On our way back to our room we stopped to explore the central Capilla de la Inmaculada.  The church's bell tower rose above the surrounding buildings, and a large, colonnaded porch surrounded the outside.  Several small and skittish cats perched in the arched windows of the porch, and an active nest of swallows was tucked into the dark wood of the ceiling.  The loud chatter of House Sparrows filled the dark space from countless nests tucked into the terra cotta roof.

 

In the evening we headed out to find dinner and ended up in a small bar downtown which offered veggie burgers.  We shared the meal with Ben and Charmina (from San Francisco), and Linton and another couple of pilgrims were at the table beside us.  After a wonderful meal we crossed the street and joined half a dozen other pilgrims who were enjoying dinner at an outdoor table.  It was another enjoyable evening, with good conversation and excellent company.  It was dark when we headed back through the cool evening to our room, but we stopped to try to photograph the church, which was lit up from below.  The streets were dark and quiet except for music drifting out the window of a nearby bar, and the cats, who were enjoying a small feast provided by the bar's owner. It was a beautiful ending to another good but tiring day on the Camino.

 

Distance: 20 km

Accommodations: La Barra Hotel