Navia
Up and out. I have a cup of tea and a croissant on the way out of town; the market is just setting up and I stop to buy some fruit. Some produce looks home grown and I wish I could buy some real salad.
I have to cross the river to leave town and then it's a stiff climb up out of the valley with good views looking back. The timber mill makes an elegant plume of steam into a pale blue sky. It's going to be a hot day.
A new Camino sign to follow
After 10km I cross a small river and have the choice to detour from the Camino along the coastal path. Almost immediately a wonderfully azure sea appears and then I turn inland to follow a small fast-flowing river for a while; the path is dappled with circles of light filtered through sweet-chestnut leaves. It's cool in the woods. There's an old mill race and derelict mill.
Woodland walk
I arrive at the albergue at Tapia de Casariego about 3.30pm. It's right on the coast overlooking an amazing cove with off-shore rocks and a small pebbly beach. There's an old washing-shed, a well and a stream flowing into the sea. A watery place.
View from the albergue terrace
Paul the Swiss guy has already arrived and a Polish girl who is walking Eastwards, which must be tricky because all the yellow arrows point to Santiago.
A Scottish couple who I met somewhere earlier arrive but they decide to find a hotel on inspecting the state of the sheets; pretty dirty. They have volunteered as Hospitaleros and can spot the tell-tale deposits of bedbugs! I'm trusting the perythyn in my bug-sheet; for better or worse!
On the coast path
I walk the short distance into the town and report the state of the bedding to the Tourist Office who manage the albergue. They blame the pilgrims! But I hope they sort it out.
Practice night
It's a small seaside town and I wonder around for a bit; there's a school bagpipe band practicing in the basement of the town hall.
The supermarket supplies my supper and a picnic for tomorrow and then I go to mass at 8pm. Then pop into a bar and make a wifi call home; the wonders of technology!
I warm up my can of Esturian bean stew- delicious with a tomato and cucumber salad and eat it overlooking the cove listening to the roar of the surf. Paul says that this is his place; it does have a powerful atmosphere.
