Yesterday having arrive in Zafra I went for a nice walk about and discovered a very nice old town compete with plazas, churches and lots of bars...none of these items a surprise, but what I also found was the Parador. Definitely not to the standard in Leon, but none the less, it was nice. Even better were the cars parked out back...old Morgans in a continental road rally. Clearly toys of the well healed, but nice to admire. Definitely not staying in the digs where I was holed up!
The central cathedral was very nice, not over done.
A few street scenes...
On to the walk today. Again an early "heat" start. Just thinking about after eight days on the trail folks are appearing tired and injuries are showing up...the usual ankle, knee, foot things. Helped Robert (Berlin prof) sort out some stomache problems last night...never seen pepto before...fixed him nicely.
First small town today, unfortunately no bar open for breakfast which is normal on this route, but there was a nice church still lit up.
Otherwise it was a pretty routine walk...sorry about that! Lots of vineyards and some nice scenery. Villafranca is pretty much shut down today and hard to get food and supplies for tomorrow, a 29km hump. I have enough to get through, and I ordered a sandwich at the bar and it sits in the fridge here waiting for tomorrow. There is a festival some kms out of town, in the heat...31C, so none of us are going, but hope to see some things happening n the streets tonight. Important to have enough water for tomorrow as there isn't a spot to pick any up and it will be hot...meaning...another early morning start. Does start to drag everyone down, BUT just two days journey to Merida where I have a nice little place booked all by myself...heaven! Amazed I have lasted 12 nights in the albergues, but it's easiest and for the most part they are pretty good...most could use an extra shower and toilet, but what can you expect for average $15/night?
Heavy rains forecaste for Tuesday and Wednesday next week...I know what that means with all this heavy clay...let's hope for something else...sun and cooler instead. Otherwise it might make this sort or trail look pretty bad, and boots end up weighing an extra couple of kilos.
But I am having fun. Even the odd signs don't get me down...is that go right or straight ahead?
I will confirm this weekend, but I think, ankle and health permitting, that I will break out of this pace as it were after Merida and cross to Caseres in two days...stages of 34 and 38kms respectively, perhaps missing some of the rain and mud if it comes to that. If the weather is really horrible I'll hunker down there a day, but all remains to be seen. A day at a time.
I did mean to pass along some form of condolences to all my friends who are Liverpool fans...maybe next time...unless United remember how to play football, then forget it;)
You are moving quickly! 21 km in 3.5 hours is a great pace.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I don't understand the signage on that bollard, either, but clearly you made the right choice, since you arrived. I suppose you don't see abandoned boots on signs on the VdlP, since there aren't as many peregrinos walking it. That's something that always left me wondering on the Camino Francés. If you leave your boots behind in the middle of nowhere, what do you wear on your feet as you walk to the next town?
Anyway, I applaud your self-discipline in choosing an albergue over the parador.
Hey Geoff
ReplyDeleteI sense you and others dropping into a second kind of rhythm. The initial excitement and relief to be out there has settled to more steady routine with a touch (or more) of weariness. It's funny but I'm sure it's the sameness of this walking that is so profound in the end as it allows us to settle to deeper places within. Celine from Brussels (do you remember her?) contacted me the other day and asked what was the best moment of the Camino. I could think of many moments but it was not really moments that capture it for me, it's the whole long, slow, companionable, lonely, beautiful, hard, joyful, frustrating, perplexing, delighting... thing! That changes us. I certainly changed me. Anyway, have a good rest this evening, may you read the signs right and discern the rhythm for yourself for these coming days. Clad the feet, ankles and knees are holding up. Buen camino, Neil
Hi Geoff: Mom and I are enjoying your blogs and are also enjoying the comments of other trekkers from the Camino walk.. I guess there are many different reasons a person takes on such a challenge but one suggestion that keeps coming up is that you should enjoy the moment that you are in - not necessarilay the distance you have been able to travel - but I guess the latter is pretty significant too as otherwise you would be having too much enjoyment and not getting anywhere!!! Maybe moderation is the best medicine. I see on the map that Merida is about 200 klm's from Sevilla - not a bad place to take stock of your progress (also check out the rain clouds). Stay strong - enjoy the sun rises - and watch out for those oversized sheep on the other side of the fence!!
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