Varying Options and Challenging Albergues : Tineo to Campiello

As a light sleeper we've grown to accept that sleep isn't likely to be possible in the larger 'town' albergues, and our expectations regarding last night were pretty much spot on.  With 10-15 full bunks there were simply too many people snoring, coughing, going to the washroom, digging through their bags, and doing all the other small and inexplicable things people deem necessary to survive through the night.  The first alarms began around 4:30 am, and by 5:00 am we decided to call it quits and make our escape.

 

 

Feeling groggy, exhausted, and more than a little grumpy we stumbled out of the albergue into a town square that was shrouded in fog.  The street lights that lined the steep winding streets leading up from the square made pools of soft light in the mist, seeming to beckon us onwards.  In vain we searched the small town for an open café or bar for breakfast, but we were at least half an hour too early.  Deciding not too wait, we headed up into the hills.

 

 

What came next was one of the most beautiful mornings we've seen on any of our Caminos.  We found ourselves climbing up, and up, and up on a dirt track bordered by low ivy covered stone walls and tall overhanging trees.  First we walked in the fog, with the shapes of lone trees and hillside homes gradually taking shape and emerging out of the mist as we approached.  Then as the sun rose we found ourselves suddenly above the clouds, under a nearly clear blue sky.

 

 

Since we had missed breakfast we stopped at a set of picnic tables beside a water fountain and ate a few pieces of bread and jam as we watched the morning unfold.  Several pilgrims we've come to know or at least recognize passed us on their way up the hill.  Many stopped to watch the sun rise as it turned the mist lingering in the valley below to a brilliant luminous white.

 

 

As the morning progressed many pilgrims passed us as we took our time to enjoy and photograph the stunning scenery.  We were in no hurry, as today was a very short walk. Tomorrow we have two choices - to follow the road along a lower route through the mountains, or to walk the wilder and more remote Hospitales route higher up in the mountains.  We want to walk the Hospitales route, but all the albergues that lie ahead of us are fully booked, so today we had a choice to stop in Campiello, which was only 12 km from Tineo, or to cross to Berducedo, which is a tough 40 km away, over the mountains.  We chose not to rush and to end the day Campiello.

 

 

 

As we continued to climb the sun turned the forested mountain peaks above us to gold, and the red roofs and white stucco buildings of small villages began to emerge from the receding mists below us.  The tops of smaller hills began to emerge like islands from the sea of fog below us, and the taller peaks on the far side of the valley receded into the distance in layers.  A few of them were still crowned by patches of shining white snow.

 

 

It seemed like every twist and turn of the path brought a new vista that was more spectacular than the last. As the sun rose the light continually shifted, creating bands of glowing silver, rays of gold, and long blue shadows in the slowly swirling mist below us. The sound of cowbells and bird songs echoed through the otherwise still and quiet morning.

 

We continued climbing on the winding dirt track which was turned into a glowing tunnel of green light by the rising sun.  The newly unfurled beech and oak leaves were still tender and bright green, and the edges of the pathway were bordered by tiny white, yellow, pink, and purple wildflowers. Bees buzzed busily among the flowers, and large snails and banana slugs made their way slowly through the lush green moss that covered the low stone walls. 

 

 

In sections the trail was a bit muddy, possibly from the snow melting somewhere above us.  Several times we crossed tiny, clear streams that came rushing and babbling down the hillside, and along several of these were the ivy covered remains of tiny stone flour mills.

 

As the sun was finally triumphing over the last of the mist, and we could clearly see the small villages tucked into the folds of the valley below us, we emerged into an area that was being actively logged.  Hundreds of dew covered spider webs hung like decorations from the low and spiky gorse growing at the sides of the trail in the open area.

 

 

Not long after this we emerged at the summit of today's climb, and found ourselves in open fields filled with cows.  The winding dirt track was lined on both sides by wire fences, the wooden posts clearly marking our way.  Behind us the ridge was topped by wind turbines which were standing still and quiet in the clear morning air.  In all directions we could see the pastoral landscape extending outward along the valleys below our elevated vantage point.

 

 

A short distance after we began descending on another gorgeous forested track we came to a decision point in the road.  One arrow pointed down the official Camino, and the other pointed down a side trail to the Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real de Obona.  Since we had time to explore today, we decided to make the detour.

 

We ended up descending on a narrow, winding, and very wet and muddy dirt track through the forest.  This wouldn't have been a problem, but today was the final day of the Vaqueiros de Alzada Bike Race, and we soon discovered this narrow track was part of the course.  Although the detour was only a few hundred meters long, on several occasions we had to dive into the stinging nettle riddled shrubs to get out of the way of fast moving mountain bikes.

 

 

When we reached the ruins of the Romanesque monastery we found the shell of a beautiful, sun-warmed stone building.  It looked like the roof was being rebuilt, but the inside was open to the elements.  We were able to wander through the rooms, with their open windows, dirt floors, and random pieces of stone and wood lying on the floor from the upper parts of the building.  Tucked into the side of the quiet valley, the location felt very quiet and peaceful.  We felt the visit was well worth the small detour.

 

 

 

We retraced our steps along the muddy track, ducking out of the way of the mountain bike racers as we went.  Even though many of the cyclists were peddling hard up the challenging course, most of the said a friendly Gracias! or Buen Camino! as they sped past us.  Soon we began climbing on the wide dirt track once again, still under a thick forest canopy.  When we emerged into the tiny hillside village of Villaluz we had a lovely surprise. 

 

 

 

A farmer was just coming down his laneway, tossing small stones for his enthusiastic puppy.  He stopped to ask if we wanted a stamp for our credentials, and took us back to his sheep farm, where he had a book signed by many passing pilgrims.  He asked where we were from, which route we planned to walk tomorrow, and if we needed water or anything.  He also gave us a beautiful stamp, and congratulated us on the choice to walk the Hospitales Route.  What a lovely encounter!

 

 

From Villaluz we walked on a winding paved road down to the tiny community of Campiello.  By then we were walking through a clear, warm, sunny day and we enjoyed panoramic views down the valleys around us.  As we descended we ran into our American friend Tom, who was planning to stop for a bit of lunch in Campiello before continuing on to Pola de Allandes.  It was nice to share his company for the last few kilometers into town.

 

 

We stopped at the first bar on the way in to town and had our first café con leche of the day.  We chatted with Tom and Alex for a bit, and then walked across the street to Casa Herminia, where we are staying tonight. Although Campiello seems like a tiny place with little more than two albergues and two grocery stores, when we went back outside to find a bit of lunch in the early afternoon, both bars were hopping with locals.  We couldn't tell if it is a local memorial for several recent deaths in the community, or if this is just the local gathering place for everyone on Sunday afternoons.  Either way, as we consumed a soup-bowl sized cup of café con leche and a boccadillo con queso the noise from the assembled crowd was almost deafening. 

 

 

Although everything was listed as 'completo' here, and it seems that Borres (which is the preferred stop 3 km farther from here) is a bit of pinch point on the Camino, there don't seem to be many pilgrims staying here tonight.  However the hostess at the albergue warned us about going forward today and gave dire warnings about tomorrow morning, claiming that we must stay for breakfast at 8:00 am because the mountains will be too fogged in to leave before then and be too dangerous to navigate until after lunch.  We still have 3 km to walk to Borres before we begin the climb, and in our (limited) experience, the magical looking mist and fog burn off around 10 am.  We would like to experience as much of the magic of the Hospitales Route as we can, so we are planning to leave around 6:30 am tomorrow morning.  I guess we will soon see whether this is a mistake or not!

 

Distance: 12.9 km

Accommodations: Casa Herminia