From Gijón to Avilés, the Aeropuerto de Asturias, via Cudillero and Soto de Luina to San Marina
My room is small but tidy, with a shared bathroom and toilet in the hallway. Last night, a young man welcomed me, but he knew little about the accommodation. I was allowed to bring my bike into the room to charge it, but I had to carry it up to the first floor myself. After seeing how Felipe, the kind host in Santander, managed this, I knew how to handle it. Fifteen minutes later, I had some company in my room.
I took a short walk around the neighborhood to soak up the atmosphere and did some grocery shopping. Then, I followed my usual routine of eating, showering, writing my blog, calling Magda, and sending an extra message to Bruno to let him know I was eagerly awaiting his arrival.
My room in Gijon, the buildings I passed when leaving the city
I didn't wake up too early this morning since Bruno isn’t landing until 2:00 PM at the airport, 10 km outside Avilés along the coast. I decided not to explore Gijón any further. As I cycled downhill towards the city center, I took some general photos. Then I rode through this largest city in Asturias, with nearly 100,000 inhabitants, from east to west. It was very busy and mainly consisted of apartment buildings, like the one I was staying in.
At 8:30 AM, I set off, knowing exactly where to go: right in front of the door is a sign for Avilés via the N-634, so just follow it. On the outskirts of the city, the heavy industry begins and continues practically all the way to Avilés, about 30 km further. The landscape alternates between some greenery and heavy industry. Just before Avilés, there are the steel furnaces and storage facilities full of steel plates from Arcelor Mittal, the steel company that fills the entire valley.
The heavy industry between Gijón and Aviles
Visit to Avilés
I arrived at Plaza de España in Avilés, at the ayuntamiento or town hall. In contrast to the surrounding industry, the city itself is very attractive in every way: clean, tidy, with many restored old houses, parks, squares, fountains, and statues. I entered the town hall and got a stamp on my credencial thanks to the police officer at the entrance, although he wouldn’t allow me to photograph him.
I had two hours to explore the city before heading to Aeropuerto de Asturias, where Bruno’s flight was expected to land around 2:30 PM. I visited the main streets with old market halls that have now been converted into apartments. I walked to the large church dedicated to Saint Thomas of Canterbury. Avilés has always been an important stop for the English on their way to Santiago de Compostela and also an important trading partner.
Avilès: the town hall, the man who gave me my stamps and the cathedral.
The priest told me that I could get the 'unique' stamp on Bruno's credencial on the condition that I first attended the holy mass. Fortunately, it was a quick mass, although with many attendees on a regular workday. After the service, I received the stamp and was allowed to photograph him.
Avilès: The priest and the cloister
I concluded my visit with a tour of the 14th- and 15th-century Monastery of Saint Francis, featuring beautiful reliefs in the choir, including a Santiago Matamoros (Moor-slayer!), and a 16th-century cloister. I strolled through the streets and the park a bit more before setting off for the airport, 12 km from the center of Avilés.
On my way to the airport to wait for Bruno
Bruno’s Arrival
I ate my sandwich at the airport. Bruno's flight was slightly delayed, and the customs check took an unusually long time. At 3:30 PM, he finally emerged with his backpack and his bike bag containing his disassembled bike. He had to assemble his bike first, but he encountered a problem with the gears. Nevertheless, we set off around 4:30 PM, as we still had nearly 40 km to cover. It took a bit longer because the gears weren't working properly.
Bruno assembling his bike
On the way, we made a brief stop in Soto de Luina to admire the beautiful 16th-century church, with a lovely statue of Santiago nearby. We also bought some bananas, nuts, and drinks at a small Dia supermarket; Bruno is always hungry!
A brief stop for energy and arrival at our pension
Around 7:30 PM, we arrived at Pension Prada in the hamlet of Santa Marina, near the town of Cudillero. We stayed in a room with a bathroom; the owners were incredibly kind, and the house was beautiful, of the "colonial" type. Nearby, there was also a bar with a restaurant run by the same owners, where we could get a delicious "Menu del Peregrino" at 8:30 PM for 12 euros, including wine. It was my first proper meal in a restaurant in 29 days.
We caught up a bit, as we hadn’t seen each other since Christmas 2023. By 10:00 PM, we were back in the room; we were both exhausted. Bruno had barely slept the previous night and had started his journey early, while I had cycled a total of 85 km today. We quickly showered, called Magda, and then went to sleep.
Tomorrow, we need to cycle 85 km to Ribadeo along the coast, with quite a few hills. It should be manageable if we can fix the issue with the gears.
My first warm meal in a long time and Bruno with the pension owner
Comments