If you have never heard of Tábara, you should know that it's three days walking from Zamora and has an absolutely beautiful romanesque church with a tower with three layers of arches, just terrific. I am here, in a pensión with a shared bathroom that has cold water and a burned out light bulb, so don't think I'm living it up over here.
So, Dana and I have been walking for three days now. We are walking through a lot of flat land or rolling hills, most of it agricultural, but today that landscape was interrupted by the Esla River and our short straight up ascent to the top of a rocky ledge with views to die for over the river. We sat and rested and listened to the birds and all in all felt very grateful for having the chance to do this. Our days have been long and hot recently, the temperature is up in the high 80s, maybe 90s, so we try to get up and go very early and stop walking by 2 pm.
We have not been staying in albergues because there always seems to be a "casa rural" that rents out rooms and has clean sheets and clean bathrooms. We are suckers for clean sheets, which are nowhere to be found in the albergues as we know them. In Montamarta, our first stop outside Zamora, the albergue is a bit outside of town, and one peregrino had food and clothing stolen, not nice. Some of the towns have been pretty deserted and unexciting, but we had nice rooms in the "Casa del Sastre" and "Casa del Tio Quico" in two very small towns. Today we're in a bigger town and are in the hostal's "overflow" accommodations -- the hostal itself was sold out because of many construction workers here helping to build a fast train from Zamora north.
Yesterday we were in a town with a XIIth century monastery a few kilometers away, so after lunch, I walked over and back (without backpack, so I felt like I was flying) and had a very nice visit. The church itself is pretty much in ruins, thanks to those awful French invaders, and much of the monastery has been turned into piles of rocks. The "sala de los monjes" (room of the monks) was very well preserved and had beautiful low barrel vaulted arches and nice brick work. And part of the church's outside is in great shape. The setting for this monastery is spectacular, very bucolic, near a river, and the visit was a lot of fun. I spent about a half an hour with my boots off sitting in the shade and eating nuts and apricots, looking at the amazing seven apses, layered on top with more apses, and I felt very luck indeed.
The route is deserted. We never see anyone, or at most one other person, walking during the day. I have read online that if I were walking the Camino Francés there would always be between 20 and 40 people in sight in front of me at any given time. I am GLAD we're not there. This way is pretty isolated and untraveled. When we arrive in towns, people come out to say hello and ask where we are from. And I think that we are lucky to be walking at an uncrowded time -- the vast majority of those who walk the Via de la Plata begin at the latest in early May. So we are well behind the crowds.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Rest Day in Zamora
For the life of me, I can't understand why Zamora is not more of a tourist destination. It's a lovely, lively little city. There are streets lined with modernist buildings from the early 20th century, art deco and all that, just beautiful. The castle, which dates to pre-roman times, has been restored and is very visitor-friendly, such fun to walk around. AND, there are more than 20 romanesque churches, ranging from the tiny cozy Santiago de los Caballeros (where El Cid reportedly prayed) to the larger romanesque churches around the center, with all sorts of beautiful capitals and different types of decoration. To top it all off, the old city is walled and sits right on the banks of the Douro/Duero River, with its old roman/medieval bridge for pilgrims to cross.
Yesterday was my lucky day, for two main reasons. First, my dear friend and walking partner Danagrina arrived from the U.S. and we will continue on together tomorrow. Second, in the morning I got a ride out to the Visigothisc 7th century San Pedro de la Nave, 23 km from Zamora in the middle of nowhere. The hospitalero at the albergue heard about my plans and wanted to see the church, so he drove me out, and then I walked back. It was one of the high points of the Camino so far. Both the inside and the outside of the church are just spectacular.
The carvings on the capitals are beautiful, some are vegetal, some are human scenes, but they are almost all in untouched condition. It was a terrific way to spend a rest day. The 23 km back to Zamora were pleasant, all except for the 8 km I had to walk on the highway because I lost the arrows on the way back to town. (I get lost when the arrows are pointing in my direction, so imagine how hard it was for me to follow the arrows backwards).
Tomorrow I will start walking again, 20 days or so to Santiago, all is well, the scenery is changing, but the weather keeps blessing us with cool and cloudy. No complaints!
Yesterday was my lucky day, for two main reasons. First, my dear friend and walking partner Danagrina arrived from the U.S. and we will continue on together tomorrow. Second, in the morning I got a ride out to the Visigothisc 7th century San Pedro de la Nave, 23 km from Zamora in the middle of nowhere. The hospitalero at the albergue heard about my plans and wanted to see the church, so he drove me out, and then I walked back. It was one of the high points of the Camino so far. Both the inside and the outside of the church are just spectacular.
The carvings on the capitals are beautiful, some are vegetal, some are human scenes, but they are almost all in untouched condition. It was a terrific way to spend a rest day. The 23 km back to Zamora were pleasant, all except for the 8 km I had to walk on the highway because I lost the arrows on the way back to town. (I get lost when the arrows are pointing in my direction, so imagine how hard it was for me to follow the arrows backwards).
Tomorrow I will start walking again, 20 days or so to Santiago, all is well, the scenery is changing, but the weather keeps blessing us with cool and cloudy. No complaints!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Pilgrims' Penance on the Way to Zamora
I decided to spend three days getting from Salamanca to Zamora. That put me on the road less travelled, because most people do it in two long 35 km days. The first day was pretty enough, bringing me to Calzada de Valdunciel. But the second day.....
There were at least 17 km right next to the brand new super-highway A-66. This super-highway was neither designed nor engineered with pilgrims in mind. What should have been a long 33 km walk became an interminable up and down back and forth that never seemed to end. One of the Spanish guide books talks about "llanos falsos" (fake flats) because Castilla and León are supposedly all flat and midwestern, but in reality there are ups and downs all over the place. Whoever designed the A-66 decided that nature hadn't given us enough of those ups and downs, and so the peregrino walking has to go up and down and around every time the super-highway has an overpass. It was not fun, not pretty, but at least it wasn't hot either.
I spent last night in an albergue turístico in a town called Villanueva del Campeán. This town has hundreds of houses, most of them shut up tight, ten children and a total of 80 inhabitants. The albergue had a nice room with beds for 12, and there were only 5 of us. Since the albergue is run by the bar next door, and since there are no stores in town, there's kind of a monopoly situation here in terms of where to eat dinner. I had the first really good tortilla española and some wonderful locally grown greens, so I was a happy camper.
I'm now in Zamora, it's an incredible town. You can see it when you are 11 or 12 km away, kind of like the Emerald City. But what you can't make out on the skyline is the cathedral. In most of the cities I have walked into, the cathedral dominates the skyline -- not so in Zamora. Not until I was about 10 minutes (walking) out of town did I even see the very recognizable cathedral tower and dome. I may have mentioned this already but there are more than 20 romanesque churches here, so I am in hog heaven.
The albergue in Zamora is terrific. There are rooms with 3 bunk beds and a private bath/shower, a huge commons room, and a kitchen. Such luxury. When the hospitalero ("guy in charge") saw that the sheet on my bunk had a spot on it, he whisked it away and brought a clean one. If he only knew about the condition of the beds I've slept on in the last few weeks....
This hospitalero is a volunteer from Portugal doing a two week stint. He was delighted to find out that I speak Portuguese so we have had several long chats. When I asked whether I could leave my backpack in the albergue during the day so I could walk out to San Pedro de la Nave (a 7th century visigothic church about 23 km outside of the city), he offered take me in his car since he wants to see it as well. I will go with him and then try to walk back, we'll see if the way is marked.
Well, here in Zamora marks the end of my solitary camino. Dana is arriving tomorrow from California, and we will take on the last 400 kms together. I will be here in Zamora for another couple of days, it is too beautiful a city to just walk through.
There were at least 17 km right next to the brand new super-highway A-66. This super-highway was neither designed nor engineered with pilgrims in mind. What should have been a long 33 km walk became an interminable up and down back and forth that never seemed to end. One of the Spanish guide books talks about "llanos falsos" (fake flats) because Castilla and León are supposedly all flat and midwestern, but in reality there are ups and downs all over the place. Whoever designed the A-66 decided that nature hadn't given us enough of those ups and downs, and so the peregrino walking has to go up and down and around every time the super-highway has an overpass. It was not fun, not pretty, but at least it wasn't hot either.
I spent last night in an albergue turístico in a town called Villanueva del Campeán. This town has hundreds of houses, most of them shut up tight, ten children and a total of 80 inhabitants. The albergue had a nice room with beds for 12, and there were only 5 of us. Since the albergue is run by the bar next door, and since there are no stores in town, there's kind of a monopoly situation here in terms of where to eat dinner. I had the first really good tortilla española and some wonderful locally grown greens, so I was a happy camper.
