Day 5 Stats:
Distance = 26.04 km
Elev Gain = 324 m
Time = 1h 25m
I took Monday morning quite slow and easy. I only had to check out from the Hostel at 11:00am and there was also no rush, because the bike shops only open at 10:00am.
I left around 9:45am to walk to the closest bike shop to where I had stayed the evening before. When the shop owner arrived he said that the mechanic would only be in at around 13:00pm. I couldn’t wait this long. I had to leave Gijon the same day, just because it was so expensive to stay another night.
I thanked him and made my way to the other shop Ele had mentioned, Ciclos Esplendor. Here I would come across Ramon. I explained my situation to him and I was certain I would need a new derailleur, but he figured he could bend it back into shape (literally) and that it should get me to Santiago to finish my trip. I asked if he could at all finish it that same day as I wanted to leave for the next town over, (Aviles). He asked that I give him about two hours. Perfect!
I went and walked around Gijon. I bought some bread and ham from a nearby grocer, walked to a nearby public square and made myself a sandwich with some tomato Ele had gifted me the previous day; harvested from their garden. After this I found a nearby coffee shop and had a pretty good flat white (the first of the trip) and a blueberry and lemon cookie.
At roughly 12:30pm I went and picked up the bicycle, but first had to photograph Ramon and get a photo with him. I set off at 13:00 for Aviles, where I arrived at about 14:45. It was a hot ride, because of the time I left, but this was okay, because it wasn’t like I was going to ride for hours on end.
In Aviles, I stayed in the biggest Albergue of the trip so far. Big in this instance meaning, the most beds stuck into a room. I believe there were 48 bunk beds at Albergue, Pedro Solis. This also put me slightly ahead of schedule for my trip, which was okay I figured. I also decided here that I would not stay in such a large place again if I could avoid it.
Entering Aviles, I wasn’t all that impressed. I came into the city via some industrial area, but after speaking with Fernando - an old guy from San Sebastian) whom I had helped a little earlier in the day find his way to the Albergue - he convinced me to go for a walk about town. He’d spoken to one of the locals who said Aviles’ old town was beautiful. I also spoke with Diana who had walked 42km the previous day. Holy shit! That is so impressive.
Fernando’s local “guide” wasn’t wrong. The old town was quite cool and the park I found was also really nice to walk through. There was also the Niemeyer Centre. Sadly it wasn’t open so I decided to not walk all the way there and only to the bridge crossing the river to get to it and then I turned back. Happy that I was back on the road again and that I didn’t get hurt myself from the fall.
Tomorrow I ride to Cadavedo