Archives for February 2018

On Monday we started out at the Hostal Asturias, which was a convenient place to stay but my first cold shower on the Camino. We did not leave until a very gentile hour of 9am as we were only walking 20k to Baños Montemayor. The walk as relatively easy and quick, 4 hrs so after lunch we decided to go on.

Part of the reason we decided to go on was that bad weather was coming and we wanted to get a head of it. So, we walked an additional 12k which consisted of a 4K walk up a mountain and then a beautiful walk the oak and pine forrests. We got to
Calzada de Béjar at around 5:30. A nice municipal albergue with 28 beds and only 3 pilgrims. Me, Jose Miguel and a new girl from Holland Ania. This is a very small town with only one bar which fortunately was open so off we went for dinner and then bed.

Today Tuesday we woke up to the weather we thought we expected rain but instead it was freezing rain that was coming down in buckets like giant sand crystals pounding your face. Fortunately, we walked the extra yesterday so our day today was really only 4 hours. The freezing rain eventually turned to snow which continued though out our walk. We are staying with Don Blass at a monastery in Frenternoble Salviterria. It is freezing cold and we have two more days to Salamanca where I will take a much needed rest day.

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Location:Calle Larga,Fuenterroble de Salvatierra,Spain

Today was my 8th day of walking. It seems that it takes about a week or two to get used to the daily grind of walking long distances every day. Yesterday, I felt pretty good, today not quite as good but still good. My legs are machines. I can just go and go. The rest of me not so much.

The weather today was cold and crisp this morning about 27 degrees to start out. I have everything I need to stay warm so that is not a problem and I love the clear days so that works as well. By this afternoon I was only in a teeshirt so it warmed up nicely.

We walked along the road for the first 10k and then for the last 20k we walked through oak forrest which was simply beautiful. It is so green here during this time of year that it makes it extra nice.

My walking friends are Jose Miguel from Burgos and Ed from New York City. Jose Miguel is a retired train conductor, he drive freight trains for most of his career and then for the final 5 years he drove short haul passenger trains. Ed just resigned from the NYC fire department as a paramedic which was his post retirement career as he spent the majority of his working life as an energy trader on Wall Street. I love walking with Jose Miguel as we spend the day talking in Spanish the entire time. I am surprised at how much I understand. Today was the first of I am sure many walking with Ed.

We finished our walk at an ancient Roman town. The town of Cáparra. The archeologists are working on discovering what was there but the Arch of Cáparra needs no discovery. It is huge and just right there in the middle of the Camino. One we reached Cáparra we called to be picked up and driven to the hostel which is 8k away. Tomorrow we will continue along the Camino. That is one of the things about the Via de la Plata, the way does not always pass near civilization. Sometimes you have to detour to sleep and then return to continue.

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Location:Carretera de Gijón a Sevilla,Jarilla,Spain

Today started out great. A crisp cold but sunny day of only about 28k. I was happy with the thought that we would be done walking in a little less than 6 hours.

We walked past an hermitage and then up the steep hill and into the Pine Forrest most of the morning was walking through the pine’s and Oak’s past a bunch of cows. I took a picture of a cow with horns pointing in different directions. All in all it was a nice morning. I felt much better today and was ready to walk.

We stopped for a break after the Forrest and before walking along the road. Once we headed up the road there came a point where it said to turn. The markers were not normal. Right now the markers are granite blocks but these were metal made to look like granite blocks. Well I thought someone was trying to fake us out and have us go a different way. So we kept walking along the road for another few Km. I checked my app and realized that we were no longer on the Camino. After a brief moment of panic we decided to keep walking until we could find a path back to the Camino. We finally did but with some interesting diversions. We climbed up a hill and walked thought fields full of sheep and then had to cross over a bobbed wire fence and finally climb a gate to get back to the Camino. Needless to say lesson well learned. Follow the damn markers. We added at least 6k to our walk today.

In the end we arrived in Galisteo a beautiful walled city. We are not staying inside the walls but did go and walk around the city and were able to climb up and walk the walls. They are from the time of the Muslim occupation and pretty amazing.

Tomorrow we walk to Capara which is one of the jewels of the Via de la Plata. A Roman arch. Pictures to follow.

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Location:Calle Egido,Galisteo,Spain