We slept in today until 8:00! We loved TINEO… What a sweet experience! We started with a huge Spanish breakfast of eggs, country bacon, French fries, bread, and coffee! Yum!!! The scenery was incredible today and the time together precious! We detoured for about a mile and went to see a church that is a roman ruin… Spectacular! Bryce is a blast to walk with as he does a whole routine of a crazy king wondering the countryside… He yells “I’m the king” and then performs while hiking along… It certainly makes the miles pass as we laugh and even play along! We are staying at our first alburgue, about 26 beds… Group dinner…3 Frenchmen, 2 Germans, 2 Dutch, and a few spaniards.,, looking forward to a fun evening together!!’

Third day out!
What a hard climb!!! The day was beautiful but the paths were very muddy! It was worth it for the views!
Things to remember..,
– lots of baby animals
– a farmer warning us to take the highway due to the water and we thought he was offering water… Oops!
– wonderful dinner with Peter and Maria
– lunch at bar in Espina had pork sandwiches to die for!!!
– local grocer helping us buy fresh cherries, figs, and cheese for the hike tomorrow!
– visit to the farmicia where we had to type in English to communicate our need for help with blisters!

We started off the day by mailing a box of about 7 lbs of stuff we decided we could live without to the cathedral… Wondering if we will ever see that again!

The magic of the camino is starting to settle in.,. In just two days out we are amazed at the kindness of strangers and truly believe in camino angels…
– the farmer who invited us for aqua
– the sweet lady in baby blue jacket that walked us into Grado to show us where to stay
– the farmer on the tractor who stopped work to show us the path that we could not see
– Peter and Maria, the retired couple from Russia that we have become friends with that watch out for us!!!
– the elderly farmer who stopped working his garden to give us blessings and me kisses.
– everyone we pass in villages shout ” buen camino”

A few favorite memories from today include..
– caffe leche with Peter and Maria at a quaint cafe while listening to frank Sinatra
– beautiful, meticulous gardens
– natural fountains
– cherries off the trees
– Bryce playing Celtic music and dancing along the trail
– Santiago cookies

We were lost twice today but the angels took care of us!

We woke up in our sweet little apartment in oviedo to the sounds of the market … We grabbed clothes and headed over to buy fresh food for breakfast! Our charades and pitiful attempts at Spanish provided much entertainment … We knew most everyone working including the owner when we left! We even made a new Facebook friend 😉 after a wonderful brunch of fresh eggs, goat cheese, pears, and bread… It was off to see the city, visit the cathedral, and take care of a bit of business before our hike begins.
Home for a quick siesta and about to head out to find tapas and try the famous cider. One more day in the city and then we start….

Much of my anxiety about this adventurer has been about logistics of traveling to a country where I speak little of the language sand needing to navigate to get to our starting point in oviedo Spain. Here are a few things I wish I had known…

*it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to find the Informacion desk directly as you exit the runway into the terminal in Madrid. There are numerous people that speak English to help with whatever you need related to your travelNo welcome surprise! 

*Contray to what biome insatire reported, the ALSA bus from austurias airport to Spain does not have a teminal IN the airport. There actually is no terminal. You just walk out of the airport, to the right, and the is a bus stop. The bus with oviedo written on the front will pull up and you get your ticket as you step on 7.50€