So I hike somewhere between six and seven miles and this Spanish man stops me and says "Peregrino?" and I reply, "Sí" and he says "Primitivo?" and confidently I say "Sí." He begins to shake his head and point me the way that I came. It just cannot be. I have followed the arrows and I simply can't be wrong. Yep! You guessed it. Wrong! Seems there are two Caminos leading out of Oviedo and one goes south to somewhere else. Well, he didn't speak any English but I have learned to trust the locals when they tell me to go back. I turn around to head back to Oviedo but not quiet as peppy as I had been. I sent up one of those arrow prayers that I need help and this is where the Camino story begins...call it miracle...call it angels of the Camino. I walk a little further and I have a photo of my destination hotel along with the name of the town where it is located. I stop a runner to make sure that I was wrong in the first place and I was. I show him my photo and he takes pity on me and communicates that when I come to a lane only for people who exercise I am to follow it. He decides to walk (very fast) with me to show me the lane and next thing I knew I feel like the baton in an Olympic relay race. He signals another runner who walks with me for a while and then another and finally a woman who lives right on the Camino Primitivo. I have no idea how all of this was communicated but it worked. OMG! When I get back to the right Camino, I am registering more than eight miles on my watch. I continue on with my walk thinking it will be a 26 mile day but it only added about three miles thanks to my Camino friends. We went through parking lots and neighborhoods and it turned out to be much shorter than adding six to eight miles to my route. My total mileage was only twenty one miles. Beats the heck out of twenty-six miles.
So just about the time I am on the correct trail, this lovely man named Miguel catches up with me. He is a retired professor of metallurgy and walks with pilgrims most every day since his wife died. He lives in Oviedo. He spent the time telling me about the history of the area. He pointed out a statue to me of a prior king of Oviedo who was really the first pilgrim. In the eight century when the bones of Santiago were discovered, this king decided to walk to Santiago to see for himself. This is why the Primitivo is called the original way. I have a photo of Miguel and of the statue but I since I am staying in a remote area, I can't seen to download it.
The rest of the day was idyllic with the tinkling of bells on cows and beautiful mountains. It was quite steep in places, not a flat spot for the whole day. I am staying at a fabulous B & B out in the middle of nowhere. My hostess speaks fluent English with a British accent. Funny!
Maby tomorrow you will get the photos! Buen Camino
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