Start: Oviedo
End: Gijon
Distance: 0 feet (0 meters) by foot. 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) by bus.
Quote/Poem: “Rest and be thankful!” ~ Title of a Poem by William Wordsworth ~ https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/the-complete-poetical-works-4/xiii-rest-and-be-thankful/
Musings: We had a lovely, slow morning in Oviedo. Carol suggested that we walk to the Cathedral—just a few blocks from our hostel—to enjoy some cafe con leche in the Cathedral’s sunny square this morning. At first glance, the Cathedral still appeared to be closed but then I noticed an open side door. We were happy to have the opportunity to see the beautiful artwork and icons inside before we needed to leave for Gijon. The Cathedral at Oviedo is without doubt the most spectacular cathedral we’ve had the privilege to visit on this trip. The art work inside—some of which dates back to the 13th Century—and the devotion to faith it embodies is simply awe-inspiring. It was a lovely way to spend a quiet, reflective, and restful morning.
Following a brief interlude in which I was recruited by a street band in Oviedo (photo below), we hopped on the bus back to Gijon and quickly checked into our hotel. We chatted at lunch with four lovely British nationals who were in Gijon as part of a cruise, walked the old town a bit, and Carol dipped her toes into the Atlantic. (I did not feel so compelled because it was a bit chilly today and rained intermittently too.)
We are presently having a quiet, early dinner in our hotel, and I think we will feel ready to start the remainder of the Camino del Norte in the morning. One caveat though, Carol has developed a bit of bursitis in her left knee. We bought a small bag of frozen veggies, and she’s veggie-icing it now. Hopefully, that will ease the inflammation and her knee will be doing better in the morning.
So tomorrow we are off to Santiago—albeit with many more stops along the way. We still hope to arrive in Santiago on June 9th.
Until tomorrow, here are the photos for today:
Photo credit here goes to Carol.
The image of El Salvador (The Savior), after whom the Catedral de San Salvador in Oviedo is named, is a 13th Century, polychrome stone sculpture. With his right hand he blesses and in his left hand he holds the cosmic orb symbolizing his universality. This icon has particular significance to many pilgrims following the Camino Primitivo. The Primitivo begins at the Cathedral in Oviedo and, like the others, ends at the Compostela de Santiago. The Primitivo is the oldest of the Caminos and was originally walked by King Alfonso II. Pope John Paul II prayed at the feet of El Salvador when he visited the cathedral in 1989.
After our visit to the Cathedral, I was briefly inducted into a street musician band as a percussionist specializing in the tambourine. It’s nice to know I’ll have something to fall back on if the current debt ceiling shenanigans blow up our economy! Photo credit of course goes to Carol.
Back in Gijon.
This last photo is for our friend, Linda. She wanted to see the wooden, hand-carved scallop shells that Carol and I attached to the back of our daypacks. Many pilgrims hang scallop shells on their backpacks as a symbol of Camino.
Every cathedral has a good story.
Take care, pilgrims...
🥰 Love your scallop shells. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you were able to take the opportunity to enjoy Orviedo and slow down for a few days. Beautiful old city! The church, the market-those cheeses!! Yummmm!!
Carol-sending up healing prayers for your knee!!🙏 and for continued strength and health for both of you as you travel your final stretch!
💞L