I'm now in Zamora, it's an incredible town. You can see it when you are 11 or 12 km away, kind of like the Emerald City. But what you can't make out on the skyline is the cathedral. In most of the cities I have walked into, the cathedral dominates the skyline -- not so in Zamora. Not until I was about 10 minutes (walking) out of town did I even see the very recognizable cathedral tower and dome. I may have mentioned this already but there are more than 20 romanesque churches here, so I am in hog heaven.
The albergue in Zamora is terrific. There are rooms with 3 bunk beds and a private bath/shower, a huge commons room, and a kitchen. Such luxury. When the hospitalero ("guy in charge") saw that the sheet on my bunk had a spot on it, he whisked it away and brought a clean one. If he only knew about the condition of the beds I've slept on in the last few weeks....
This hospitalero is a volunteer from Portugal doing a two week stint. He was delighted to find out that I speak Portuguese so we have had several long chats. When I asked whether I could leave my backpack in the albergue during the day so I could walk out to San Pedro de la Nave (a 7th century visigothic church about 23 km outside of the city), he offered take me in his car since he wants to see it as well. I will go with him and then try to walk back, we'll see if the way is marked.
Well, here in Zamora marks the end of my solitary camino. Dana is arriving tomorrow from California, and we will take on the last 400 kms together. I will be here in Zamora for another couple of days, it is too beautiful a city to just walk through.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Lost (and Found) on the Via de la Plata
I left Salamanca this morning as the town was waking up. Many people (mostly women) were cleaning the portals of their buildings, sweeping the sidewalks in front of them, washing windows. Then there were workers (mostly men) washing every square inch of street in the city of Salamanca, emptying garbage bins, and to top it all off there were (I kid you not) small car-sized vacuum cleaners driving around vroom vroom vroom to pick up the stuff the others didn't get.
At the moment I hit the edge of town, up pulled a cab and out popped a "new" pilgrim (new to me, anyway). I said Hola buenos días, he looked at me sheepishly and I continued on. A few roundabouts down the road, as I was looking for the arrows, he caught up with me and we had a more formal greeting. The first words out of his mouth were not his name, hello, how are you or anything like that but rather an explanation of how he happened to be in a taxi cab. (Anyone who has walked on a Camino knows that for many it's a badge of shame to be caught travelling in anything with motor, we seem to be very judgmental, we pilgrims). He quickly explained that he had started walking, gotten lost in the suburbs of Salamanca and decided that he had already lost an hour and needed to get on the road. And he just wanted to make sure that I didn't think he was a "cheater" or somehow less holy than I. We walked together for a few kms on the highway and then realized that while we had been talking we had likely missed the turn-off. Our choices were threefold: continue on the highway shoulder till the next town (UGH); backtrack to the turn-off (NEVER); or head westward confident that we would somehow intersect with the Camino. We took option three, and it only took us about 35 minutes trudging through wet grasses up to our waist, lots of mud (Salamanca had a 90 minute downpour last night), and occasional steep slides down hills till we made it to the Camino. Or almost to the Camino, because what separated us was a large very steep arroyo (water filled gulley). Many heroic jumps and splashes later, and finally we were on the Camino. We made it to Calzada de Valdunciel around noon, and here I stay, in the little 8 bed albergue that looks like Hansel and Gretel's house. There are three of us and we are quite comfortable.
So, the lost and found. Since I am now about halfway there, I thought I'd take stock on what I had lost and found on the Camino. Since I am not a very deep thinker, this did not involve metaphysical musings about happiness or priorities or life's great decisions. No, it involved thinking about what I had lost and what I had found. And here's the tally:
LOST (and never found): one little bottle of eye drops; my bandana; one little hotel tube of conditioner.
LOST (and found again): my sunglasses (found by another peregrino along the way); my journal (left in a restaurant and later retrieved); and my totally filled fanny pack (left by the hotel internet machine).
So I have lost six things, found three of them, and I'd say that someone is looking out for me.
At the moment I hit the edge of town, up pulled a cab and out popped a "new" pilgrim (new to me, anyway). I said Hola buenos días, he looked at me sheepishly and I continued on. A few roundabouts down the road, as I was looking for the arrows, he caught up with me and we had a more formal greeting. The first words out of his mouth were not his name, hello, how are you or anything like that but rather an explanation of how he happened to be in a taxi cab. (Anyone who has walked on a Camino knows that for many it's a badge of shame to be caught travelling in anything with motor, we seem to be very judgmental, we pilgrims). He quickly explained that he had started walking, gotten lost in the suburbs of Salamanca and decided that he had already lost an hour and needed to get on the road. And he just wanted to make sure that I didn't think he was a "cheater" or somehow less holy than I. We walked together for a few kms on the highway and then realized that while we had been talking we had likely missed the turn-off. Our choices were threefold: continue on the highway shoulder till the next town (UGH); backtrack to the turn-off (NEVER); or head westward confident that we would somehow intersect with the Camino. We took option three, and it only took us about 35 minutes trudging through wet grasses up to our waist, lots of mud (Salamanca had a 90 minute downpour last night), and occasional steep slides down hills till we made it to the Camino. Or almost to the Camino, because what separated us was a large very steep arroyo (water filled gulley). Many heroic jumps and splashes later, and finally we were on the Camino. We made it to Calzada de Valdunciel around noon, and here I stay, in the little 8 bed albergue that looks like Hansel and Gretel's house. There are three of us and we are quite comfortable.
So, the lost and found. Since I am now about halfway there, I thought I'd take stock on what I had lost and found on the Camino. Since I am not a very deep thinker, this did not involve metaphysical musings about happiness or priorities or life's great decisions. No, it involved thinking about what I had lost and what I had found. And here's the tally:
LOST (and never found): one little bottle of eye drops; my bandana; one little hotel tube of conditioner.
LOST (and found again): my sunglasses (found by another peregrino along the way); my journal (left in a restaurant and later retrieved); and my totally filled fanny pack (left by the hotel internet machine).
So I have lost six things, found three of them, and I'd say that someone is looking out for me.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
From peregrina to tourist in sunny Salamanca
Last night as I was suffering with allergies in every part of my body from the chest upwards, I decided that my second night in Salamanca would not be in the pilgrims' albergue. It's a very nice place, don't get me wrong, in a beautiful old building right next to the Cathedral, nicely restored, nice common rooms, two sleeping rooms with 4 bunks each, clean bathrooms -- in short, the perfect albergue. But with the encouragement of my pal Werner (an Austrian history teacher), I checked at the four-star hotel right next door and found they had a room with my name on it for 65€, so I splurged. I "moved in" this morning right after breakfast and after the very fine ritual high mass in the old Cathedral, a late romanesque affair that gives you something to look at when your mind drifts from the service itself. I have been able to wash and dry all my clothes (these quick dry hiking clothes dry in less than a half hour in the hot Salamanca sun). Since I've been on the 5 day washing cycle, the cleaning was much needed. I'll be here till 7 am tomorrow, with a wake up call and coffee in the hotel before I hit the road.
Salamanca is really a beautiful city -- yesterday must have been graduation of some sort because there were chic young people parading all around with their families. I also saw 4 wedding parties, lots of First Communions, lots and lots of people out in the streets.
I've been running into almost everyone I've met so far on the Camino. Salamanca is kind of a "bunching up" place -- some people stay here several days, some have taken the bus ahead to get here early and spend some time, and that means that any trip to the Plaza Mayor will inevitably mean I'll see at least a couple of friendly faces. Everyone says the same thing -- how weird it feels to be "just" a tourist, no backpack on your back. And after all the solitude out there on the walk, being in such a bustling place can be a bit overwhelming.
Last night on the way back to the albergue, I went for a quick detour into the Plaza Mayor. It was about 10:30 at night, but you could still see that pure dark blue of the Castilian sky in the moonlight. The plaza was all lit up and filled with everyday Spanish people of all ages. There were still lots of kids running around and babies being held, grandmas and grandpas, tourists and college students. The square itself is just incredible, if you have never seen it, you should try to get here. And the city is one of those that immediately grabs you as a place you'd like to spend some time.
So, off to say a few farewells to people who are leaving the Camino here, and to enjoy some more strolling around. But no boots till tomorrow morning.
Salamanca is really a beautiful city -- yesterday must have been graduation of some sort because there were chic young people parading all around with their families. I also saw 4 wedding parties, lots of First Communions, lots and lots of people out in the streets.
I've been running into almost everyone I've met so far on the Camino. Salamanca is kind of a "bunching up" place -- some people stay here several days, some have taken the bus ahead to get here early and spend some time, and that means that any trip to the Plaza Mayor will inevitably mean I'll see at least a couple of friendly faces. Everyone says the same thing -- how weird it feels to be "just" a tourist, no backpack on your back. And after all the solitude out there on the walk, being in such a bustling place can be a bit overwhelming.
Last night on the way back to the albergue, I went for a quick detour into the Plaza Mayor. It was about 10:30 at night, but you could still see that pure dark blue of the Castilian sky in the moonlight. The plaza was all lit up and filled with everyday Spanish people of all ages. There were still lots of kids running around and babies being held, grandmas and grandpas, tourists and college students. The square itself is just incredible, if you have never seen it, you should try to get here. And the city is one of those that immediately grabs you as a place you'd like to spend some time.
