The whole group.
Grao Mercau The famous early in the morning.
finally and looking forward to this second stage of the Camino Primitivo and as much as the much-heralded attempt to break down this super cycle genesis and that the final stage of Asturias spent the previous day with more pain than glory, the day February 28, 2010 and a great time we set our stage today is none other than Grade-Salas.
Once everyone in the Country Club at The Fresneda half past eight we heading towards a degree that will be the starting point of our second stage. About nine we grade where we can see how are setting the stalls of the famous "Mercau Grao" on Sunday that such fame is in Asturias, as we waited for Mr. Pastor breakfast in a cafe adjacent to the church for us attend and we sealed our credentials, which he did very kindly even after taking a few minutes to delay the start of the mass at half past nine this credential to be sealed at all, meanwhile took the opportunity to walk around the market and buy bread and what it took to lunch even giving us time to take a small cafe before you start driving. We started our walk
following the pilgrim shells are put through the streets of Grade and out of the way people blesses us and we off a stone cross that we fired the small town of Grado (see photo). We undertake
now soaring with a great landscape between meadows village houses and cows on a road to cementing top of Fresno, where lies the Shrine of Our Lady of Fresno, at this point and due to the sharp rise in the group was quite separate to what we take to make a refreshment stop along the way and pick something as we all went back to group.
At this point we should clarify that due to construction of the motorway route is fatal indicated and very, very easy to get wrong at some crossroads and you have to cross several times both above and below that route, but in our case thanks to the excellent organization of the group of mountain La Frese and because they perform all the steps a few days before we had no problem at any time.
After little rest at The Fresno on our way now all fall between the other of the highway by a small temporary road until we recover the old road and cross a small bridge, named "Bridge Meredal" and enter a short wooded area to the entrance of the beautiful little village of Don Marcelo of only 30 inhabitants and peace and unsurpassed tranquility, with abundant typical Asturian houses with barns and paneras although most of them are no longer used as stores of corn and other garden products Asturias.
is allowed to San Marco Road and soon take a path left between the works of the highway parallel to a creek that leads us into the Reaz and continues until the Doriga.
Waiting for breakfast the Grade priest very kindly to seal the credentials.
The Cruceiro goodbye to us outside the town of Grado.
Soaring to El Fresno.
A stop at the Church of Fresno.
Doriga
The people of another village is typical of rural Asturias but what makes it even more interesting if cave is his castle and Romanesque church of Santa Eulalia where we take to make another brief stop to package it all again as in the church must take a detour to the right which is well indicated by the typical pilgrim's shell.
The road rises and runs along the top of Santa EUFAMI, where we can see magnificent views of Cornellana, go down the road and cross the mythical river Narcea at the entrance of the village, down to the Narcea an amount of water a slight exaggeration, I personally believe that he had never seen so even just crossing the bridge a small recreational area there was completely flooded by the swollen river, well, after crossing the famous bridge over the Narcea we take a left hand path that leads perfectly indicated by the side of the river to the famous Romanesque monastery of San Salvador who unfortunately, like many of the assets in a state of Asturias is truly regrettable if procrastination is not the church or Principality of Asturias but the truth is a shame that the monastery is almost in ruins that as well one day follow in church comes to them all over.
Well we finally arrived at Cornellana where we do a picture together in the Cruzeiro and make a stop on the way to the coveted lunch hour.
after submitting all the official photo in the Cruzeiro we went with our credentials to the priest sealed us after the effort to reach Cornellana echo, but what was our surprise when the priest unpresentable because you can not call Otherwise we say that we do not seal it because it has no time, today is Sunday and not addressed, they say that the church is sponsoring and collaborating with the pilgrims, as with riffraff like this, where the church now has few supporters increasingly them to become less, but hey there must be all in the Lord's vineyard, a very pleasant and competent pastor as an undergraduate and Cornellana impresentable like, so pretty cranky after leaving the church we were ready to take a stroll through the pretty village of Cornellana to take a cervecina before eat together in the square next to the monastery, which was our surprise as taking the beer in the bar "The Casino" the waitress kindly told us: What are you pilgrims? "Yes, we are pilgrims" Well, if you want the credential sealed here that with fame repunante edge and having the parish priest of here I do not suppose you have wanted the seal, so thanks to the bar "The Casino" we seal our credentials.
Once well fed and taken a cafe with a residue chorrín proceeded calmly to our walk, we take a well-marked trail that climbs that leads to Santa EUFAMI, where you get magnificent views of Cornellana, soon pick up a beautiful trail forest that leads to the small town of Llamas, what caught my attention in this town is its chapel (see photo) because tally seems that you are in a Mexican village by the shape and color of this.
