The high road

Tineo to Campiela
Our first easy on el Camino primitivo was lovely. We cheated a little (well, maybe a lot) by taking a bus that covered three days of the walk. We walked gradually uphill for 5 or 6 k but the scenery was so beautiful we barely noticed the ascent. We arrived at the tiny village of Campiela to stay at a great hostel. We had dinner with a reasl international crowad of  pilgrims..Dutch, Slovakian, Taiwanese, and British. There was homemade wine, soup, bean and sausage stew, chicken a potatoes, and then dessert. What a feast.
Campiela to Berducedo
Wow! I have never seen anything like this. We had a 360 degree view of the mountains. We followed one of the hardest and most ancient routes..Ruta de los hospitales. Hospital means hotel for pilgrims. There are no villages here, just ancient ruins of hostels from the 13th century and cows. I could imagine medieval pilgrims following this way  through the mountains and being just as awed as us with the scenery.

As marvelous as it was, it was a long hard path and we dragged ourselves in to town after walking 9 hours and collapsed into bed. Unfortunately this hostel seemed to attract snorers. Even earplugs couldn't silence the unlovely chorus. Oh well, that's one of the burden oa pilgrim past and present.