On Friday we walked in a light rain from Queruas to Otur, passing through small hamlets and twisting around farms and fields. The only urban outpost on the route was the port city of Luarca. Leaving there, the rural terrain and buildings were feeling familiar and comfortable. Descending a hill, we noticed the remains of a very old and somewhat overgrown stone building alongside a small stream.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of last week took us through a large section of Asturias. We stayed at Fali’s Albergue in Muros de Nalón on Tuesday and the beautiful train station Albergue de Peregrinos in Novellana on Wednesday. Both offered delicious communal dinners and filling breakfasts. On Thursday night, we stayed in Queruas at La Yalga, a comfortable but less pilgrim-friendly stay. Relive videos for each day are at the end of this post.

We took a bit of a break after our stay at the farmhouse albergue in Peón. In the morning we set off with four friends on a path that started with a serious climb and descent.

As we gathered around the fireplace at the farmhouse Albergue Peón, the topic of conversation among peregrinos was the sense of accomplishment in completing an extended climb that afternoon. Not our highest climb, but one of the steepest and definitely the longest continuous effort! Even though we hadn’t climbed together, there was bonding around the shared experience.

We hiked 18 miles and gained 1,427 feet in elevation as we walked to Villaviciosa on Saturday. A fairly long hike, but it felt relaxed and enjoyable, even in the light rain.

We weren’t sure that albergues would be for us – bunk beds in a common room, shared bathrooms, shared kitchen space if you’re lucky. It turns out we’ve come to appreciate albergues and sometimes love them.

We walked across the bridge over the Rio Deva on Tuesday and walked into Asturias. This is the third of four regions of Spain that we will visit.

As we walked a rural road near a tower whose construction started 12 centuries ago , we were greeted by a man who appeared a bit older than us at the entrance to his estate. The man, who turned out to be 76, had kind eyes and was eager to tell us about himself and his property. He invited us to see his house and gardens and was delighted to learn that Sharon was a gardener, too.

The topography of the Camino has changed slowly as we walked through Cantabria. The steep ups and downs followed in quick succession by more ups and downs that characterized our walks in the Basque region have become more tempered rolling hills.

We took a bus to Santillana del Mar on Saturday. It was drizzling, and we appreciated not hiking through the industrial outskirts of Santander as we exited the city. The main structures in Santillana are part of a true medieval village and fascinating to see. Visiting on a weekend, however, meant lots of tourists in town!