If I Should Fall from grace with God…

 

A lovely cool morning with inverted cloud but a sunny ride for the last 50km into Santiago de Compostela. 

Respect for the Peregrino on a push rod was the order of the day.

On the approach, the crowds gathered and of course the trumpets played and then on arrival at the big church the crowds gathered and the whole area filled up with selfie sticks and self proclaimed praise (mostly American). 

The big fella from the Vatican had flown in by helicopter especially to sign my certificate and a wonderful feast was planned with a meat bingo and disco for later.

Unfortunately, the ‘lines’ of druids queuing to get in the Catholic Cathedral and the mobbed streets put me off a tad, so I headed for the Pilgrims Passport office and got another credential…

What’s another 300km?

I may as well give another Camino a go…the Portuguese route in reverse down to Porto to finish. Within an hour I was heading south and back on some beautiful rural lanes thanks to Velo2…I hope I’m forgiven for not hanging about…

If I should fall from grace with God…

Classic Pogues from the deceased Shane McGowan - RIP owd lad, ur music and lyrics were class!

Shelter from the Storm…

Day 19 - Camino de Santiago Norte route - From Baamonde to Boimorto.

Wet again and up again this morning, with a usual daily visit up to the windmills.

The poncho came on about an hour in as the rain became relentless. I stopped in a few bus shelters and then I stopped for lunch to get a break from the weather near to the monastery at Sobrado. Glad I did as the sunshine came out in the afternoon.

It’s looking like this could the last wet day now as the sun is supposed to be out from tomorrow, fingers crossed.

I’m less than 50km away from Santiago de Compostela.

A bit of Bob gives us the tune for today…here he is live in 1976 sporting a pair of old Y fronts on his head and a wispy beard…

The Only Way is Up…!

Day 18  - Camino de Santiago Norte route from Mondonedo to Baamondo.

The Only Way is Up…Then down 

Then up again…

At least the sun was shining when I looked up and saw the windmills on the skyline and knew I was heading up there on the way out of lovely Mondonedo, and the best 5* modern hostel yet-absolutely top notch.

I stopped to have a word with the local mule and had a last look back at the church’s twin towers before continuing up, up and more up!

I reckon she only married him because he had a big 🐓 cock!

This was today’s earworm as I pumped its little tyres up and oiled its chain…because we both knew…

“The only way is up, Brommie 

For you and me now!”

Great ‘uplifting’ track from Yazz & the Plastic Population from 1988.

Every day is like Sunday…

Day 17 - Camino de Santiago from Navia to Mondonedo in Galicia.

I’m travelling as light as I can so I’m constantly off-loading things that I no longer need, il keep doing this until the end. 

It being Sunday, iv noticed that I’m carting about some ‘Rosemary’ beads that seem to have been pretty ineffective up to now. The nuns in Leon were pretty unimpressed, so was the old Padre in Oviedo and a bloke in a cloak had a look, laughed, and told me they were out of date and haven’t been accepted anywhere since 1972?? WTF?? I’m thinking that when I turn up in Santiago and the top monk sees me rolling in on a Brompton wearing nothing but some out of date, second hand Rosemary beads, he’s gonna think I’m a right tosser!

As I sit quaffing a nice Rioja to ease the old hairy, aching sticks I realise that I have arrived in Galicia.

I went to a lovely beach but as Morrissey quite rightly put it, there’s no fun “trudging slowly over wet sand”

“Everyday is like Sunday

Everyday is silent and grey”

Double whammy for ‘The Smiths’ fans, and the ones that should be…Classic indie from ‘Viva Hate’ at its very best!

Cemetery Gates…

Day 16 on the Camino de Santiago - Norte Route along the coast.

It was overcast but dry at least for this mornings ride, heading off to have a gander at what is widely considered to be one of the most panoramic ceremonial burial grounds in Europe. Perched high on a cliff edge, above Luarca harbour, this impressive graveyard has stunning views out to sea for the dead folk to lie back and enjoy.

Loads more hills again today, they are relentless and I’m still 220km off Santiago de Compostela.

To put it into perspective, when these impressive viaducts go over my head, I have to go down one side then up the other…eat/sleep/repeat!

A quick tally up from Strava shows iv racked up about 500 miles/800km on the Brompton so far.

 

Tonight’s albergue doesn’t look like it’s up to my usual standard!

“A dreaded sunny day,

So I meet you at the cemetery gates,

Keats and Yeats are on your side,

While Wilde is on mine..”

Got to crowbar a Smiths track in on this journey, I’m sure this cemetery is better than the one in Salford, Mozzer!

King of the kerb….

Day 15- From Aviles to Soto de Luina.
Asturias

(æˈstʊərɪˌæs)

noun

A region and former kingdom of NW Spain consisting of a coastal plain(means rain) and the Cantabrian Mountains : with loads of bloody hills!

Just to clear things up for the elderly, I’m still doing the Camino de Santiago but when I got to Leon, I decided to extend it to take in the Camino San Salvador and then link to the Camino del Norte now to Santiago.

It was a damp morning start again from the albergue and there were more hills than I really wanted, but hey ho, today I’m heading for the coast. 

When I finally saw the Bay of Biscay I had descended into the small fishing port of Cudillero and also found some sunshine at last!

I settled for an octopus and Sidre lunch in the harbour before ascending with said lunch sloshing around on my way back up. I have to say, after 2 weeks in the saddle, I have thighs like steel. I reckon I could easily grip a slimy octopus and hold it for at least twenty minutes…maybe I should have suggested this at the restaurant and got a free lunch??

All over Asturias I have kept seeing cool little wooden houses raised up on what looked like staddlestones, so I was intrigued to find out more about them.

Hórreos and Paneras: These are iconic, small wooden structures raised on pillars (pegollos), originally designed to store food, keeping it dry and safe from rodents.

Construction: They are built using chestnut or oak wood, often designed to fit together without nails, bolts, or screws, demonstrating advanced traditional carpentry.

Features: They frequently feature wooden balconies and slate hipped roofs (for hórreos) or gable roofs (for paneras).

Repurposing: Many are now being restored and converted into tiny, unique, rustic summer cabins or guest houses.

Anyway, suns out so I need to get to tonight’s albergue, get the laundry done and nip down the local bike wash!

I always used to get ‘Sleeper’ and ‘Echobelly’ mixed up so here is one of them indie guitar bands from the 90’s for today’s blog track. 

Astray…

 

Day 14 - On the Camino de Santiago from Oviedo to Aviles.

My epiphany has come to fruition, the detour to the Asturias region has changed my conception of Spain, its lush in many ways, (probably due to all the bloody rain) very agricultural and much better, friendlier people and the food…Jeez, iv been blown away with the local produce, the portions, the quality, the taste and the value served with an unpretentious attitude.

I even sptted another brother from a different mother…a boaters bike!

Iv learnt to trust Velo2 directions, brilliant for finding cycle ways and short cuts, through parks and back passages, but I thought I’d been led astray today and taken a wrong turn somewhere when I arrived here…?

Through this unassuming wooden door was like going up the ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ into a wonderful world known as ‘Sideria’.

In here I experienced delightful regional cider, that was traditionally served and tasted fantastic so then couldn’t resist indulging myself in a kilo of pork ribs …don’t usually take pics of food, out of principle, but this was basically what was left….delicious!

This bicigrino will sleep like an angel tonight.

Eggcelent service David O??

A bit of John Bramwell (Aka I am Kloot) with a mellow end the day track for you to enjoy-this fella is a proper singer songwriter.