Roberto's Recommendations

As we walked through Santiago de Compostela this morning, we could not help but notice the great number of pilgrims heading for the famous shrine. They are easily recognizable, with most using walking sticks, and many carrying backpacks on which they had attached a scallop shell to mark their participation in the pilgrimage.

The golden cloak of St. James (Santiago) which pilgrims hug.

Pilgrims awaiting the commencement of Mass

We lined up to enter the church at around 10:00, and slowly made out way past two of the most sacred symbols of this place: the silver casket in the crypt which contains the relics of Santiago, and the golden cloak behind the high altar which believers hug to receive the blessing of the saint. The church itself was chock-full for the Pilgrim's Mass. Every seat in this immense Cathedral was filled - on Wednesday morning at 10:30!!

After we finished touring the town centre, we headed back to the hotel to check out. Roberto, our waiter at breakfast, asked where we were headed next. When Bob told him, Roberto suggested two spots along the Costa Verde on the north coast that we should take the time to see. He wrote them down for us so that we would not forget. His recommendations were wonderful!

The lush countryside of northwestern Spain

Today was the longest leg of our journey. If we went on the expressways, we could expect to travel about 3.5 hours. So Miguel, our little Lancia, had to work hard. As we drove out of the city, it started to drizzle. It would continue to rain lightly for the next hour or so. That was no surprise to us since the countryside is very lush in the northern part of Spain. It is also dotted with windmills on the highest elevations. We saw many of these in Portugal as well.

Windmills 

When we stopped for lunch in Ribadeo, we discovered that our late lunch was even later than we expected. We had entered a different time zone and had lost an hour; no matter, we will get it back when we return to Portugal in a few days.

Luarca harbour

Stone crucifix near cemetery

The mariners cemetery at Luarca

At about 4:30 (local time), we arrived in Luarca, the first fishing village that Roberto had recommended. He told us to climb to the top of the hill to see the mariners' cemetery. There is a tiny chapel and a lighthouse as well, but the cemetery was the highlight, especially since the weather had changed again and the sun and blue sky arrived just in time to light up the scene. We took photo after photo of this gorgeous spot, as well as the little harbour below.

Cudillero

Next, we made our way to Cudillero, the second spot that Roberto recommended. Another fishing village, it is enclosed between two cliffs. The town is a place where locals and visitors alike come to sip some cider in the outdoor cafes. Its buildings are very colourful, adding to the charm of the place. It was quite nice, but it could not compete with Luarca.

Shortly thereafter, we left the Costa Verde for our destination, the city of Oviedo. We are staying at the Ayre Hotel, the coolest, trendiest place where I have ever spent the night! It is such a change from our other, historic hotels. Really fun. There is a mall attached to the hotel, too, so that is where we went for a quick dinner - and a little shopping, of course.

Look at the night tables!

Chairs in the lobby.