5/5/13 Fuenterroble de Salvatierra ➡ San Pedro de Rozados 29.6km

5/5/13 Fuenterroble de Salvatierra ➡ San Pedro de Rozados 29.6km 

The day that never ended. 

OMG the first 10km were ok and quick. Pretty scenery good terrain, lots of cows to photograph.I stopped to eat my banana to get me up the hill and then it was utter torture for the next 6 and a half hours.

The climb up the hill was tolerable. 

We climbed the highest point on the Via de la Plata today, reaching the Cruz de Santiago.

I would say this cross will become what Cruz de Ferro is to the Camino Frances. I left my stone but I must say I left it at the first cross I came to and had my photo taken. We thought we were at the top of the hill. Little did we know we still had a way to climb. 

When I finally got to the top I decided to loose my pack and get closer to the cross. This involved going under the barbed wire fence. After speaking with the others no one else bothered  to do this. 

I tried to also take a self timer, but the result has me no where near the picture!!!!!

I walked the remainder of the day with Jan and Thea from Holland and it just never ended. At one stage Thea was ahead of me saying is there a town at the top of the hill, as we reached the top no town, maybe the next hill, no, the next hill ,no. This kept on for kilometre after kilometre. Finally there was a sign to the town 2 km to go. That had to be the longest 2 km of my life.

We arrived and the albergues were full. Cristy, speedy Gonzales, had organised accommodation for us in the private shelter and we are set. A massive grande cervazas and shower and I am one happy pilgrim.

Dinner here tonight and then it's on the road to Salamanca mañana. 

We will be well over the half way mark when we reach Salamanca 517.7 km walked.

4/5/13 Calzada de Bejar ➡ Fuenterroble de Salvatierra 21km

4/5/13  Calzada de Bejar ➡ Fuenterroble de Salvatierra 21km 

Great Albergue  last night, not a bad sleep with 14 others on our side of the wall and 12 on the other. 

Quick breakfast this morning of sweet biscuits, coffee and Melba toast, then it was on the road for another day.

As per usual I bring up the rear, the others are so much faster than me. We walked out of town with a farmer and his 2 cows.

I actually like being last as I can take my time and smell the flowers.

The walk this morning was wonderful. The dew in the meadows, the cows grazing and of course my friend the cuckoo calling out his greeting.

The return of the snow capped mountains in the distance and the wide open spaces is just beautiful.

Stopped for a coffee in the first town and met up with the Dutch couple Jan and Thea who we last saw on the lake after the windy days.

I stopped to feed a horse and chatted to a donkey.

On towards the quarry and past Fred Flinstones house. It was a bolder in he shape of a house and I really thought I was in Bedrock with quarry in the distance.

I walked the whole day on my own which was nice as the day before I did not have any solitude as I walked with another pilgrim who likes to talk. I met Jacques just before the town and we walked in together. We are competing for best photograph.

The Albergue is amazing, donativo, but so well run. 

Our friends have walked on ahead of us and did a huge 49 km today! Crazy I say, just too big a day, I'm sure my feet would protest and that would be the end.

Another amazing lunch and dinner, which was a stew, was donated by the local people so we all pitched in the wine and had a great time.

After dinner we all walked down to the church and had a pilgrims mass. It was the most moving experience and at the end one of the pilgrims sang. Lets just say many tears were shed. 

It was a truly amazing day. 

3/5/13 Banos de Montemayor ➡ Calzada de Bejar 14km

3/5/13 Banos de Montemayor ➡ Calzada de Bejar 14km

Absolutely lovely day today the terrain was good and the scenery was just beautiful.

Short day today as we made this a semi rest day.

A couple of large hills with rubble but it was ok and I managed to get up them with not too much huffing and puffing.

At the very top when you stopped to look over the landscape you could see the snow covered mountain, magnificent.

Down the other side and into some cows and donkeys. The local farmer was walking them along the path whilst he read his book, so cute.

The Albergue we are staying in is quite rustic, but so welcoming. The hospitaleria also cooks and we had a great lunch when we arrived, macaronis and tuna and then bacon & eggs. Lentil Sopa for dinner tonight and we will be well rounded pilgrims.

My aches and pains are subsiding to be replaced by new aches and pains but nothing serious or so I tell myself. 

Cristy's mega drugs are working a treat I am only taking one a day and it seems to hold me over. I get so much more pain after walking the bitumen.    

I think I will have to buy myself some to take home!

We will be in Salamanca on Monday and that is the halfway point, I can't believe it. It is going so quickly.

2/5/13 Jarilla ➡ Banos de Montemayor 21km

2/5/13 Jarilla ➡ Banos de Montemayor 21km 

We have arrived in the bath town. The tourists come for the healing water. Unfortunately for us mere pilgrims €60 for a dip is a bit pricey.  

So what can I say about today!

Probably as little as possible.

Bitch-umen all the way!!!

Can I just say I hate road walking. We got about 2 seconds of walking on nice soft ground through the trees.

