Pola de Siero September 12

This is the marker that the German pilgrim missed.


The pension last night was nice, but the disco music from the festival outside wasn't. Greg had more trouble sleeping than I. I think I was tired enough plus the non-caffeinated cold pill plus the Tylenol pm did the trick. Anyway, we were out of there at 8 and found a cafe at a hotel down the street that was opened for our morning tostada and café con leche. There were two British couples there trying to order a breakfast, not realizing that scrambled eggs are a sometimes dinner rather than breakfast item in Spain. They kept eyeing us and our backpacks, so I told them we off to Santiago as we left. There was also a German pilgrim who told Greg he was planning to take the coastal route to Gijón instead of the inland route to Oviedo as we were planning. We saw him about two hours later looking intently at his guide book. We had to inform him that he missed the markers at the split and had gone 3 km on the wrong route. "Zurück," he said and started walking back.

 We ate lunch in Vega de Sariego at12:30. No sardines or calamari today. Today it was cheese and sausage in our sandwiches.  Vega de Sariego was to be our original stopping point. But we decided to continue on 10 km  more to Pola de Siero, which seems to be a suburb of Oviedo. We both felt fine on the walk, perhaps a bit more slow than usual. This way we have only 16 km instead of 27 into Oviedo tomorrow. Still cold symptoms but we are over the worst part.  We got in about 3 pm and are staying in a very nice new albergue here that just opened last year. It's 4:30 and we are the only ones here so far. This place is not yet listed in most of the camino guides-is that why? 

Bonus!! 9 pm
While grocery shopping this afternoon, I happened to find my favorite tempranillo wine, Viña Pomal from Haro in La Rioja region. Of course I bought it and Greg and I finished it off in the shade behind the albergue along with some dried nuts and olives stuffed with anchovies. A young (31 years old) Polish pilgrim helped us drink it. After walking 16 miles today, it was heavenly.