19th stage Gijon to Sallinas

And once again it's time to say goodbye to Gijon. A real tip with a special flair. And that's what characterizes this city. The signs for the pilgrims are not sprayed or painted in yellow on the walls, no, on the sidewalks there are shells made of metal, very discreet, but also directional. And cyclists also have their fun in this city, as the network is well developed.

At the beginning of the tour, you go straight through the whole city, reminds me of Bilbao, and just like there, industry is located in the outskirts, a lot of industry. Arcor Mittal seems to be a significant employer in the region, and unfortunately the facilities also dominate almost the entire path of this stage. You can't look to the left or right, the image is the same.

There are only a few exceptions. The pumpkins are huge, so are the mushrooms, I haven't tried either ---- safety first. Industrial areas and their not so nice appearance are also part of a pilgrimage tour, just like in life, these routes also have to be walked.

On the way, I meet my 2 friends, Francisco and Michael, again, without an appointment in a WhatsApp group. We have the same interests and the same goal.

But! ...... I already use WhatsApp quite intensively during my tour to stay in touch with my friends.

Arriving at the entrance to the stage destination, Aviles, I meet the two again. They sit on a bench and discuss. Francisco has a fixed plan for the Camino, recorded on 3 DIN A4 pages, extremely small described. He stays here, as it says in the plan. Michael has already booked accommodation in Sallinas and will continue to there.

And me?... I'll have a lunch break first. Afterwards, I also decide to walk the remaining 5km to Sallinas because.... the coast and the beach are tempting.

As I walk through the center of Aviles, I have to apologize. The city center is very beautiful, which was not to be expected at the entrance, but I made a different decision.

In the early afternoon, I reach Sallinas. My accommodation is (again) a surfer hostel. It's not very busy here at the moment. Judging by the group picture on the wall, it's very different in summer.

On the beach, I meet up with Michael. We have a Cortado or a beer, chat, and make plans to have dinner together tonight. The restaurants only offer dinner from 8:00 p.m., and we want to end the evening there.