Navia (Spain) | The Transition Nears - Day 112

The coast of Spain has some fantastic bridges. Unfortunately, this one is older and no longer being used, but the Interstate bridges are unique!

Day 27 takes me from Canero to Navia. The sage is 29 km (18.5 mi) and has a difficult climb leaving Canero, followed by another that reaches 185 m (606 ft) halfway through the day.

It is pouring rain when I leave the hotel at 730 am. The Camino passes behind the hotel and immediately climbs while traveling a small timber stand. I left my headlamp in my rucksack, so I use the light on my phone to help me see the trail. I can't wait for daylight to break through the darkness. This is a massive pain in the ass to hike this way. Finally, ten kilometers (6.5 mi) later, around 930 am, the rain lets up as I walk into Luarca. Wow! I was not expecting this beautiful scenic port. 

After grabbing a couple of pastries, I resume the Camino. Damn it! The Camino is on the street behind me, and I need to double back. I find it hard to navigate the Camino in cities sometimes. The roads in Luarca are close together, the signs not prominent, and it is easy for me to take the wrong one. But, no harm, no foul, it allows me to finish my pastries. The view looking down on Luarca from the other side is lovely.

Shortly after leaving Luarca, I encounter a group of Asian Peregrinos. The only ones I've seen since Sung, the Korean man I invited for coffee in Llanes. As I pass by, I say, "Good Morning, speak English?" It's a minor gamble. I doubt Spanish is their native tongue. I see the eyes of the lady closest to me light up, "Yes. It's so good to speak English." I strike up a conversation with the group of 8 who are traveling from Singapore together. They all started at different points (e.g., San Sebastian, Gijón, etc.). Constance speaks the best English and walks near my pace, so we continue on ahead of her friends. We part ways when the rain starts and reach an intersection about 20 minutes later. "I need to wait for my friends. You can continue on," she says. I wish her a Buen Camino and resume my solitary walk in the rain.

The rain is heavy this morning. I wonder if this is when I finally have to walk all day in the rain. I've been blessed with loads of sunshine thus far, and even when the forecast called for rain, it was short-lived. The rain eventually stops. About 15 minutes later, just as my rain gear starts to dry, it resumes. My feet are soaked, but the rest of me is dry and warm. I enjoy walking in the rain. It isn't great for taking pictures, but I find it peaceful, as long as I am not cold. My rain gear does a great job of keeping me dry, so I never have to worry about being cold.

I never tire of seeing these granaries. Constance told me that if you buy a place with a granary like this in Spain, it is against the law to destroy or remove the building in this region. They are considered historic buildings. I love that Spain chose to protect the granaries while they were abundant. Too many times, people choose only to conserve things when they are rare. This is the major problem with wildlife conservation in North America. Only rare and vanishing species draw our attention. The exceptions are exploited species, like deer, elk, moose, pronghorn, game birds, and waterfowl.

I love the colors of this little church and the stained glass windows on the sides. The Camino del Norte has an abundance of these tiny churches. The Camino passes through many small towns, and most lack grocery stores or restaurants, but I can always find a church. 

The inverted Y-support on this bridge makes it unique. It is common for the Interstate to pass on these high-rise bridges in this region. Each bridge is unique, and many are several hundred feet up.

I spend the day walking in solitude in and out of the rain. Then, when the rain quits, I usually find something interesting to take photos of. The Camino passes to the right and behind this church. 

Around 3 pm, I finally look down onto the town of Navia, my destination for the night. Unfortunately, the rain has not let up for more than 20 minutes today. It hasn't rained all day continuously, but I have not taken my rain gear off either.

Once at the Albergue, the usual Peregrino routine begins after check-in, except today, I have to deal with wet gear too. First, my shoes. I fill them with crumbled-up newspaper. Then, check in and get my usual Peregrino sheets. It's hard to call them sheets. It is a disposable white cloth that is thinner than a cheap tablecloth. Then the host shoes me to a bed, where I place the supper thin sheets from the bag onto a mattress with a rubberized mattress cover. Once that is done, then I shower. Depends on how many Peregrinos are here and the number of showers available. This Albergue has both men's and women's bathrooms. This hasn't been common thus far. I find this lightens the burden on facilities. Today, I'll add a load of laundry to the routine, which includes finding a laundry buddy. Then I spend some time preparing for tomorrow's stage. This includes making reservations for my rucksack and calculating the distances I want to walk. After, I spend my time writing before heading to dinner around 8-830 pm, depending on the city.

Tomorrow, I've decided to do a short stage. I considered doing another 30+ km day, but I am not feeling it. I am struggling a bit with letting go of the group in front of me. Ivo pinged me after arriving to see where I was. I am not gaining on them, despite the big days I have done. Borja also pinged me. He is planning to arrive in Santiago on October 1. He's crushing it. I remember I let Borja go when I last saw him in Portugalete. Maybe I need to do the same with the others. I feel caught between the cities I want to be in and the distances I want to do to enjoy the Camino. I know I can't have it both ways, yet I hang on. Like this old building in Navia, I am hanging on to something from the past.

For dinner, I find a Sideria. In a few days, I won't find Sidra in Galacia, so I might as well take advantage of it. I have already checked it is available stateside. The cost is 3-4 times what it costs here in Spain, but it should suffice when I need a fix.