Scenery, not much to speak of. Cristy has interrupted me here to let you all know that we had our first view of snow capped mountains. I have to say I was not inspired today photo wise, so sorry folks not too many pictures attached with this post.

What I want to talk about is our lunch, as we took a detour from the usual menu del dia, today and we had a hamburguesas and potatas fritas (hamburger with fries! ) The mustard and tomato sauce just tipped me over the edge.

OMG, it was soooooooo goooooood. It really hit the spot.

I could have eaten a thousand of them. 

We then finished off with this amazing cake dessert and coffee.  Sometimes it is good to take the detour.

Oh and of course our usual cervazas. 

We seem to have found ourself in an elderly people's hostel as the Albergue was closed due to the hospitaleria being sick.  We can't quite work out whether the older people live here or come here for long stints. When we were booking in some of the elderly people were walking around the town in their bathrobes, so I'm presuming they  had just been for a dip in the pools.

Semi rest day tomorrow as we only have to walk 14km to the next town. Hopefully the sun shines as it will also be laundry day.

Mario travelling  pilgrim style in Spain

1/5/13 Carcaboso ➡ Jarilla 27km

1/5/13 Carcaboso ➡ Jarilla 27 km

Good short walk today !

Terrain great and can I say the scenery was magnificent.

We had a lazy start today as it was short and sweet.

Had my cortardo (cafe) early and yogurt and orange for breakfast, so all was good.

Cristy got some ibuprofen (600mg) from the farmacia and it is a wonder drug. 

40 tablets for € 3.45, how good is that. 

Not so many aches and pains today as we had very little bitumen to walk on.

We walked to Arco de Caparra today where we were picked up and taken to the Hostal for the night. 

We walk out of here to our next destination. 

It was quite weird getting into a car after almost 20 days of continuous walking.

We have now walked over 400km, only 600 more to go.

As I was walking today I am amazed at the different countryside we have seen so far. 

We have walked through the regions of  Andalucia, Extremadura and we are now heading into Castilla y Leon, the last region we walk through is Galicia.

We are now fairly certain we will continue on the Via de la Plata all the way. We won't go via Astorga but by Ourense, making it 37 stages. We are currently at stage 15.

So Hasta Leugo Camino Frances. 

30/4/13 Grimaldo ➡ Carcaboso 31km

30/4/13  Grimaldo ➡ Carcaboso 31km 

Another killer day walking on bitumen / asphalt. 

The beginning of the day did not start well for me!

The hose of my water bladder was blocked again. It seems every time we do a huge stretch my pipe blocks. 

Any-who to cut a long story short, I swore a lot and finally pulled the (insert swear word here) out and sat it on top of my pack. Finally success and an improve in my not so pleasant mood.

I met Jacques at the top of the hill whilst I was taking off my rain gear and he also managed to improve my mood.

I'm tired, aching, I think I need every joint in my body replaced at the moment, but in saying all that, I am actually doing really well.

Last night in the refugio the bed was terrible and if you don't get proper sleep big days like today can be murder.

After a slog up the hill, sweating and being cantankerous, oh, I was on my own, so not affecting others, there was a left hand turn.

Well my day drastically improved as the scenery was beautiful and the terrain became so much better.

Lots of beautiful cows and the white horse rubbing his backside in the flower shrubs had me laughing.

About a kilometre and a half from our destination the heavens opened up and drenched us, but we did dry off a bit before we got into the town.

Oh and the biggest news of all, No Wind today, perfect walking conditions until the drenching at the end.

Big day, but worth the slog, we are in an Albergue where the owner, just bursts into your room for no reason and then wishes you Buen Camino kisses you and leaves. She is very sweet, but a forceful old lady. We had the aircon on to dry our clothes and we got into trouble from her for using it. She dragged Cristy out to the salon where the aircon was on! 

Go figure.

29/4/13 Emblase de Alcantara ➡ Grimaldo 21km

29/4/13  Emblase de Alcantara ➡ Grimaldo 21km

Freezing today !

I am colder now than when I walked through the snow 2weeks ago. 

The wind is biting and still intent on trying to push us over. Quite good terrain today and some pretty sights but the wind is vicious and all you can do is put your head down and push into it. 

We have arrived in Grimaldo but it is like a one horse town and the only restaurant is closed on a Monday. 

We are staying in the donativo refugio and it is really basic. Got the deet out and gave the room a good spray. At least the shower was boiling hot, thank goodness for the important things in life !  I think I will be sinking into the middle of the bed most of tonight.

We were so lucky to get a bed our friends Mario and Fernando arrived first and held 2 beds. There are only 12 beds in this refugio, so all the pilgrims coming through now are being put up elsewhere, so they may actually have a better deal.

Cristy and Mario are now next door ordering our boccodillos for tomorrow as we have another big day, 30 km with no food would not be good.

I don't fancy eating tuna for breakfast !

Most of my body is in pain, but as I say to Cristy it is a good pain. We are really working hard, but it is enjoyable, I know to some of you that is hard to believe.

Not too many photos to post this time as it has been hard to keep standing straight without being blown over.

Oh and there was another horrible hill, thankfully it was steep but short.