30/4 Saturday Vega to Oviedo
27km
I grabbed a quick bowl of muesli and nectarine to get a few calories on board but was away into the misty countryside before 9am.

My plan was to stop for coffee and sustenance at Pola de Siero which was 9km away and marked a third of today’s long trek. Other than an interesting statue Pola was a disappointing place doubly so as the cafes I checked out only had plastic-wrapped postres. The actual highlight of Pola was a paint shop that had been decorated with lively murals.

After Pola the land was more built up with increasingly dense housing and more and more small factory and retail units. I listened to music to shift my focus from the disappointing walking.

Given the distance today I planned to stop mid-afternoon for a meal to further break up the distance. Just beyond Castañera I followed restaurant signs to La Chalana where I got a substantial and delicious meal of seafood soup, mixed salad, steak with vegetables and two pieces of fruit. There was so much food I made 1/3 of the steak into a sandwich for tomorrow and packed the apple away too!

The final 5km into Oviedo where a real drag through retail outlets, car sale rooms and blocks of flats. My Albergue was around the edge of the old town so I didn’t see any of the historic area until after I’d cleaned up and prepared my bed.

I met up with five Danish lads on a gap year and starting their Camino here. They hadn’t done a lot of research so had lots of questions about my experience so far. I pointed them at the apps I’d found useful and then headed out for a quick look around.

The historic area and cathedral are beautiful and deserve a longer look in the morning. I got a tourist map and can see a couple of other places I’d like to see so my plan for tomorrow is sightseeing in the morning and a 12km walk onto the Primitivo as far as Escamplero.