Austuria - Gijon

Continuing from Playa de Nora, the rain lets up. We walked another 8km to the outskirts of Gijon. The start was a brutal 100m ascent that was immediately rewarded with spectacular views! The pathway on which we walked was gorgeous but very slippery at times. Grandpa got a fast pass, avoiding the grueling climb, and we met up with him 30 minutes into our trek. We traveled through sleepy outcropping of homes, an occasional dog barking its warning, a wandering cat, a vocal bird - but mostly we were alone on this path. The ocean was our companion, and along the way we discovered parks with modern art sculptures, flowers and amazing vistas. As we passed a campground, we knew we were getting close to our destination. Again, Mario this time sitting on a picnic table patiently awaits our arrival. The boys find a fun sand play place with a metal digger and running water and occupy their time until the rest arrive. It's 3:30 and time for lunch....

Austuria - Playa de Nora

Today we woke to rain. Our guides, both native Austurians, tell us that Austurians go to the mountains even when it isn't raining. The first part of today's adventure was a 4.5km trek to Playa de Nora. It was a constant rain and we walked through muddy ruts paved by mountain bikes. A few mountain bike riders passed us and they were covered in mud all the way up their shirts. This was a technical walk because the ground was uneven and very muddy. The boys were moving quickly and I stayed with them...which meant we got some distance ahead of Tom, Hank, Grandpa, and Jorge. Soon the path narrowed, we became encased by trees, and were alone. It was an eerie feeling trudging along in the dim light hearing the rain drops pelting, the squish of foot meeting mud, and your own breathing. You begin to doubt that you took the correct fork in the road although the trail is well marked. The plaque announcing the presence of wild boar brings no comfort. Suddenly, I am leading with the boys trailing in close proximity. Then, the trees give way and we breathe easier. We see the ocean but even more welcoming is the outline of Mario in the distance and his infectious grin that we can already sense.

Picnic in Ribadesella

This is where we enjoyed our lunch today.

La Vega

We decided to stop in La Vega, a villa situated on the beach. Red umbrellas cover the inviting tables at this outdoor cafe/bar. Kyle & Bryce quickly jumped on the teeter-totter while Connor searched for an aseos that met his preference (the one here was just a hole in the ground).

Back on the Camino

Today we only did a small stretch of the Camino from Ribadesella to La Vega. Visited caves in Ribadesella which are thought to have the earliest examples of Paleolithic artwork in the world. Afterwards, we were treated to a picnic lunch. Then we forgo the afternoon leg of the Camino in favor of the beach (Bob and Hank chose to go another couple kilometers while we enjoyed a swim).

In the picture here, you can see the yellow arrow marking "the way" as we began our decent into La Vega.

Man vs Mussel

The moment before Bryce tries a mussel!

Dinner in Ribadesella

Last night we had a seafood dinner. Mussels, monk fish, tuna and anchovies (pictured below). Connor tried everything of course. The real shocker was to see Bryce joining in!

Day 2: Picos de Europa - A motley crew

Pictured below: Our guides (Mario & Jorge), Grandpa & Tom. This was taken after the hike. Grandpa proved that slow and steady wins the race! This was a moderately strenuous hike with a 300m ascent in about 2km to get to the first summit. Grandpa made it there - over uneven trails with slippery rock and gravel. Not bad for an 85-year-old who was last seen doing oruco shots the night before.

Day 2: Picos de Europa - Group and goat

Day 2: Picos de Europa - Kyle and a goat

Day 2: Picos de Europa - hike with a view

This picture doesn't do it justice.

Day 2: Picos de Europa - Goats

Today we hiked 2 hours out and 2 hours back. Out was a continuous uphill climb until the point denoted by the sign pictured below. Then beyond was a gradual downhill then mostly even winding along the ridge. The trail was wide enough for two but we did most of it single file for fear of the sheer drop to certain death. The further we went into the gorge the more beautiful it became. At one point we were overcome by goats ... Kyle was very pleased by this! Our guides packed us a lunch which was amazing - sandwich of fresh cheese (like a spread) walnuts, raisins and lettuce, sandwich of jamon and cheese, apple/pear, juice, snack bar. What a tiring but nice day! More pictures after this one. Now we are back on the coast in a town east of Gijon. We will leave at 9pm for a fish dinner.

Picos de Europa (1 of 3)

View from our hotel.

We are staying in Picos de Europa national park in a town called Tama. Today we drove 20k to Fuente De to take the cable car up the mountain. From there we walked about 6km up a gradual hill to an overlook and a snowy area. After this we had lunch in a town called Potes. Up the hill from there is a monastery we visited before walking back to Tama (~4km).

I'll post pictures of the cable car trip in other posts.