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!
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