I left Sn Vicente as early as I could, which was perhaps not as early as I might have liked. I waited for breakfast, but was on my way shortly after 08:00. I headed straight out on the road, going up and over the hill, and the little village of La Acebosa came into view.
I went straight through the village without stopping. Immediately after, there follows a steep hill. On the way, I came across something left by another traveler, one Russell Martin Kenny. It seems that Mr. Kenny came this way earlier in the year and decided to leave a note on a bench. While I am all for leaving one’s mark on the world, this is not the way to do it. Mr. Kenny has surely long since reached Santiago, or not, but this defacement of the route remains. Tread lightly on this world. It is the only one we have got.
The hill was steep but not long, and I was soon over it and down the other side. The camino then joins what seems like a major road, with busy traffic, and several times, I had to step in to the side as cars sped past me. But along the way, the mountains to the west seem to have come closer. They appeared through a gap in the hedge, not a tistand vista now, but real, and close. There followed a couple of small villages: Hortigal and Estrada. The camino leaves the road at Estrada and follows a small lane to the little village of Serdio. Serdio has a small bar where the fridge held cool water, just what I needed at that stage.
After Serdio, the route continues to follow local lanes and roads westward. At Munorrodero, it turns north and crosses the Rio Nansa before resuming its westward direction again. There is nothing of note for several kilometers until reaching the little town of Unquera. I stopped there for a beer, waving to fellow pilgrims as they passed.
And then it was on again, up the hill to reach Colombres. This little town is a pleasant place, and is home to some houses of “Indianos”, Spaniards who made their fortunes in the Americas and settled back home with their wealth. The local church was open, but didn’t offer a stamp for my pilgrim passport, which is unfortunate. I am diligently making sure to get at last one each day. The church does have some good stained glass windows, as the one dedicated to St. Cecilia shows. She is the patron saint of music, something that is well embodied in her window here.
Colombres is also where I stopped for lunch, and a very good lunch it was too. Salad started, meat and chips main course, ice cream dessert, and a bottle of wine, all for €10.50. Viva Espana!
From Colombres, the route heads at first westwards again, and then turns north towards the coast. One variant follows the road, but what seems like a more popular route goes right out to the cliff edge, and that is the way that I went.
The clifftop route eventualls winds its way back to safer land, and two routes rejoin near the little village of Buelnes, and that is where I spent the night.
And finally, my step count for the day is 37,864.
Walkingman 