Day 30 – passed Santander

75 km
The camping was not quiet all night long people were walking, speaking and cleaning the toilets with hoses.
There were also a number of steep ascends that cost time.
Highlight of today was Santillana de la Mar a pilgrims town with a lot more tourists than pilgrims.
In the large town Santander I did not see much interesting buildings on my track. The most well known was the building of the Bank of Santander near the quai for the pedestrians and cyclists ferry to Somo.
From the ferry I had a view to a royal palace on a peninsula. In Somp I went to a camping, because the next camping would be too far (risk of steep hills).
Paul

Day 29 – to San Vicente de la Barquera

106 km
From the heights there was a view to the coastline and some bays. I could see the humidity from the ocean drifting to the mountains.
Before crossing the Rio Sella to Ribadesella  detected some shipwrecks in the bed of the river. In the town some shops were opened on Sunday and I bought a fresh bread for my lunch later in Nueva. I saw many people in the restaurants and siderias, maybe to celebrate the special weekend of  Maria Ascension. After Niembru I was ay the sea level again. A church was built in a little peninsula in a small bay.
Llames was marked wit a star on my map and it had an old center. There was a festival going on and many people were dressed in local costumes. On the Pjlaza Parres Sobrino a folkloric group showed a dance and a lot of people were watching it.
After the crossing of the Rio Purón the cycle track came through a slowly ascending deep valley of Eucalyptus forest. It was like a part  of a jungle and there could be a group of monkeys in then next tree. As the valley ended I biked through an environment  like the Austrian Alps. Cows mowed and some had bells.
In Pesués I choose the quiet route national instead of the track, because I did not want to risk a steep part at the end of the day. It was the right decision, because I had a splendid view to San Vicente with a large church and a castle
Paul

Day 28 – to Castiellu de Llue

105 km
The night was dry, but at 7:00 AM there was a  rain shower, so I had breakfast in the tent and  packed the bicycle wearing sin clothes. But at start the shower was gone, so I could cycle in the normal outfit.
The first river to cross was the Rio Nalòn. On both side of the bridge some fisherman had made constructions for fishing. To  couple of houses called Samartin there was the first steep climb. I entered Avilés in a quarter called Salinas with high apartment houses. I saw that shops were open though today was a holiday – Maria Assumption.
The Camino del Norte climbed an hill with very small terraced houses. From the highest point there was a view to the ocean. Then the Camino lead to the historical center to the Iglesia de San Nicolás. It has a beautiful inner court. This is the good side of Avilés, the bad is the polluting industry. It is a little Ruhrgebiet with all iron melting ovens in action. Big smoke clouds break out of the chimneys and elsewhere out of the buildings, high flames to bur n down evaporated gases. I was happy, to leave this part of the town behind me. Through the hills the Camino headed for Candas. At the coast the waves were white and breaking on the rocky beach. In the following valley of the Rio Aboño one mountain was filled with industry. It looked like a mine. Then the track moves to the major town Gijon. Along the Camino they built a cycle path nearly through the complete town. Just a small part in the historical center ids shared with pedestrians. The playa the San Lorenzo was full of high waves. Only in the edges was some beach. Then the Camino leaves the town along a creek. In some distance I saw a large church, Iglesia de la Universidad Laboral. The source of the creek is under a church. The cycle track now became very steep. I do not know the percentage, but I had to use the full width of the street and pay attention if other traffic was coming. A small truck had also to shift down in the first gear. At least are such steep parts very time consuming.
After a junction with a larger road, the inclination was fine again and at 270 m (coming from sea level) it went down again to Rion. Then again up to 450 m to the Alto de la Cruz. This time the track ascended down to the coastline again in Villaviciosa. Because it was already rather late, I did not see much of the town, just the iglesia and the Ayuntamiento. to the camping near the Alto de Buenos Aires it went up to 120 m.
After the wet morning, the weather became sunny during the day and was much better than expected based on the forecast.
Paul