Walking across Europe - 2013: Camino Primitivo - Sep 17, 2022 Day 2 Grado to Salas

Perfecto! In many ways today was a carbon copy of Day 1. Walking strongly…perfect weather in the 20C range, a very quiet day again! Nice scenery, varied walking surfaces… forest paths, some road walking, met some new people…had a great and funny meal (more later). There was however a dangerous animal incident…

Really can’t ask for much better…Camino Primitivo is off to a really strong and fun start!

Today we walked 22.7 kms over 5 hours or 4.6 kms per hour… same as Day 1. Before describing further a few words about La Quintana Albergue

I highly recommend! Great room…a little noisy at night with traffic however more than made up with best breakfast yet!

Many choices this morning!

However today certainly felt tougher than Day 1 with 658 meters ascent and 484 meters descent for a combined 1,142 metres of up & down. Day 1 was a combined 1,062 metres of up & down. Not that much different…maybe the difference was an immediate climb out of Grado or simply Day 1 was a pure adrenaline rush!

Day 2 Wikiloc

New gear performing nickel chrome (Cyrille’s way of saying great!)…PHD socks, HOKA Speedgoats are really comfortable and vibram sole noticeably gripping well on rocky surfaces. Gossamer Gear Gorilla backpack also a step up from previous backpack in terms of flexibility and comfort with one mini exception…

My packing routine in terms of organization is still abysmal…really it sucks big time. I don’t understand why…carefully place stuff in separate bags…throw the bags in (closest bag to me goes in first etc). Then I can’t find what I need!

This morning, after my careful packing routine completed, I realized I wanted my George Clooney glasses (received a comment they could be Brad Pitt) glasses. Well I then remembered they were closest at hand when I packed sooo…they are in the bottom of the bag! Forget it…will do better tomorrow 😂

New pilgrim walkers met today:

Catherine & Theresa - Texas & Hawaii United States

Dennis - Italy 4th Camino…he runs down hills as fast as he can…even with stones on the path!

Peter - Victoria state Australia age 65 as well. Camino Portuguese 2019 and has a Gossamer Gear Gorilla backpack as well

David - Victoria state Australia

A little story this morning…Gabriel arrived yesterday in Grado at 1:30…we arrived at 3:30. So you get the picture of how much faster he is. I noticed him ahead of us talking with someone…interestingly the gap between us was decreasing huh! Then a little plan formed as we got nearer and nearer…as I came up to him and the Spanish guy (likely talking football) Gabriel was surprised that I was passing on the left!

So I calmly said “Slower pilgrims stay to the right please!” and motored past Gabriel (maybe 40+ years younger) and leaving him in my dust!

Now even funnier for me is Gabriel became a subscriber to this blog last night and will read this 😂. He has a good sense of humour and am sure Gabriel will take in stride however I am in big doodoo the next time he is walking near me.

Oh the little joys in life 😉

We walked for a fair ways with Peter this afternoon and had lunch with him. David then joined us…Australians are fun to be around!

Lunch this afternoon was quite the affair! The Albergue where we are staying recommended a local restaurant…we get a table.

Waiter then started speaking at quantum speed…almost impossible to make out individual words. Paulo is trying so hard to understand…finally we realize that we have agreed to a 4 course menu… we came in for a cerveza and maybe a light course like pinchos😂

What the heck go with it although we really don’t know what food will appear! Had good laughs and good food!

Fish base soup

Something with chickpeas

Sardines and fries - delicious!

Postre - cake with ice cream

The best memories are those that are 100% unplanned.

Tomorrow our roughest day for sure with greater than 1,000 metres elevation gain and 32 kms. No question it will be a long one. Tomorrow’s blog may simply be pictures!

Oh the dangerous animal scare…was moving along nicely and then I had a real scare and had to move quickly to the side…see for yourself why!!!