So, off to say a few farewells to people who are leaving the Camino here, and to enjoy some more strolling around. But no boots till tomorrow morning.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Hot, sunny, long endless roads -- and the allergies come at no extra charge!
I have arrived in Salamanca, one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, in my humble opinion. The last few days have been through extremely large tracts of land, occasionally with cows sitting on the camino, lots of wildflowers, snow covered mountains, it has been beautiful. Small isolated towns with a hundred inhabitants or so, all of whom are bewildered by the presence of all these pilgrims, but in general very helpful and eager to talk to us.
Yesterday´s walk had the first significant ascent, which led to a beautiful view at the summit, but then at the end, we had about 4 km at the end of just straight slog -- hot, sunny, no shade, walking past bull pastures. People have different strategies for dealing with this kind of camino. Some just put their head down and forge ahead (that's me), but others play games with themselves or imagine things or try to recount something from memory. In any case, no matter what the strategy, we all arrived in San Pedro de Rozados totally wiped out. I got there at about 2:30, having left the albergue in Fuenterroble at the very decadent hour of 8:00 am, and I resolved that from now on I would be up and on the way by no later than 7:00.
But the best laid plans.... Last night the owner of the hostal where I was staying assured me that she would be up and making coffee for us at 7:00. Well, 7 came and went, and I couldn't leave because I had clothes hanging out to dry inside her bar (she did a wash for me). At about 7:40, she showed up, and then told me that it would take a while -- "un ratito" is a very unspecific amount of time -- for the coffee machine to warm up. So I took off without breakfast and am still paying the price of not having had any caffeine all day.
With another late start, I had some hot hours making my way into Salamanca, where it's graduation weekend and there is no room at the inn anywhere in town. We found a youth hostel that would take a group of 4 peregrinos (a Spanish man and his 32 year old daughter, an Austrian guy, and me).
Yesterday´s walk had the first significant ascent, which led to a beautiful view at the summit, but then at the end, we had about 4 km at the end of just straight slog -- hot, sunny, no shade, walking past bull pastures. People have different strategies for dealing with this kind of camino. Some just put their head down and forge ahead (that's me), but others play games with themselves or imagine things or try to recount something from memory. In any case, no matter what the strategy, we all arrived in San Pedro de Rozados totally wiped out. I got there at about 2:30, having left the albergue in Fuenterroble at the very decadent hour of 8:00 am, and I resolved that from now on I would be up and on the way by no later than 7:00.
But the best laid plans.... Last night the owner of the hostal where I was staying assured me that she would be up and making coffee for us at 7:00. Well, 7 came and went, and I couldn't leave because I had clothes hanging out to dry inside her bar (she did a wash for me). At about 7:40, she showed up, and then told me that it would take a while -- "un ratito" is a very unspecific amount of time -- for the coffee machine to warm up. So I took off without breakfast and am still paying the price of not having had any caffeine all day.
With another late start, I had some hot hours making my way into Salamanca, where it's graduation weekend and there is no room at the inn anywhere in town. We found a youth hostel that would take a group of 4 peregrinos (a Spanish man and his 32 year old daughter, an Austrian guy, and me).
My allergies are getting pretty bad -- I had the foresight to bring along the leftover medicines I got in Portugal last year when I had bad allergies on the Via de la Plata. About two days ago, in the town called Fuenterroble de Salvatierra (unknown to anyone outside Via de la Plata circles) the pharmacist drove 35 km to pick the same medicines up for me and brought them back to me in the albergue. So I am well medicated but suffering -- mainly chest and nose, my eyes seem to be ok.
A free day in Salamanca, don't know what I'll do with myself. It was kind of a shock to enter the tourist world, it makes us realize how totally remote our camino has been. One priority will be to try to stay cool, because the temperatures are rising. And 85 degrees sitting in the shade or walking back and forth to your car is a lot different than 85 degrees walking for hours with 20 pounds on your back. But I am not complaining because this is spectacular.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
In Baños de Montemayor
I am almost out of Extremadura and soon to enter Castilla y León. The landscape is changing, today I was walking closer and closer to snow covered mountains and am now in a town filled with half-timbered houses, plazas with porticoes and overhanging houses, it's all very pretty.
The weather is getting warmer, but we have been spared real heat, thankfully. I think it was probably in the mid 80s when I finally trudged into my town today. Yesterday, I was in a tiny town with nothing, absolutely nothing, just 9 children (they keep the school open till it drops below three), one bar, a pharmacy and grocery store (neither one opened when I was there). So today after 26 km, when I walked into another one of those towns, I decided to slog on another 10 to make it to this much bigger place. It's really pretty, I'm very glad I did. And now, if I play my cards right and manage to do another long day or two, I will get to Salamanca a day early and can take a rest day there! I love Salamanca, so even though it will be a Sunday, it would be a very nice reward for several long days.
A lot of the people I have been walking with are finishing their walks in Salamanca, so there will undoubtedly be lots of new people to take there place. Last night in the small albergue, there was a young Spanish couple on bicycles. They told me they felt like they were traveling abroad, because no one they had met could speak any Spanish. Not that they minded, but it is pretty strange when in an albergue of 17 people there are 7 Danes, 3 Dutch, 4 Germans, me and this couple!
I have walked through more wildflowers in these last few days than I ever dreamed existed in the universe. Although there were some curve balls on the trail today (due to the construction of the new super highway), I managed to only half fall into a stream and to only get lost once. But luckily there are always people who appear at the moment when you think you're really in trouble.
Tomorrow there's an ascent of some significance, really the first one I´ve had up till now. Hope I haven't forgotten how to go up hills!
The weather is getting warmer, but we have been spared real heat, thankfully. I think it was probably in the mid 80s when I finally trudged into my town today. Yesterday, I was in a tiny town with nothing, absolutely nothing, just 9 children (they keep the school open till it drops below three), one bar, a pharmacy and grocery store (neither one opened when I was there). So today after 26 km, when I walked into another one of those towns, I decided to slog on another 10 to make it to this much bigger place. It's really pretty, I'm very glad I did. And now, if I play my cards right and manage to do another long day or two, I will get to Salamanca a day early and can take a rest day there! I love Salamanca, so even though it will be a Sunday, it would be a very nice reward for several long days.
A lot of the people I have been walking with are finishing their walks in Salamanca, so there will undoubtedly be lots of new people to take there place. Last night in the small albergue, there was a young Spanish couple on bicycles. They told me they felt like they were traveling abroad, because no one they had met could speak any Spanish. Not that they minded, but it is pretty strange when in an albergue of 17 people there are 7 Danes, 3 Dutch, 4 Germans, me and this couple!
I have walked through more wildflowers in these last few days than I ever dreamed existed in the universe. Although there were some curve balls on the trail today (due to the construction of the new super highway), I managed to only half fall into a stream and to only get lost once. But luckily there are always people who appear at the moment when you think you're really in trouble.
Tomorrow there's an ascent of some significance, really the first one I´ve had up till now. Hope I haven't forgotten how to go up hills!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Living it up in Carcaboso
Call me extravagant, but today I walked only 11 km (all on asphalt, though, which is hard on the old tootsies) and then checked into a hostal where a private room with bath, and a bed with crisp white ironed sheets were waiting for me, all for 20€. Now I could have gone and slept on the floor of the polideportivo (sports complex) for 5€, and I could have shared a room and bathroom in a private albergue with four other peregrinos for 10€, but I splurged for the high life.
There have been some very good days and some highway asphalt (mainly around a huge reservoir that has dammed up the Tajo River). Yesterday was the best of the last few -- a 28 km walk through meadows of wild flowers with snow capped mountains in the distance (must have been the Gredos range, where our family spent last Christmas). Though I didn't think I was in Switzerland, it was very very pretty. And I found a huge boulder perfectly carved into a chair for me, even with a ledge for my yoghurt and fruit!
The crowds are increasing. I now have company every night at dinner, nearly all of it German speaking (I would say there are about 15 who are either Austrian, Flemish, or German) with one lonely Spaniard who speaks nothing but Spanish, an Italian who makes himself understood with bits and pieces of different languages, and a French couple who also speak some Spanish. So that makes post-walking time a lot more interesting. As far as walking goes, though, I'm in the habit of just starting off on my own and either running into people or not as the case may be. Lots of time to just enjoy the surroundings.
Weather is still beautiful, I feel very lucky. Less than a week to Salamanca.
There have been some very good days and some highway asphalt (mainly around a huge reservoir that has dammed up the Tajo River). Yesterday was the best of the last few -- a 28 km walk through meadows of wild flowers with snow capped mountains in the distance (must have been the Gredos range, where our family spent last Christmas). Though I didn't think I was in Switzerland, it was very very pretty. And I found a huge boulder perfectly carved into a chair for me, even with a ledge for my yoghurt and fruit!
