Camino Frances - 2014
Day 0 - Wednesday 17th September 2014
Travelling to León
| Departing London Stansted at 11-40 a.m., it was a pleasant one hour forty minute flight to Asturias. Since I only had hand carry luggage I was soon exiting Asturias airport. |
| As I exited the West end of the terminal building I noticed a bus waiting at the far end, the East end. Thinking that this was the departure point for Oviedo, I scuttled along and got on. The very patient lady bus driver explained that this was the drop-off point only, and that I had to go back to the West end of the terminal building to get on. Seeing my rucksack she kindly told me not to worry and drove me to the West end. This was not my only misunderstanding. There are in fact two buses, one to Oviedo and one to Gijón, so at the West end you have to make sure that you are on the right one. I was not! I was on the Gijón bus. My "cool-Englishman-abroad" persona was completely shattered; I felt more like Mr. Bean than the distinguished traveller Michael Palin. But now I am an expert, and next time it will be easy! |
The bus timetable
The bus for Oviedo left at approximately 2-50 p.m., and the fare was a modest 8 euros
("Ocho" in Spanish, for future reference!). The trip into Oviedo took just under 40 minutes.
The airport is near Aviles
Pretty countryside looking towards the ocean as we travelled to Oviedo.
The first bus I was on, heading to Gijón, peeled off to the left at Serin!
I was soon inside the bus terminal at Oviedo seeking out the ALSA ticket counter. There were two queues, one headed "Salidas Immediatas" and the other "Venta Anticipada". My efforts to learn Spanish are progressing, and I made for the "Salidas Immediatas" queue. I was surprised how warm it was in Northern Spain, and even at this time of day it was 28 degrees C. I got the 16:37 hrs bus to León from Rank 19, and the cost was 8.87 euros. This seemed an odd amount, but as the bus ride to León took over 2 hours it was a very modest charge compared with the airport bus. By comparison, the airport bus from Santiago de Compostela city centre to the airport there is only 3 euros.
The bus took off south along the A-66 motorway, pulling off on to minor roads to go into the centre of the University town of Mieres. Near Malvedo we pulled off again, onto the smaller N-630 towards Puente de los Fierros. Here I noticed walkers and Camino signs, so presumably the northern route to Santiago passes through this area. The road was very steep, 12% incline in places, and the hair pin bends and substantial drops would be scary for the faint hearted. We continued, passing through small the small towns or villages of Puerto de Pajares, Arbas, Busdongo (I dooo like the sound of the name "Busdongo"!), and La Robla, after which we ascended to the highest point, the Alto de Robizo at 1168 meters. From here we descended into León. |
Bus to León
| This was an incredible road passing through fantastic mountain scenery. The road, the single track railway line, and the Rio Bernesga all compete for the very narrow valley floor as we descended towards LeónIt was 6-15 p.m. by the time we passed in front of the Parador San Marcos heading for the bus station. |
Arriving in León
The Parador San Marcos, a short walk from the bus station
Lobby and entrance area of Parador San Marcos
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