8. Stage Camino del Norte from Boo de Piélagos to Santillana del Mar

I really didn't sleep well last night. Every time I turned in bed, the bed made strange noises.

Actually, I had planned to take a rest day there, but I just wanted to leave.

In my Camino apps, I looked at the further route, and the plan was to walk to Viveda today.

Shortly after 8:00 AM, I was on the road and followed the yellow arrow. The app indicated that I should take the second exit at the roundabout. However, the path was blocked because there was a construction fence, and the Camino sign was covered with a trash bag. Hmm, what now? I went back to the accommodation and started again, maybe I had made a mistake. Nope, I was standing in front of the construction site for the second time. I was slightly annoyed. Well, this is a great start! Suddenly, a mountain biker came by and rode past the construction fence and over the construction site. I thought I could do that too and just walked across the construction site. Fortunately, there were no construction workers in sight at that time. ;-) I quickly left the construction site behind me, and now followed a fantastic path along the river. That made up for the messed-up start right away 😉.

Since it was still relatively early, the river looked very calm. I thought it looked incredibly beautiful, and you could only hear the chirping of the birds. Fortunately, the Camino followed the river for quite a while. At the end, I passed through a small village. There, I first enjoyed a delicious coffee and stocked up on water for the day.

After leaving the village, I walked past a forest and fields. Of course, always up hill, what else could it be, but I have to get this off my chest. Since I live in W., inclines are no longer a problem for me, but even if they are no longer a problem, I still find flat stretches more pleasant ;-).

A French pilgrim came up to me and greeted me warmly. When I looked at him, I was totally startled. He looked like he had lost a fight. He saw my shocked expression and then laughingly told me that he had fallen two days ago and broken his nose. I was really surprised at how casually he talked about it. It looked like he wouldn't need surgery. That's why he's continuing the entire Camino to Santiago. We walked together for a good distance, both of us excited about the landscape. In the next village, I discovered a small bistro. I had promised myself to always take breaks and wished the Frenchman a great Camino. Then he was gone. I really enjoyed my break. I stayed outside in front of the bistro and watched the happenings in the little village. I was very satisfied, and so I continued my journey. Shortly after the village, there was a longer farm road, and suddenly, there was a very fresh foal, so cute and wobbly on its thin legs. After that lovely moment, I encountered a less beautiful stretch.

I walked past railway tracks and a small stream. In the end, I had to cross the tracks via a rather unusual staircase. A somewhat larger village followed. Here, I stopped right at the first bar and sat down with two other pilgrims. They were a very nice couple from GB. They told me they had to walk to Santillana del Mar. They had already booked their hotel there. Paul said that it was a beautiful old town and that it would be worth staying overnight there. I should consider it. The two said goodbye to me and continued walking. I stayed a little longer and chatted with two older locals. That was really fun - with hands and feet -!

At some point, I also set off. It was a long stretch now past an industrial area, and just behind that lay Viveda. Hm, I didn't have to think long, and I was still fit, so off to Santillana del Mar. I followed the Camino on the road in Viveda. It wasn't pretty. But fortunately, a pizzeria came just in time, and I ordered a pizza. Then it was on to the final stretch with a full belly. Only four more kilometers. I walked on the sidewalk and wondered if the village to the left was S.d.M. I only saw the slope and was looking forward to the descent. Oh noooooo, I didn’t have to go left, but straight ahead. I had to go uphill all the way into S.d.M.

By the way, I quickly booked a hotel in the pizzeria.

I found my accommodation easily and quickly. After checking in, I had to lie down on the bed and rest for a bit. Wow, I was exhausted! Today was really a beautiful stage. In total, it was 22.3 kilometers long, and it was always uphill and rarely downhill. Oh, and an outdoor thermometer showed 29 degrees, yuck ;-(! Far too hot!!!

Best regards

Anke