Today was almost a down day/recovery day. At just over 14km and rolling hills with only two climbs that got your heart pounding, it’s just what my feet were asking for.

Starting out at 0800, we had arranged for the owners of the bar/restaurant La Playa to open early and serve us a simple breakfast to get us on our way.

Before we knew it, we had hit two, then three km as we put one foot in front of the other. We then headed up the first climb – a series of climbs for about 2-3 km where we came to a broken cross.

The significance of the cross is that Almanzor – the Moor general of the 10th century wanted to destroy all signs of the pilgrimage to Santiago and thus destroyed ermitas, churches and Christian crosses all over northern Spain.

The modern day significance is purportedly similar to the Cruz de Fiero on the Camino Frances where pilgrims leave a rock at the base which signifies a burden that they have been carrying and leaving it at the cross takes that burden away. I didn’t notice any rocks at the base. I didn’t leave one. I didn’t even carry one. Although I have been carrying a yellow racquetball that I found on the street the second day of the camino in Güeñes.

The Camino today took us through rolling hills, oak woodlands, countryside, orchards and pastures. One orchard we walked through was a chestnut orchard which made my mouth water as I remembered the last time I had roasted chestnuts in Istanbul in 2015.

This stage is normally from Igüeña to Labagniego but there is no Camino infrastructure there. So several years ago, a group of people interested in the Camino redirected the route through Noceda, and built an albergue from the old schoolhouse. Noceda has bars, cafes, restaurants, a pharmacy and the albergue. So it’s a better stop than Labagniego. The diversion happens just out of Quintana de Fuseros.

With this diversion tomorrow’s route to Congosto will be about 20km. You could do one long day of 34km if you are short on time, but after yesterdays tough climb, why not take a rest.