Last day of this mini-camino. After the flat walk along the valley floor yesterday, this walk started with a gentle stroll and then started climbing out of the valley. The way takes you over three hills, each less steep as you near Oviedo.
The last part of the walk was my favourite, leaving the motorway behind and making the second climb into a lush landscape. On crossing the last hill, one is then presented with Oviedo in the distance.
So all that remained was to collect one's certificate of completion. On arriving at the cathedral one was spared the normal 4 euro entrance fee in honour of one's pilgrimage. A nice gesture. One is sent through to the gift shop at the back where a chap then duly issued a "Salvadorana" (I'm pretty sure that word doesn't exist) for the very reasonable fee of...4 euros.
The next morning there was a flight from Aviles but before then I thought it would be nice to visit the Naranco churches on the North side of Oviedo. I had come here on the Primitivo in 2016 and had been disappointed to find them closed. However they were definitely going to be open today so I taxi'ed up there in good time. And they were open. But only to pre-booked visitors and although I tried to push in with the crowd I was spotted and thrown out.
Never mind, one day I will get in. Hope it's worth it.
So this was a mini-Camino of just 125km. But well well worth doing. The scenery is magnificent and the walking, if spread over 5 or 6 days is very manageable. I could do this one again....
Love,
Nick, a pilgrim
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