The crowds are increasing. I now have company every night at dinner, nearly all of it German speaking (I would say there are about 15 who are either Austrian, Flemish, or German) with one lonely Spaniard who speaks nothing but Spanish, an Italian who makes himself understood with bits and pieces of different languages, and a French couple who also speak some Spanish. So that makes post-walking time a lot more interesting. As far as walking goes, though, I'm in the habit of just starting off on my own and either running into people or not as the case may be. Lots of time to just enjoy the surroundings.
Weather is still beautiful, I feel very lucky. Less than a week to Salamanca.
Friday, May 14, 2010
In the beautiful town of Cáceres
Leaving Alcuéscar yesterday, I had the intention to walk 26 km to Valdesalor, a small town about 12 km outside Cáceres. The weather was cool, with sun and clouds, and the camino went over several amazing Roman bridges. It was apparently "purple flower day" on the Vía de la Plata, because there were blankets of purple in almost every direction. There we were walking on the old Roman road, sandwiched between the national highway N-630 and the superhighway A-66, but there were lots of times when the road took us out of earshot of the hum of traffic.
When I pulled into Valdesalor at around 12:30 in the morning, having made very good time, the following facts presented themselves:
1. Valdesalor is an ugly town, in fact it´s not really a town at all. It was created by the state in the 1960s as part of a "get rural people out of isolation" movement. As a result this is essentially a large apartment complex.
2. The albergue has no beds, just mats on the floor.
3. It is cold, and there would be no blankets in the albergue, and all I have is a lightweight sleeping bag.
4. There is nothing to do in Valdesalor.
5. The really big snorer was planning to stay in Valdesalor.
So, after an hour´s rest, with lots of ice on the feet and shins, I took off for Cáceres, on what is probably the longest day´s walk I've done on any Camino, totalling 38 or 39 kms. I was fully intending to treat myself by spending the night at the parador. But by 4 pm, I was checked into the two star rustic hotel Don Carlos. The parador is undergoing extensive renovations and is closed. The Don Carlos was the first I ran into that looked nice. So I saved the family at least 85 euros, I figure.
Having the whole evening in Cáceres was very nice and relaxing. Its historic core, mainly dating from the XIV-XVI century with lots of Moorish remnants, is just stunning. And at night, it´s even more so. The other advantage of having made that long slog yesterday is that today I only have 11 kms to walk to Casar de Cáceres, a nearby town whose fame is a runny sheep cheese.
The weather has been wonderful, this morning it is downright chilly, with a bright sun. Great walking weather, I have absolutely no complaints. And, unlike last year when I arrived in Cáceres, my feet are FINE!
When I pulled into Valdesalor at around 12:30 in the morning, having made very good time, the following facts presented themselves:
1. Valdesalor is an ugly town, in fact it´s not really a town at all. It was created by the state in the 1960s as part of a "get rural people out of isolation" movement. As a result this is essentially a large apartment complex.
2. The albergue has no beds, just mats on the floor.
3. It is cold, and there would be no blankets in the albergue, and all I have is a lightweight sleeping bag.
4. There is nothing to do in Valdesalor.
5. The really big snorer was planning to stay in Valdesalor.
So, after an hour´s rest, with lots of ice on the feet and shins, I took off for Cáceres, on what is probably the longest day´s walk I've done on any Camino, totalling 38 or 39 kms. I was fully intending to treat myself by spending the night at the parador. But by 4 pm, I was checked into the two star rustic hotel Don Carlos. The parador is undergoing extensive renovations and is closed. The Don Carlos was the first I ran into that looked nice. So I saved the family at least 85 euros, I figure.
Having the whole evening in Cáceres was very nice and relaxing. Its historic core, mainly dating from the XIV-XVI century with lots of Moorish remnants, is just stunning. And at night, it´s even more so. The other advantage of having made that long slog yesterday is that today I only have 11 kms to walk to Casar de Cáceres, a nearby town whose fame is a runny sheep cheese.
The weather has been wonderful, this morning it is downright chilly, with a bright sun. Great walking weather, I have absolutely no complaints. And, unlike last year when I arrived in Cáceres, my feet are FINE!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Getting Off the Beaten Path
I know that you probably think that I already AM off the beaten path, but there are lots of lovely things just a hop skip and a jump away from this narrow road that takes us from Sevilla to Santiago. This afternoon, I was able to take the time to walk out the 4 km from Alcuescar to visit a Seventh century, yes that's the number 7, church that's out in a field surrounded by daisies and waiting for visitors. Rather than spend the afternoon eating a big meal in the restaurant that I really enjoyed last year, I bought some yoghurt and an orange and took the street named after the Chestnut Fountain (Fuente del Castaño) and just kept walking on that road till I reached the church.
By then it was 3:15, I had 45 minutes to eat my lunch, take off my boots, and just rest and contemplate the universe. Promptly at 4:00, the woman in charge came and opened up both the church and the visitors' center, all for me. The church is, as these 7th century visigothic churches go, unusual for its three apses. I'm no expert, but I thought it was stunning. Just sitting there and looking around and looking at the arches inside, well it sort of takes your breath away. Mine at least.
And as an added bonus, it was a very nice country walk, through the same old cork and olive tree groves, again in total solitude and with the sky changing from sunny to cloudy to threatening dark clouds every few minutes. But not a drop of rain fell.
The albergue where I am tonight is in a Convent, and we will have a communal dinner at 8 pm. Tomorrow will get me close to Cáceres. I'm thinking I'll stop in the town where the albergue is located in the mayor's office. When he goes home, he just puts a bunch of pads on the floor for us to plunk our sleeping bags on and lets the pilgrims hang their drying clothes outside where the flag of Spain announces the building's official function.
I now know that Gordon Brown is out, the King of Spain does not have cancer, and that Obama called Zapatero to lecture him about the need to take strong measures to combat the crisis. That's what a few minutes in a café with a copy of El País will do for you.
By then it was 3:15, I had 45 minutes to eat my lunch, take off my boots, and just rest and contemplate the universe. Promptly at 4:00, the woman in charge came and opened up both the church and the visitors' center, all for me. The church is, as these 7th century visigothic churches go, unusual for its three apses. I'm no expert, but I thought it was stunning. Just sitting there and looking around and looking at the arches inside, well it sort of takes your breath away. Mine at least.
And as an added bonus, it was a very nice country walk, through the same old cork and olive tree groves, again in total solitude and with the sky changing from sunny to cloudy to threatening dark clouds every few minutes. But not a drop of rain fell.
The albergue where I am tonight is in a Convent, and we will have a communal dinner at 8 pm. Tomorrow will get me close to Cáceres. I'm thinking I'll stop in the town where the albergue is located in the mayor's office. When he goes home, he just puts a bunch of pads on the floor for us to plunk our sleeping bags on and lets the pilgrims hang their drying clothes outside where the flag of Spain announces the building's official function.
I now know that Gordon Brown is out, the King of Spain does not have cancer, and that Obama called Zapatero to lecture him about the need to take strong measures to combat the crisis. That's what a few minutes in a café with a copy of El País will do for you.
Making a Buck or Two off the Pilgrims
For some reason, I spent a lot of this morning's walk thinking about the pilgrim trade and what it means for these towns in Spain. Pilgrims occasionally gripe about how they are the subject of scams, high prices, unequal treatment, etc. One that's particularly amusing is the story of the old lady on the Camino Frances, who could have been sent from Central Casting in Madrid -- a Galician peasant woman, through and through. She has the right kerchief, apron, threadbare sweater, etc. She frequently emerges from her little stone house with a plate of pancakes she has just made and sweetly encourages walkers to try one. She then becomes a little less sweet and a little more aggressive, demanding a euro. I saw that woman in 2000 and hear that she is still in business. With the amount of pilgrims walking by, maybe she has retired and moved to the Canaries and turned her business over to someone else who also looks the part.
Sometimes, the treatment is a little less endearing -- we get less strong coffee, charged more for a beer, not treated to the minimum standards of customer service. (Now pilgrims do their fair share of bad things, too, like not giving a donation for the albergues that don't charge, taking all the bar's toilet paper, etc, etc, but that's another story).
Well, yesterday in Aljucén (population maybe 150), the options for dinner were threefold. Make your own (from the scant supplies bought in the tobacco shop turned grocery), go to the Bar Kiosko and have a sandwich, or go to the Bar Café Sergio for a meal. Several of us walked down to the Sergio and out came the owner -- a woman probably not much older than I, hunched over and walking with a cane, bad teeth, looking not very snazzy. She explained that our meal would be excellent, that the staff of the Ayuntamiento (town hall) frequently came to eat there and were always very happy with their meals (yeah, right), and that there would be a basket of fruit at the end of the meal (maybe she had heard from the shop owner that several of us were particularly sad that there were no fresh fruits or vegetables for sale anywhere in town). Price was 12€.
