Jackie & Matt's Camino Adventure (Part 2) Day 16

What happened on the Camino ... Day 16 (El Camino Part 2)

Jackie Jarvis author of Quick Wins in Sales and Marketing and her partner Matthew Wright are walking the famous Camino de Santiago de Compostella otherwise known as the Way of St James. This is our daily blog recounting our experiences on the way. 

Our writing styles are as different as the perspectives they give you. We hope you enjoy reading this. There will be a blog for every day of our journey. 

From UK to Asturias, by bus to Oviedo and then by train to Leon

Jackie: We had to get up really early (3.30am) to catch our flight to Asturias for the second leg of our Camino Journey. Still in work mode, Matt and I chatted in the car to the airport. I need to let go of all this stuff I thought to myself, anticipating the memory of what it was like on the Camino when we left in May. 

I need some peace, an escape back to myself, a time just to let myself be. I know Matt needs this too, having recently been through a fairly tough intense time dealing with some important matters in his life. I hope he can find some comfort in the rhythm of the Camino journey. 

I will let Matt take over here as he is so much better than me at detailing the events of the day, plus he started his blog earlier than me today! I just had to have a sleep on the train to Leon, whilst he was typing away. 

So over to Matt ... I will be back ...

Matt: I'd thought we had loads of time when we arrived at Stanstead at the ungodly hour of 5:15am. However, as it happened we didn't even have time for a coffee (or a pee) as we navigated the vagaries of the long-term parking (note: K18 in case I forget), over-sized baggage (my rucksack 10.8kg, Jackie's 12.2kg....more of that later) and the labyrinthine security queues (guess who was stopped for a full search having 'forgotten' to remove her belt?) 

The first sign that the Camino probably wasn't going to be as gloriously sunny as when we'd left it 3 months' ago was when the pilot announced that we'd be adopting a holding pattern above Asturias airport owing to low-lying fog. Fog, in August, at 10am?! Yup, you'd better believe it, albeit warm fog with high humidity, so akin to sitting in a steam room....fully-dressed with a rucksack and walking boots. 

A 45 minute bus ride deposited us at Oveido bus station, and after a spectacularly unhelpful visit to the information booth ('Excuse me - can you please tell me where we are?', 'In Oviedo', 'Whereabouts in Oviedo please?', [deep sigh] 'Close to the centre'.....hmmm, you get the picture) we found the station and from there walked along the Calle Uria to the old town where it started to get better. There was a street festival taking place involving traditional Asturian bagpipers & folk dancers - more tuneful than the usual Scottish stuff, and with much better costumes, like a cross between Robin Hood and extras from a low-budget sci-fi B-movie.

Lovely 3-course set lunch (€10.9 Lizarran Oviedo) near Plaza el Fonton on a table overlooking the market with the afore-mentioned Asturian bagpipers performing various march pasts (or 'blow bys'?). This got us into the Spanish vibe (which had been sorely lacking at 6:15am whilst standing in a Stanstead security queue) and suddenly the Camino felt close at hand. Luckily the glass of red wine was even closer, so we boarded the 2:36pm train (1st class daahling...only €4 more expensive than 2nd but Jackie doesn't know that!) replete and rather sleepy.

Jackie: I am back now finally feeling refreshed and sitting in a little Spanish Tapas bar in Leon just waiting for my gambas aioli .. just enjoying a glass of Spanish Rose. I am starting to feel a little more pilgrim like having carried my heavy back pack a little way today. Matt has just gone through the plan he has put together. It is fantastic not only does he speak Spanish but he is also great at all the logistics.

I just tend to go with the flow when I travel so I am more than happy to follow Matt's little plan. Although the fact that he has 33km planned for tomorrow is a little concerning considering the amount of walking training I have not done over the last 3 months.  

Anyway I am just looking forward to getting started. It will be great just being outside all day. 

Leon is lovely, full of character and steeped in history. I do like Northern Spain ... it has a good vibe. We had good walk round after supper ending up having an ice cream in the square. (it would be rude not too!) At least I know I will be walking it off tomorrow! So off to bed now ... need plenty of sleep ... ready to re join el Camino!

Catch up with Jackie and Matt's adventure Camino Day 17 click here now

Walking the Camino to support The Sue Ryder Hospice in Nettlebed

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