Monday Oct 24. El Pito to Cadavedo by bus.
This was one of those stages that would taken much from us to complete due to the multiple ascents (guesstimate cumulative 2,800ft) and descents (guesstimate cumulative 3,000ft). We decided to take the bus from Cudillero, which is about a 25 mins downhill walk from El Pito.
This post will focus on our general observations to date.
Cudillero is much bigger than El Pito. But our accommodation in latter was a steal, Euro 36 for a night in a row of cabins with an outdoor patio with chairs and table. I think Hotel Avalro almost had a full house with many locals who drove there. The rooms had foam mattresses and Joon had the highest Fitbit sleep score to date on the Camino!
In the waterfront of Cudillero, while we only patronized one eatery, my general impression was that it was not overly “inflated” as might be expected in such prime locations. In other countries, one might expect only upscale establishments to take over such prime estate. That was not the case here. Thus, we saw many local tourists, taking pictures, visiting the souvenir shops, etc.
Spaniards seem to love to socialize a lot in casual relaxed settings. They love to sit out on the terraces or patios, just having coffee, wine or beer. Any food plates (rarely seen) were more like raciones (rations or appetizers). A contributory factor to this culture might be the design and prevalence of open squares in Spanish cities and towns.
The costs of meals in standard restaurants is very affordable. In Cadavedo, a menu of the day cost us Euro 11 each. We had a first course, second course, dessert, water (or table wine) and bread. Great value and sufficient portions, such that we can cut back/down on the usual second meal of the day.
One of the biggest favorable impression was the public transportation. A bus ticket from Cudillero to Cadavedo, a distance of 23.4km (14.6 miles) cost each of us Euro 3.60. The bus was practically empty, and thus, I am led to suspect there’s a State subsidy. Which I believe is a great and needed investment to connect all these towns and people.
After all these observations, one cannot but ponder the ranking of countries that can offer its citizens a widely accessible First World life.
Journey Within 