About 7 of us signed up, and at the appointed hour of 8 pm, walked down to eat. This meal was bad, in fact "bad" is an understatement. First course was chicken noodle soup out of an envelope. Then came the tortilla francesa (that's an omlet with only eggs) that was rubbery almost inedible (hard to do that to two eggs), and the high point of the meal, a salad with good tomatoes, fresh lettuce, onions, etc. We each had an apple and an orange for dessert. I ate the apple, well past its prime, and saved the orange for my walk. Even the wine was undrinkable -- the Australian gent wound up drinking most of it.
Back in the albergue, an animated conversation ensued. There were the Germans and I, regretting having gone there, then the Australian who said it was the best meal he had had since Australia (we wondered if maybe we should have had some of the wine ourselves if it had this transformative power), there were two from Bilbao who just sort of grumbled a bit. Didn't seem to be anyone who had anything positive to say about the price-quality ratio. Then, a guy from Sevilla interjected -- pero, hombre (he said this twice for emphasis and in the way only Spaniards can say it, with a throaty growl between the pero and the hombre) -- ¿De qué van a vivir si no es de nosotros? (What will they live off of if not us?). Good point, I thought.
And p.s., the orange was delicious, I ate it in a field of cork trees on a big rock, watching the cows graze.
Sometimes, the treatment is a little less endearing -- we get less strong coffee, charged more for a beer, not treated to the minimum standards of customer service. (Now pilgrims do their fair share of bad things, too, like not giving a donation for the albergues that don't charge, taking all the bar's toilet paper, etc, etc, but that's another story).
Well, yesterday in Aljucén (population maybe 150), the options for dinner were threefold. Make your own (from the scant supplies bought in the tobacco shop turned grocery), go to the Bar Kiosko and have a sandwich, or go to the Bar Café Sergio for a meal. Several of us walked down to the Sergio and out came the owner -- a woman probably not much older than I, hunched over and walking with a cane, bad teeth, looking not very snazzy. She explained that our meal would be excellent, that the staff of the Ayuntamiento (town hall) frequently came to eat there and were always very happy with their meals (yeah, right), and that there would be a basket of fruit at the end of the meal (maybe she had heard from the shop owner that several of us were particularly sad that there were no fresh fruits or vegetables for sale anywhere in town). Price was 12€.
About 7 of us signed up, and at the appointed hour of 8 pm, walked down to eat. This meal was bad, in fact "bad" is an understatement. First course was chicken noodle soup out of an envelope. Then came the tortilla francesa (that's an omlet with only eggs) that was rubbery almost inedible (hard to do that to two eggs), and the high point of the meal, a salad with good tomatoes, fresh lettuce, onions, etc. We each had an apple and an orange for dessert. I ate the apple, well past its prime, and saved the orange for my walk. Even the wine was undrinkable -- the Australian gent wound up drinking most of it.
Back in the albergue, an animated conversation ensued. There were the Germans and I, regretting having gone there, then the Australian who said it was the best meal he had had since Australia (we wondered if maybe we should have had some of the wine ourselves if it had this transformative power), there were two from Bilbao who just sort of grumbled a bit. Didn't seem to be anyone who had anything positive to say about the price-quality ratio. Then, a guy from Sevilla interjected -- pero, hombre (he said this twice for emphasis and in the way only Spaniards can say it, with a throaty growl between the pero and the hombre) -- ¿De qué van a vivir si no es de nosotros? (What will they live off of if not us?). Good point, I thought.
And p.s., the orange was delicious, I ate it in a field of cork trees on a big rock, watching the cows graze.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Be Careful What you Wish For
Today, about 18 km outside of Mérida, I am ensconced in a small albergue with 14 beds. All are full. I'm sharing a small room with a German couple I've met several times, but the rest are all new -- a 70-something Australian with a hearing aid and an inability to keep his loud annoying laugh under control; a 20-something German who smokes a lot; 7 Spaniards from various parts of the country, with the Andaluces trying to impress the more haughty Basques from Bilbao (another three Captains of Industry, Dana!); and a silent Irish-Belgian couple. Not exactly the group I would have hoped for.
But the scenery was beautiful -- I first went past the huge reservoir Proserpina that the Romans had build 5 miles outside Mérida, and then built an enormous aqueduct to carry the water back to town. Only parts of the aqueduct are standing, but it is quite a sight. Those Romans were pretty smart, at least at some things. The rest of the walk was through endless fields of cork, huge boulders, and wild flowers. There are several new flowers in the repertoire now, with some little pretty pink ones that have become my new favorite.
I could have gone further today but decided to cut it short, so that I would have another short day, which in turn would allow me to take a 7 or 8 km detour to visit a 7th century Visigothic church, Santa Lucía del Trampal. I a sucker for those beautiful old buildings, especially when there are capitals in good condition.
Since I am occupying one of four computers in a weird internet room in the "Retired People´s Place", where all the users are under 18 and there are no retired people in site, I think I should move away from the guy coughing his brains out next to me.
Dinner tonight promises to be totally uninspiring -- the choices are eggs with chorizo or eggs with ham. There was no fresh food of any kind to buy in the small grocery store. The man in the store told me that the fruits and vegetables only came in on Tuesday, but then I later realized that today IS Tuesday (at least I think it is!)
But the scenery was beautiful -- I first went past the huge reservoir Proserpina that the Romans had build 5 miles outside Mérida, and then built an enormous aqueduct to carry the water back to town. Only parts of the aqueduct are standing, but it is quite a sight. Those Romans were pretty smart, at least at some things. The rest of the walk was through endless fields of cork, huge boulders, and wild flowers. There are several new flowers in the repertoire now, with some little pretty pink ones that have become my new favorite.
I could have gone further today but decided to cut it short, so that I would have another short day, which in turn would allow me to take a 7 or 8 km detour to visit a 7th century Visigothic church, Santa Lucía del Trampal. I a sucker for those beautiful old buildings, especially when there are capitals in good condition.
Since I am occupying one of four computers in a weird internet room in the "Retired People´s Place", where all the users are under 18 and there are no retired people in site, I think I should move away from the guy coughing his brains out next to me.
Dinner tonight promises to be totally uninspiring -- the choices are eggs with chorizo or eggs with ham. There was no fresh food of any kind to buy in the small grocery store. The man in the store told me that the fruits and vegetables only came in on Tuesday, but then I later realized that today IS Tuesday (at least I think it is!)
Monday, May 10, 2010
In Merida
Merida is the town with more Roman ruins than any other outside of Italy, or at least that's what they say here. It's wonderful to walk around the city, the theater is just spectacular, the bridge is more than 1/2 mile long, 60 arches, all Roman. There are many little temples and arches and acqueduct parts around every corner, it seems. Pretty incredible, I would say.
The last two days have been like previous ones, through vineyards, but with a twist -- these were vineyards with wet earth. This wasn't your normal black dirt mud, this was bright red clay and I have never walked through anything like it. There was just no point in stopping to hit the stuff off the boot since it just started to glom right back on. So I just kept walking, and usually when the clay was 3-4" thick, it would fall off and then start accumulating again. It was pretty good exercise for the calf muscle, I think.
Business on the Via de la Plata is cutthroat. Walking into our destination town yesterday, a little girl on a bike came and told us, don't go to the hotel, go to the albergue, because the hotel is dirty and expensive. Well, I remembered that last year we stayed at the albergue and were none too pleased, so we went to the hotel anyway. Turns out that this modest hotel has private rooms with bath for the same price as the communal rooms in the albergue. And, if you can believe this, the little girl telling people to avoid the hotel is the daughter of the albergue owners and has apparently been instructed to do this. How could a parent teach her kids to engage in behavior like that? Shameful. I guess that's unrestrained capitalism for you.
I've been walking with two Austrians on and off for a few days, but tomorrow we go our separate ways. The father in law stays here for a day, the son in law goes 38 kms, and I will stop after about 20. Of my many Caminos, this is the most deserted I've ever seen, there is really no one out there. But I suppose that some start in Merida, others in Caceres, others in Salamanca, so I expect there will be some more walkers soon. I don't mind walking alone, but companionship is nice once in a while!
The last two days have been like previous ones, through vineyards, but with a twist -- these were vineyards with wet earth. This wasn't your normal black dirt mud, this was bright red clay and I have never walked through anything like it. There was just no point in stopping to hit the stuff off the boot since it just started to glom right back on. So I just kept walking, and usually when the clay was 3-4" thick, it would fall off and then start accumulating again. It was pretty good exercise for the calf muscle, I think.
Business on the Via de la Plata is cutthroat. Walking into our destination town yesterday, a little girl on a bike came and told us, don't go to the hotel, go to the albergue, because the hotel is dirty and expensive. Well, I remembered that last year we stayed at the albergue and were none too pleased, so we went to the hotel anyway. Turns out that this modest hotel has private rooms with bath for the same price as the communal rooms in the albergue. And, if you can believe this, the little girl telling people to avoid the hotel is the daughter of the albergue owners and has apparently been instructed to do this. How could a parent teach her kids to engage in behavior like that? Shameful. I guess that's unrestrained capitalism for you.
