Inspired observations gained from my travels up and down, matched to an eclectic music track of my choice (probably indie/soul) and made into a quirky blog from this old recalcitrant
rɪˈkalsɪtr(ə)nt
Lancastrian
adjective
1. having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards authority or discipline.
1. a person with a recalcitrant attitude.
"a stiff-necked recalcitrant and troublemaker"
Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable.
Franz Kafka.
Next trip coming very, very soon….
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!
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.
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.
Day 2 - Camino del San Salvador from Pajares to Oviedo.
Started the day with a flat, luckily it was before I set off, but being the rear, this was the awkward one, especially with new tyres on. Dry day though!
Headed down all the hairpin bends following the river and almost into Oviedo until I had issues with the chain tensioner. All sorted and then had an afternoon looking around the old parts of town and then got my certificate of achievement signed by the Padre at tonight’s digs in the Albergue de Peregrinos El Salvador…I’m going to be curing lepers soon!!
Famous for cider(sidra) here apparently.
Did think of joining this fine institution while I was here but on second glance, I’d read it wrong….
Going to go with ‘The Bends’ by Radiohead just cos it’s easy, an amazing track, and I’m tired, Yeah, I know you thought it was going to be a Smith’s track.
Yesterday, in Leon town, while out drinking the monks brew at 8.5% I had, what can only be described as, an epiphany.
The rain clouds parted and an old gravelly voice boomed out(Monty Pythonesque)…
Ola, Peregrino!
“Your little hairy sticks are rested and strong,
Your poncho is watertight,
And your Brompton is in fine fettle,
You must head north and follow the way of San Salvador,
Through the pissing rain,
He will guide you to salvation!”
From Leon, there starts another Camino that goes north up into the Cantabrian mountains to then descend into Asturias down to Oviedo. So I went to see the nuns in the convent to register for my credentials. I offered to show them my Brompton but they didn’t seem interested.
So today, off I went…Camino number 2.
No wiffy in the hills so il post more pics tomorrow…
El Salvador was a track off ‘Athlete’s’ debut album in 2003. Saw them the following year in Preston Guildhall and their support band was ‘Snow Patrol’.
After yesterday’s delightful tour of the bars and the Cathedral, I woke up to the sound of rain bucketting it down, overflowing the gutters and pouring off the roof, so decided to stay put today.
Leon is a lovely city anyway and worth a look round.
…and there is another plan forming!
First, I nipped down the local bike shop to treat ‘Brommie’ to some new brakes as the downhills had got pretty close wearing them out. Back at the hostel, out came the borrowed bucket for a wash and service, cleaning the frame, chain-set and then re-oiling everything that moves.
After a massage and oil he was now ready to play out with the big boys again!
I can’t not pick a ‘Kings of Leon’ track for today as I’m spending it in Leon, so I’ve gone for an early tune, off the 2nd album, when KOL were blindingly good…and made the floor bounce in the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool as I remember back in 2007!
As wet as an otters pocket again today but I was determined to make it to Leon on a boring section. I donned my massive fashionable Decathalon ful length poncho (u may laff) and only stopped a couple of times on the way, happy to sit warmly inside the billowing bag of tranquility, with the music in my lugs and just kept on pedalling. I passed the lines of waterlogged druids, marching/squelching on to their pre determined salvation in Santiago. The poor sinners are dropping like flies…I hear.
Even the horses had long faces.
On the up side, I arrived early into Leon, checked in and went out for an afternoon sesh of local beer/tapas/wine/tapas/wine/raciones/wine…etc.etc….eat/sleep/repeat, pilgrim free time. They do the bars so well here,every drink ordered, served with tapas and then my ‘racione’ of the famous hand-cut ‘Cecina de Leon’ jamon was superb.
Still some bars I was afraid to enter…🤔
Garbage for tonight’s track…it’s been a dreadful/restful day but if the sun doesn’t start to shine I might be turning right tomorrow!
