Oviedo – Part 2

So the afternoon was good, checked into my hotel and had that minute of panic when they ask you to hand over your passport.  No worries, I’m an experienced traveler who knows they don’t need the passport, just the info which is why I carry photocopies of my passport.  Only one problem, there is a rule about travel, you always forget something, guess what I forgot? Yup.  Happily the manager this morning returned it to me at breakfast.

So yesterday I had a list of errands, I wanted a shell necklace, the symbol of the Camino. I wanted some flip-flops for the hostels, I needed to buy some hiking snacks and snacks for the room.  Most importantly I needed to pick up my Camino passport at the cathedral.  Only one problem, I’m in Spain and it’s Saturday.  Sure they don’t eat dinner til 9 or 10 at night, so the restaurants are open, but nearly everything else closes at 5 and doesn’t open again until Monday.  Toto we are not in the USA.

This is not a criticism, I love the idea of a slower pace, of actual weekends that exists in much of Europe. While on the trail in Scotland a hiker named Sal from the UK asked me if it was true most Americans only get 2 weeks vacation a year. “You people work too much” was his reply, and I agree. The issue was of course, me, with my American brain, not thinking about it in advance.

Other than the passport, nothing was critical, and neither was that.  So although I did that first, I tried something atypical for me.

You see, I’ve been watching Dirk  Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency on Netflix, the first season is beyond brilliant and enjoyable.  First, God I miss Douglas Adams. Second, a major theme is just letting the flow of the universe come to you. So in that spirit and in trying to stay outside my comfort zone, I headed for the Cathedral and wandered. I didn’t Google locations, map out a plan, design a set of locations and an order, I wandered the streets of Oviedo letting the flow of the universe take over.

This is not an efficient method, but much like the holistic assassin in the show I found my targets.  Along the way I met some folks and got to chat in Spain, to Brazilians, in Portuguese, good day. It did in full disclosure take a second wander at night, I told you, not efficient. But in the end I have everything, I’ve got my passport back and am even enjoying the quiet Sunday afternoon of my birthday doing laundry at an eco-friendly laundromat with free 5G wifi.  Did I mention eating white chocolate covered Oreos for my birthday?

Below are a bunch of photos I took while wandering, enjoy and have a happy day my friends. My Camino starts in the morning. – Rev Kane