I've been walking with two Austrians on and off for a few days, but tomorrow we go our separate ways. The father in law stays here for a day, the son in law goes 38 kms, and I will stop after about 20. Of my many Caminos, this is the most deserted I've ever seen, there is really no one out there. But I suppose that some start in Merida, others in Caceres, others in Salamanca, so I expect there will be some more walkers soon. I don't mind walking alone, but companionship is nice once in a while!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
In Villafranca de los Barros
One of the patterns of walking Caminos is that the entrance into and the exit from cities is never very attractive. Sometimes it's industrial, and there's a long slog past factories with a lot of truck traffic; other times it's not built up, and you stay on dirt paths, but you will usually go by the town dump or its sewage plant or sometimes its cemetery. Zafra, the town I left this morning, had one of each -- the way in was through a long rail yard, past an abandoned train station, and along a busy commercial stretch. The way out was the opposite -- I was on dirt tracks in 5 minutes, and then, sure enough, the sewage plant came into view. But I have to think it's one of a very few sewage plants in the world to have crennellated towers. I had almost been lulled into thinking I was going to pass a castle, but the odor let me know otherwise.
The sky was not sunny, but no rain fell, perfect walking weather for this 24 km stretch through agricultural fields. The terrain was unchanging -- vineyards, olive trees, sheep grazing, and a few fruit orchards. I have met an Austrian pair -- young man with his father-in-law. We are doing our best with Spanish and English, the usual Camino Babble. We are staying tonight in a little "casa rural" right on the Camino, the Casa Perin. http://www.amcoex.es/casaperin/ 18€ a night (special pilgrim price), with towels, clean sheets, a bowl full of fruit, and a kitchen for us to use. I remember having a fantastic meal here last year, so the three of us will head out to the Restaurante Monterrey!
In two more days I will be at the spot where my heel started to hurt. And once I get past that spot, I will banish all thoughts of heel pain from my head. So far so good, absolutely no pain, but it will be good to get past the place where I have such bad memories!
The sky was not sunny, but no rain fell, perfect walking weather for this 24 km stretch through agricultural fields. The terrain was unchanging -- vineyards, olive trees, sheep grazing, and a few fruit orchards. I have met an Austrian pair -- young man with his father-in-law. We are doing our best with Spanish and English, the usual Camino Babble. We are staying tonight in a little "casa rural" right on the Camino, the Casa Perin. http://www.amcoex.es/casaperin/ 18€ a night (special pilgrim price), with towels, clean sheets, a bowl full of fruit, and a kitchen for us to use. I remember having a fantastic meal here last year, so the three of us will head out to the Restaurante Monterrey!
In two more days I will be at the spot where my heel started to hurt. And once I get past that spot, I will banish all thoughts of heel pain from my head. So far so good, absolutely no pain, but it will be good to get past the place where I have such bad memories!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Zafra, the Little Sevilla
I will say this -- Zafra is a very pretty small city, but whoever decided to call it the Little Sevilla has probably never been to Sevilla. It has a castle, a few nice plazas, and some peaceful and flowering parks, some narrow streets of white houses oozing flowers over the balconies, but Sevilla it ain't.
Today was a 24 km day, went very smoothly and I FINALLY met a couple of people to walk with and talk to. I met two British men who came up to have a coffee at the same cafe about 7 km out of our first town. It was nice walking for several hours with them, but they stopped walking in Zafra, so I'm back to being on my own again.
Not one bit of pavement today, it was just great. The camino went through ag lands the whole way, and I saw my first vineyards (the wine has been pretty undrinkable so far, but I think it will improve as I get north). There were several more dicey water crossings, but one of the Brits was even less graceful stepping on stones and logs than I am, so it boosted my self confidence. The first trouble spot was a low point in the road, and the water was about 4 feet high. Two cyclists ahead of us had found a way to cross through the fields and motioned for us to come. Not only did they have to carry their heavily loaded bikes across these precarious logs one by one, they also waited and made sure we got safely across. And they waited for us at the second spot, too, having seen how old and feeble we were. :-) I'm happy to report that I didn't even need to grab onto them on the second crossing, just skipped right across the rocks myself, and then promptly stepped into the reeds and sank down about halfway up my shin. Ah well, grace is my middle name after all.
Notwithstanding my bad bed bug experience in Zafra last time, I decided to tempt fate and stay there. I have my own room and the woman assured me there were no problems at all. And the other few walkers I've met are all there, so it seemed like the only sensible thing to do. Not that I really have any interaction with them but it is nice to see other people on the road when you leave in the morning.
Well, rain is in the forecast, I'll have to dig my poncho out of the depths of my backpack.
I can't believe I've been walking for one week already. Dana joins me in three weeks! And then the pictures should magically appear on the blog.
Today was a 24 km day, went very smoothly and I FINALLY met a couple of people to walk with and talk to. I met two British men who came up to have a coffee at the same cafe about 7 km out of our first town. It was nice walking for several hours with them, but they stopped walking in Zafra, so I'm back to being on my own again.
Not one bit of pavement today, it was just great. The camino went through ag lands the whole way, and I saw my first vineyards (the wine has been pretty undrinkable so far, but I think it will improve as I get north). There were several more dicey water crossings, but one of the Brits was even less graceful stepping on stones and logs than I am, so it boosted my self confidence. The first trouble spot was a low point in the road, and the water was about 4 feet high. Two cyclists ahead of us had found a way to cross through the fields and motioned for us to come. Not only did they have to carry their heavily loaded bikes across these precarious logs one by one, they also waited and made sure we got safely across. And they waited for us at the second spot, too, having seen how old and feeble we were. :-) I'm happy to report that I didn't even need to grab onto them on the second crossing, just skipped right across the rocks myself, and then promptly stepped into the reeds and sank down about halfway up my shin. Ah well, grace is my middle name after all.
Notwithstanding my bad bed bug experience in Zafra last time, I decided to tempt fate and stay there. I have my own room and the woman assured me there were no problems at all. And the other few walkers I've met are all there, so it seemed like the only sensible thing to do. Not that I really have any interaction with them but it is nice to see other people on the road when you leave in the morning.
Well, rain is in the forecast, I'll have to dig my poncho out of the depths of my backpack.
I can't believe I've been walking for one week already. Dana joins me in three weeks! And then the pictures should magically appear on the blog.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
In Zuburán's birthplace
And if you don't know who Zuburán is, you should go look it up. Actually, he's not one of my favorite Spanish painters, but I think he has probably painted more saints, Christs, and Virgens than any other painter in the world. His home is open this afternoon, so at least I'll have some afternoon activity (and by afternoon, I mean 5-8 pm, this is Spain remember).
This was another one of those very peaceful (and solitary) walks - the first 10 km or so were through grazing lands, those low rock walls fencing off each family's parcel, with the main animals being goats and cows. For a while it was right next to a brook, and babbling is as good a term as any for what it was doing. Very green and quiet. Then, after about 1 1/2 hour walking, up on a crest, there was my destination in the distance. Well, it must have been about 11 or 12 km in the distance, so there it sat for hours getting slowly closer.
There was just one river/stream for me to cross today. No one would ever compare me to a mountain goat, so it was a bit dicey for me going across, balancing on rocks, trying to use my sticks, but I made it. And then, once on the other side, it seemed like a good place for a rest to soak the feet again. All very invigorating.
Yesterday in Monesterio I got to the church just as a funeral service was ending and First Communion practice was beginning. Some of the people attended both. The kids knew their lines but got all mixed up with which side of the altar, which row, etc they were supposed to be in. Luckily they have practice a couple more times before Saturday. This is really First Communion season. The priest told me he has walked the Camino three times, the Norte once, and the Via de la Plata a couple of times as well. He said he has made it a priority to get an albergue in Monesterio and he's working on putting in a ten bed albergue on the first floor of the house where he lives. I hope he doesn't regret that decision!
I´m in an albergue here, it's one run by the Junta de Extremadura (the government), and for a charge of 10€ you get clean, shocking white sheets, a room with two bunk beds that smells like Lysol, and a bathroom that doesn't have gunk everywhere. It´s great. There's even free internet right here in the nice parlor with several sofas and coffee tables. The next town is the place where I got bedbugs last year, so I will NOT be staying in the Zafra albergue. You can find me at the two star Hotel Cervantes instead (across the street from the 4-star parador, where I've stayed with Joe, Katy and David but think it would be over the top to stay there alone).
Lunch is recommended at Cafe Charo, we´ll see what that looks like. And two other people have arrived at the albergue, it would be nice to actually meet some people! The people in charge of this albergue told me that last night there were 35 people here. Today there are 7. I'm glad not to be in that wave of humanity, though it would be nice to meet some people.
