Berres to Lugo

So today admits the reality that was everyone getting up at 6.30am to do the hospitales and me sitting with that dull burning ache in my foot still, I realised the prospect of the unforeseen promised land was not in my future.

My feet, beat up as they were weren't mending quickly enough, and to top that off the feasibility of avoiding time constraints was no longer possible.

As I said bye to Felix and Nico, the two Germans I'd done most of my walking with, I started to consider my options. One possible solution, was a bus from Tineo to Oviedo to Lugo, 19 hours round robin, so that was shot.

So the one I took was part cost of the taxi.

One of the other hikers was still unsure with their knee and so figured on going to Grandes De Salime and waiting for her party to catch up a day or two later.

It worked for me, we bundled all the stuff that had been forgotten in the 6am scramble, and dropped it off at Berducedo in the hopes that owner and lost property were reunited.

It was the best we could do in the situation. And then on over the beautiful Asturias. Gonzalo was kind enough to stop and let us take pictures. And I was partly thankful I didn't havd to walk this stretch in my current condition, partly pissed because of how amazingly epic the landscape was.

Truly wild country, where cattle had run of mountain top, wild flowers abloom eaking out a living in the unforgiving surroundings, and the sights of the foggy valleys below.

My heart ached a little bit, and I cursed my feet and bad luck.

I will be back to do this stretch of the primitivo again one day, and be better prepared for it when I do.

Thanks to my patrons, Brendan Mills, Renee Rushbrook, Carlos Ara.