Wow! Climbing (and descending) mountains is hard work! We all thought yesterday was to be the hardest stage but today has it in my book. No switchbacks on this camino; if the way goes down, it is straight down!

Right out of Pajares I was hit with exactly one mile of knee-breaking descent with stunning views, if one dared lift their eyes from each careful baby step on the slope below.

And then…UP. Where’d that come from? Elevation plan said all downhill today! At 5 kms reached the hillside hamlet of Santa Marina, with our new Spanish pilgrims having snack in the wee square.

Then….DOWN, 4 kms continuous downhill on the village road but it was early on a Sunday morning and I was able to stroll in the middle of the road without meeting a single car.

UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN… The deviation through woods was much preferable to 16kms of tarmac walking but jeez! When transversing a hillside with paths sometimes only a foot wide is it really necessary to throw in just vicious ascents and descents? My sanity was saved by the parts when the trail opened wide to old reveal ancient cobblestones covered in a thick layer of golden leaves that I happily scuffled my way through.

My first and only break of the day was in the town of Campomanes at 17.5 kms. Too long, really but I wanted to get the bulk of the mileage done before the day got too warm. Being Sunday there was only one option for food, and that being a small selection of little baguette sandwiches at a bar near the highway. Having only had 2 granola bars all day I was grateful.

A very civilized 4 kms on a paved pedestrian path by the river made a nice mindless change to the challenging morning’s hike.

At 20 kms the Camino was directing me to the Chapel Santa Christina de Lena. My notes said this was to be a detour but the big fat arrows declared that this was the only way. 300m “off-route” but up that’s 300m bloody straight up! My calves will never forgive me for this day.

What goes up, must go down – at least it was an ancient holloway….

Not really paying attention last few kilometers as it was a nondescript paved road paralleling the highway and all I was thinking was “I hope the albergue is open on Sundays”….

And yes, it was. I had to telephone the hospitalera and she came right over and let me in. She was lovely and gave me all the instructions and showed me around the place, which is on the 2nd floor of an office-type building, the lower level a juvenile hall. It’s once again basic but lots of nice touches like toiletries and a hair dryer!

I went with the gentlemen for a drink while they did their laundry, then we found a Sidrería in the lively town square for cocktails and dinner. Same as any bar except the specialty of the house is cider and they have a special way of pouring it. Of course we indulged in the 3-course menu, the standout being the Fabada, an Asturian bean stew served as the starter: full of flavor with varying sausages and bits of pork with huge white beans, it was delicious. 9:20pm, in the dark, we waddled back ‘home’.