This was another one of those very peaceful (and solitary) walks - the first 10 km or so were through grazing lands, those low rock walls fencing off each family's parcel, with the main animals being goats and cows. For a while it was right next to a brook, and babbling is as good a term as any for what it was doing. Very green and quiet. Then, after about 1 1/2 hour walking, up on a crest, there was my destination in the distance. Well, it must have been about 11 or 12 km in the distance, so there it sat for hours getting slowly closer.
There was just one river/stream for me to cross today. No one would ever compare me to a mountain goat, so it was a bit dicey for me going across, balancing on rocks, trying to use my sticks, but I made it. And then, once on the other side, it seemed like a good place for a rest to soak the feet again. All very invigorating.
Yesterday in Monesterio I got to the church just as a funeral service was ending and First Communion practice was beginning. Some of the people attended both. The kids knew their lines but got all mixed up with which side of the altar, which row, etc they were supposed to be in. Luckily they have practice a couple more times before Saturday. This is really First Communion season. The priest told me he has walked the Camino three times, the Norte once, and the Via de la Plata a couple of times as well. He said he has made it a priority to get an albergue in Monesterio and he's working on putting in a ten bed albergue on the first floor of the house where he lives. I hope he doesn't regret that decision!
I´m in an albergue here, it's one run by the Junta de Extremadura (the government), and for a charge of 10€ you get clean, shocking white sheets, a room with two bunk beds that smells like Lysol, and a bathroom that doesn't have gunk everywhere. It´s great. There's even free internet right here in the nice parlor with several sofas and coffee tables. The next town is the place where I got bedbugs last year, so I will NOT be staying in the Zafra albergue. You can find me at the two star Hotel Cervantes instead (across the street from the 4-star parador, where I've stayed with Joe, Katy and David but think it would be over the top to stay there alone).
Lunch is recommended at Cafe Charo, we´ll see what that looks like. And two other people have arrived at the albergue, it would be nice to actually meet some people! The people in charge of this albergue told me that last night there were 35 people here. Today there are 7. I'm glad not to be in that wave of humanity, though it would be nice to meet some people.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Spain's self-proclaimed Ham Capital
Here I am in the town called Monesterio, having left Andalucía and arrived in Extremadura. One big change for me is that I can understand the accent a lot better -- those andaluces talk a mile a minute.
Another day all alone, but I did have some human contact. I helped a young shepherd chase a little lamb. I'm not sure what I would have done if he had run towards me (the lamb, not the shepherd), but after about 10 minutes, the little frisky baby was back with the herd. Then I also got waves from two men with big earth moving equipment, trying to repair the rain damage. The first 12 kms were entirely on a dirt farm track, great for walking, at least now that the rains are done. The damage was pretty spectacular. I can't imagine it would have been much fun to walk through those tracks in wet weather -- I occasionally saw footprints that were at least four inches deep. I've done that kind of mud before and it's not fun. There were several streams to cross and I took advantage to soak my feet in the icy water. 10 minutes soak, five minutes air dry, and voilà, that's a real break.
The second half of the walk today was less idyllic -- I was on a very nice track (made of sand, gravel, and dirt, a pilgrim's dream surface) but sandwiched in between the superhighway A-66 on the right, and the national highway N-630 on the left. And there were lots of my least favorite trees, eucalyptus, but at least I had some shade.
The weather continues to be very nice -- I had my wool gloves on this morning till about 10 am. It feels like it may be warming up a bit, but I hope not too much! The last time I walked through here it was pouring rain and the only place to stay was a sad room over a sadder bar. This time I've moved up a bit, to the two star Hostal El Pilar. It is much cleaner and the bed doesn't sag, so I am thankful for those small things.
This town has a nice little plaza, and every other storefront is a ham-sausage-chorizo place. When I asked a waiter yesterday if it was true that Monesterio was the ham capital of Spain, he responded with a snort and assured me that that label belongs to some town in Huelva. Since I'm not a big jamón serrano fan (well, here it's jamón ibérico, which means, I think, that the pigs only ate acorns), but I suppose I'll have a few slices to see what all the fuss is about.
Coming up are big stretches of the Roman Road, some of it in very good shape. But those Romans must have had indestructible feet because the paving is really hard on mine.
Giving thanks for another nice day on the Via de la Plata, and now off to visit the Vdlp visitor's center, which looks like it has a couple of those Roman mile markers (milarios). I think Trajan and Hadrian both hail from these parts. And maybe one more.
Another day all alone, but I did have some human contact. I helped a young shepherd chase a little lamb. I'm not sure what I would have done if he had run towards me (the lamb, not the shepherd), but after about 10 minutes, the little frisky baby was back with the herd. Then I also got waves from two men with big earth moving equipment, trying to repair the rain damage. The first 12 kms were entirely on a dirt farm track, great for walking, at least now that the rains are done. The damage was pretty spectacular. I can't imagine it would have been much fun to walk through those tracks in wet weather -- I occasionally saw footprints that were at least four inches deep. I've done that kind of mud before and it's not fun. There were several streams to cross and I took advantage to soak my feet in the icy water. 10 minutes soak, five minutes air dry, and voilà, that's a real break.
The second half of the walk today was less idyllic -- I was on a very nice track (made of sand, gravel, and dirt, a pilgrim's dream surface) but sandwiched in between the superhighway A-66 on the right, and the national highway N-630 on the left. And there were lots of my least favorite trees, eucalyptus, but at least I had some shade.
The weather continues to be very nice -- I had my wool gloves on this morning till about 10 am. It feels like it may be warming up a bit, but I hope not too much! The last time I walked through here it was pouring rain and the only place to stay was a sad room over a sadder bar. This time I've moved up a bit, to the two star Hostal El Pilar. It is much cleaner and the bed doesn't sag, so I am thankful for those small things.
This town has a nice little plaza, and every other storefront is a ham-sausage-chorizo place. When I asked a waiter yesterday if it was true that Monesterio was the ham capital of Spain, he responded with a snort and assured me that that label belongs to some town in Huelva. Since I'm not a big jamón serrano fan (well, here it's jamón ibérico, which means, I think, that the pigs only ate acorns), but I suppose I'll have a few slices to see what all the fuss is about.
Coming up are big stretches of the Roman Road, some of it in very good shape. But those Romans must have had indestructible feet because the paving is really hard on mine.
Giving thanks for another nice day on the Via de la Plata, and now off to visit the Vdlp visitor's center, which looks like it has a couple of those Roman mile markers (milarios). I think Trajan and Hadrian both hail from these parts. And maybe one more.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
In Real de la Jara
I just had the most beautiful 16 km (10 mile) walk that you could imagine. It was sort of like "old McDonald" land. From the time I left Almaden till I got here, I saw two farmers, about 25 chickens, maybe 100 goats (and babies) and hundreds and hundreds of pigs. The walk went from farm to farm, you had to open and close gates to go through the land, and it was very pastoral. The evidence of humongous spring rains is everywhere -- some of the ruts or gulleys are two or three feet deep, lots of erosion everywhere. But luckily, it's all gone now, there were only a couple of spots where I had to walk carefully across streams on rocks. The scenery is beautiful and very calm.
I've read about crowding on the Camino Frances and even here on the Via de la Plata. Well, here there are goups (one group of 14 French cyclists, a group of 6 Germans who sometimes walk, sometimes cycle, and have a huge van to carry their bikes and set up a folding picnic table for their meals), but in the four days I've been walking, I have crossed paths with only a couple of other walkers. I would enjoy some company, but as they say in Spanish, mejor sola que mal acompanada. And I realized how nice it was to have my eyes catch on a white blob on the ground, and then look to see that it was NOT toilet paper, but just fallen petals from the jara bushes.
There's a 14th century castle up on the top of the town, beautiful views all over the place. Tomorrow I will walk another short day, about 22 km, but then I'll get started on some longer walks.
I'm staying in a pension tonight -- I went to the albergue and learned that it didn't open till 4 pm. This pension is something else -- the woman's house looks like the inside of my backpack. There is stuff crammed everywhere, none of it belongs where it's stuffed, and I'm in a room with piles and piles of junk, a bathroom with cold showers, and a washing machine that doesn't work. But it's 10 euros a night so I can't complain.
Tomorrow there's no albergue either, and I have a reservation in another pension. But the day after that, I'll get back into the pilgrim swing of things!
Love to you all, L.
I've read about crowding on the Camino Frances and even here on the Via de la Plata. Well, here there are goups (one group of 14 French cyclists, a group of 6 Germans who sometimes walk, sometimes cycle, and have a huge van to carry their bikes and set up a folding picnic table for their meals), but in the four days I've been walking, I have crossed paths with only a couple of other walkers. I would enjoy some company, but as they say in Spanish, mejor sola que mal acompanada. And I realized how nice it was to have my eyes catch on a white blob on the ground, and then look to see that it was NOT toilet paper, but just fallen petals from the jara bushes.