From this small town and almost to the mud room with us not to be separated from us at any time by putting more than once in trouble because in some places I believe that if we fell into it covered us whole, but good with a little patience and a few laughs as we were dodging other as we could.
A little later, after setting aside Quintana, Chambers Road Association has built a shelter with a couple of banks in the hamlet of Fuente Caliente, a curious name since the water was fresh and very good clay here and more mud due to timber trucks were working these days and you had all the roads flooded, now we take a path that goes up and down to find the river Nonaya, which is saved by a bridge to enter Casazorrina. The next milestone in and of Mallecina and after crossing the road a comfortable path will lead us finally to Salas, the end of our second stage. Once
Chambers where the bus waiting for us and we change our shoes, which I think is one of the things most appreciated after a stage and headed to seal our credentials at the hostel for pilgrims from Chambers very kindly sealed us and congratulate us, so we have no more than a snack with a well earned beer and home.
Distance: 20.9 miles.
remain to Santiago: 277.7 miles.
Time: 7 hours.
Difficulties: None *
One word: mud.
* When I put difficulty routes no, because I put it upon completion of each route change my clothes I change my shoes I have a beer and go home, but I must say that if the next day I had to give me another tute of 7 hours of walking and the next day another and another and another and so every day and sleeping with a lot of people do not know where about snoring and other noise and put a lot of details would change very much the thing so EYE with the difficulty if it is followed.
Village Chapel of Don Marcelo.
Crossing the pretty village of Don Marcelo.
Two farmers we look surprised to see so many pilgrims spend together can be seen above the highway works.
Doriga Passing through the village.
Cornellana Road.
The Narcea with an impressive amount of water.
Reaching Cornellana.
Cornellana Finally in Where's Wally?
Cornellana The famous shown.
For a small wood just off Santa EUFAMI.
The chapel tally Llamas people think we are in Mexico.
In the last section of the route we go with the mud almost to the finish in Chambers.
After a day of mud is to clean up some boots for the triumphal entry into Chambers is near.
After a day of mud is to clean up some boots for the triumphal entry into Chambers is near.
Finally our wounds to Salas.
Church Front addition to the large stone cross in front of the cemetery, lighthouse Jacobean inscription unreadable and I remember the place occupied by the first church built here in the ninth century, in the present church dates from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Baroque, during the War of Independence, the Napoleonic fortified the church and set fire to the tower.
Outside there is a Cruzeiro, which indicates the passage of the pilgrimage route for this place.
Doriga Palace built by the family of Doriga from XIV century, when the tower dating. Its construction continued with the cubic body attached to the tower (XV century) and the rest of the building with a courtyard of stone columns. Surrounded by a beautiful estate with ancient trees and outbuildings and the stables.
Church of Santa Eulalia
retains its period of building consecrated by Bishop Pelayo in 1121, according to foundation stone (see photo), a front side with Romanesque arch on imposts and a badly eroded sawtooth.
Cornellana Monastery was founded in 1024 from a church built by the Infanta Cristina (not now), which after the death of her husband, Prince Ordoño, son of King Ramiro II, decided to devote herself to God and ordered the erection of that. It was built in the fertile lands of the Narcea River at its confluence with the Nonaya.
In the twelfth century the monastery is transferred to the order of Cluny. Since then becomes one of the most important monasteries of western Asturias. From the Romanesque period
Gate retains the Bear, which was possibly the old entrance to the monastery, although not in its current location.
The Baroque facade of the monastery, is divided into three levels surmounted by a pediment with shield of Castile.
The monastery and the church of San Salvador de Cornellana have been declared a Cultural Monument with the rank of the December 30, 1993 (Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias, BOPA, 01/26/1994) and as ninety-nine percent of what in Asturias is declared of cultural interest is in ruins, and half falling unfortunate, but hey this is Asturias to expect.
Salas Salas The beautiful town of narrow streets filled with all very well cared for today and that tally seems to transport us to ancient times where the pilgrims sought within its walls and fortresses shelter and meals in their lodge.
The most representative architectural constructions Salas, listed as national monuments, consist of the whole palace and the tower of the Valdés-Salas, known as the Torre de la Villa, both monuments are located in the middle of town and linked by a bridge over the lowered arch, where the shields are placed of the family Valdes-Salas (see photo).
Tower fourteenth century, consists of a basement dungeon where they were three plants with a barrel vault, connected by a narrow spiral staircase and the roof surrounded by battlements and four blocks in the corners.