There's a 14th century castle up on the top of the town, beautiful views all over the place. Tomorrow I will walk another short day, about 22 km, but then I'll get started on some longer walks.
I'm staying in a pension tonight -- I went to the albergue and learned that it didn't open till 4 pm. This pension is something else -- the woman's house looks like the inside of my backpack. There is stuff crammed everywhere, none of it belongs where it's stuffed, and I'm in a room with piles and piles of junk, a bathroom with cold showers, and a washing machine that doesn't work. But it's 10 euros a night so I can't complain.
Tomorrow there's no albergue either, and I have a reservation in another pension. But the day after that, I'll get back into the pilgrim swing of things!
Love to you all, L.
Monday, May 3, 2010
In Almaden de la Plata
I'm sitting in a little cultural center where there are eight computers. Seven of them are being used by people under 10, most of whom are playing crazy loud games. I have the eighth one.
So far so good. The last two days have been very nice, one short (16 km), but today long (29 km). I would have preferred two of 23, but I'm not in charge here. The wildflowers are just gorgeous, this path has gone through several huge estates with lots of cork, oak, and olive trees (this will change in a few days). This is bull-raising country, and though I haven't seen any yet, I have seen lots of the estates, all of which display their brand very prominently.
The weather has been very good. Today was chilly, in fact. There was a breeze, which sometimes whipped itself up into a "blow-your-hat-off" wind, but the cool air was very welcome. In fact, my water was chilled by the cold air, which made for nice water breaks.
The one thing that I don't have by not staying in the albergues is the pilgrim wake-up call. Every day at 6 or 6:30, the rustle of plastic bags spreads and wakes everyone up. Or sometimes the ruder among us set loud alarms for whatever time they desire, and then proceed to turn on all the lights while a few people curse them. I miss all that, but as a result today I slept till 7:15! I knew it was going to be a long day, and long days are so much easier with a start no later than 7 am. But I made it fine.
My feet feel fine, I am trying to be very careful. This afternoon, before on short steep ascent, I decided to sit with my feet in a stream for 15 minutes. The water was very cold, and I'm hoping it did good things to my heel. While I was sitting there, a bright yellow bird sat and half sang, half screeched the whole time. It was a beautiful bird, really bright canary yellow, but I am as good at bird identifications as I am at flower identifications.
Tomorrow I'm going to do a short day -- the choices are 16 km or 35 km. Last year I did the 35 km, this year I will be more prudent. The town is Real de la Jara, and there is a nice castle to climb to and a few little streets I haven't explored, so I will be able to fill up my time.
There are lots of Roman and moorish remnants here, in almost every little town. The town where I am today has several prehistoric mines, where some strange mineral was extracted. Unfortunately, there are no visits. So I will have to ice my feet some more.
So far so good. The last two days have been very nice, one short (16 km), but today long (29 km). I would have preferred two of 23, but I'm not in charge here. The wildflowers are just gorgeous, this path has gone through several huge estates with lots of cork, oak, and olive trees (this will change in a few days). This is bull-raising country, and though I haven't seen any yet, I have seen lots of the estates, all of which display their brand very prominently.
The weather has been very good. Today was chilly, in fact. There was a breeze, which sometimes whipped itself up into a "blow-your-hat-off" wind, but the cool air was very welcome. In fact, my water was chilled by the cold air, which made for nice water breaks.
The one thing that I don't have by not staying in the albergues is the pilgrim wake-up call. Every day at 6 or 6:30, the rustle of plastic bags spreads and wakes everyone up. Or sometimes the ruder among us set loud alarms for whatever time they desire, and then proceed to turn on all the lights while a few people curse them. I miss all that, but as a result today I slept till 7:15! I knew it was going to be a long day, and long days are so much easier with a start no later than 7 am. But I made it fine.
My feet feel fine, I am trying to be very careful. This afternoon, before on short steep ascent, I decided to sit with my feet in a stream for 15 minutes. The water was very cold, and I'm hoping it did good things to my heel. While I was sitting there, a bright yellow bird sat and half sang, half screeched the whole time. It was a beautiful bird, really bright canary yellow, but I am as good at bird identifications as I am at flower identifications.
Tomorrow I'm going to do a short day -- the choices are 16 km or 35 km. Last year I did the 35 km, this year I will be more prudent. The town is Real de la Jara, and there is a nice castle to climb to and a few little streets I haven't explored, so I will be able to fill up my time.
There are lots of Roman and moorish remnants here, in almost every little town. The town where I am today has several prehistoric mines, where some strange mineral was extracted. Unfortunately, there are no visits. So I will have to ice my feet some more.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Day 1 -- Sevilla to Guillena
It´s a beautiful, warm (but not too hot for walking) late spring day. The walk was very pretty, an easy 23 kms, at least once I got through the suburbs and the industrial park. Seems to be a pattern with entering and leaving cities, you have to put up with a lot of yuck before it gets nice.
Since today is a holiday, the Roman ruins at Italica were closed. Good thing I was able to visit them last time.
There has been a lot of rain here, months and months of it, and I had been warned about crossing the "arroyo" before Guillena. It was high last time, so I expected to have to swim this time. Last year I had shimmied across on a fallen tree and was afraid I was going to topple the whole way across. So this time I tried going off and into the bushes on the left, and lo and behold, there was a very manageable path!
I have met two other peregrinos on the way. The starting conversations are always the same, with the same questions -- where are you from? Where are you going? (depending on time of day, this could refer to your final destination or your destination of the day) and Is this your first Camino? (answer usually no on any camino but the Camino Frances). So far the tally is one German and one Spaniard, both going to Santiago, and not the first camino for either. One question that doesn´t make it onto the list, though, even though it´s usually one of the first things we Americans ask each other is -- What do you do? Maybe the reason people don´t ask it here is because in Spanish the question "¿que haces? can mean both What are you doing now? and What do you do? Or maybe it´s because over here people´s identity is not so closely connected to their professional lives as it is in the US (and as I say this I can hear Joe groaning and telling me to give up with the pop sociology). Or maybe it`s because the reason we´re all on this Camino is because we want to get away from our work life so why would we bring it up.
The albergue is full (14 beds) and when I stopped by it seemed to be filled with two big groups of Spaniards. So I´m in the Hostal Bar Frances, where room and breakfast is 23 euros. And it has sheets! And a clean bathroom! And clean towels! What more could I ask for? I´ve already heard about a big group of 14 French walkers who will be staying in the same Hostal I´m in. Walking on the same stages as such a big group puts a crunch in things, especially when there aren´t so many places to stay.
Well, I am off to walk around the little town -- there are many First Communions today and everyone is all dolled up. Kind of funny to see the 10 year old girls with floor length white dresses and their moms in mini skirts and high heels!
Happy Labor Day -- I think we are the only country in the industrialized world not to celebrate it on May 1. In the US, it´s Law Day, but then every day is Law Day in the US!
Since today is a holiday, the Roman ruins at Italica were closed. Good thing I was able to visit them last time.
There has been a lot of rain here, months and months of it, and I had been warned about crossing the "arroyo" before Guillena. It was high last time, so I expected to have to swim this time. Last year I had shimmied across on a fallen tree and was afraid I was going to topple the whole way across. So this time I tried going off and into the bushes on the left, and lo and behold, there was a very manageable path!
I have met two other peregrinos on the way. The starting conversations are always the same, with the same questions -- where are you from? Where are you going? (depending on time of day, this could refer to your final destination or your destination of the day) and Is this your first Camino? (answer usually no on any camino but the Camino Frances). So far the tally is one German and one Spaniard, both going to Santiago, and not the first camino for either. One question that doesn´t make it onto the list, though, even though it´s usually one of the first things we Americans ask each other is -- What do you do? Maybe the reason people don´t ask it here is because in Spanish the question "¿que haces? can mean both What are you doing now? and What do you do? Or maybe it´s because over here people´s identity is not so closely connected to their professional lives as it is in the US (and as I say this I can hear Joe groaning and telling me to give up with the pop sociology). Or maybe it`s because the reason we´re all on this Camino is because we want to get away from our work life so why would we bring it up.
The albergue is full (14 beds) and when I stopped by it seemed to be filled with two big groups of Spaniards. So I´m in the Hostal Bar Frances, where room and breakfast is 23 euros. And it has sheets! And a clean bathroom! And clean towels! What more could I ask for? I´ve already heard about a big group of 14 French walkers who will be staying in the same Hostal I´m in. Walking on the same stages as such a big group puts a crunch in things, especially when there aren´t so many places to stay.
Well, I am off to walk around the little town -- there are many First Communions today and everyone is all dolled up. Kind of funny to see the 10 year old girls with floor length white dresses and their moms in mini skirts and high heels!
Happy Labor Day -- I think we are the only country in the industrialized world not to celebrate it on May 1. In the US, it´s Law Day, but then every day is Law Day in the US!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
