Day 20: Aldeanueva del Camino to Calzada de Béjar

In planning this section of the Camino I had thought of making it to Salamanca. In the end, it wasn't to be. Tiredness on the section from Cáceres was the first thing to intervene. Next, the size and tenderness of a blister such started to develop on Sunday had meant that today I've decided to end this third section of the Camino. After all, it's a pilgrimage and not a race nor an endurance test.

Today we began in Aldeanueva del Camino with Mass and a good breakfast of chocolate and churros. Andy Connell sent me a message to let me know that it was the feast of St Julian the Hospitaller, patron Saint of, among other things, pilgrims. After breakfast, we set out to leave the town passing over a bridge with a very lively stream which runs through the town down to the River Ambroz. 

The way today consisted of three parts. The first part is the least inspiring and somewhat tiresome, walking at the side of the N630. While not the busiest of roads, it is hard underfoot, and one has to be aware of the speeding vehicles passing quite close. Also the detritus of years of littering makes the side of roads unpleasant, and the sites of closed defunct businesses that thrived on what was, previously, the main road North-South in this Western part of Spain, but has been supplanted in these last fifteen years by the motorway, make a sad sight. The 9.5km walk to Baños de Montemayor, the last town in Extremadura, is a gentle uphill. The town itself promises to be interesting, with lots of hotels and restaurants in this Roman thermal spa town. Whether it's not the season, or simply that the town has gone the way of so many places on this route, the place was deserted except for a few stalwart locals, and it was hard enough to hunt down the omelette and salad which we eventually found in a bar on the old main road.

The second section of this day's walk promised to be the most taxing, for we had to pass from the region of Extremadura and the province of Cáceres into the region of Castilla-León, and the province of Salamanca through the Béjar pass. While both the N630 and the motorway and their way up to the pass, the Roman pavement which the Camino follows is straight up the hill and over the top. I'm the end, it wasn't so had, and the views were the great reward. From above we could see the Baños reservoir which we had walked past but had been hidden from view. One final look back into Extremadura and we walked into a new region, province and Diocese. 

Once through the pass, and a lemonade and a packet of crisps consumed, we embarked on the third section of the way: 9km to Calzada de Béjar. Passing the Albergue and town of Puerto de Béjar on the right, we followed the Roman road down into a beautiful green valley. The motorway passed away above our heads, unable to see the beauty of the valley, reminiscent to me of the Wye valley, with steep sides and the gurgling of the River below. Descending all the way down into the bottom of the valley, we passed over the River Cuerpo de Hombre (an oddly named River, meaning 'Body of Man') by way of the Magdalene bridge. From there it was a continuous rise up to the pueblo that time forgot: Calzada de Béjar. The smoke for air and the rather run down aspect of the buildings strong the centre of the small village make you feel you have travelled through time to a different era. The welcome was exceptionally warm at the Albergue, the owners of which also owned the casa rural where we were staying. Reunited with our friends from the Camino, Ian and Jonah, we had a dinner of simple fare and good, quite serious, conversation. 

Looking at my blisters, this will be the final stop, and tomorrow it will be a bus into Salamanca, with a promise to return, on foot, next month.

Day 19: Finca de Ventaquemada to Aldeanueva del Camino

The day started away from the Camino, in the beautiful town of Plasencia. It was market day, and the smells and sights of farmhouse cheese and chorizo was certainly a pull to stay. But, after breakfast, it was back to the farmhouse at Ventaquemada to begin again. As soon as we arrived, we met two new fellow pilgrims. Jonah from California and Peter from Nijmegen had started the day at daybreak from Carcaboso, so were walking almost 40km today. 

The first part of the walk was through dehesa and farm land. After 6km we arrived at the tuned Roman city of Cáparra. Since crossing into Extremadura back on day 5, we have been following, or sometimes ignoring, or sitting on, the stone, it sometimes metal, blocks indicating the way. The top of each of these shows a yellow pathway going through an archway. This archway is the arch of Cáparra. So a photo was obligatory. The arch is the only thing which remains standing of the city, which was, in its day, a bustling market town. 

Once back on the Camino, we walked through more dehesa which had a number of streams. Sitting by one of them, we met up with our New Zealand friend Ian. Fortunately he was there to help us cross the streams, as without holding on to his walking pole I'd have gone backwards into the water. Despite having two dry weeks, there was a lot of water around and a great deal of waterlogged earth. The mountains to the right, and later on the sides, were breathtakingly beautiful, with little villages nestling in their folds.

As we approached our old friend, the N630 road, we decided to follow that way and save 1.5km of walking. The ascent of about 7km up to Aldeanueva by road was tough, especially with what turned out to be a large blister on the back of my left heel. We were joined on the road by Jane and Richard from Cumbria, whom we had first met just outside Cáceres. We finally arrived at the Luna apartment, a very comfortable place to stay. After Mass, we joined some of our fellow pilgrims for a simple 10 euro dinner. The owner of the bar-restaurant was very interested to talk about the state of the villages and their lack of life... But that's another story.

Day 18: Galisteo to Finca Ventaquemada

Today was a day of two halves. The first half was walking on the road out of Galisteo to Carcaboso. The second half was the much more pleasant walk across farm land to the end of our day's walk at the Ventaquemada. This latter is not so much a place as a house. There are no albergues or services there but it was convenient as the end of a stage of 22.8km.

This morning was quite foggy, and so, emerging from the pensión at 10.30am, it was hard to see too far. The Roman bridge below the town is just visible in the photo, but looking back to the town to see the walls was impossible. 

The first section of the walk is on minor roads which are quite quiet, but which some people used to get up a bit of speed. It is these parts of the Camino which feel the most dangerous. In just over an hour at arrived at the small village of Aldehuela del Jerte, where, being a Monday, there was no coffee to be had. So after a brief sit down, we ploughed on to Carcaboso. The countryside looked very familiar an not unlike England. On arrival at Carcaboso, having passed the church, dedicated to St James the Apostle, and the Plaza de España, with its fountain feature, we found a place for dinner lunch. After tortilla and chorizo I can do most things.

Afterwards we regained the Camino and began to walk in the sun along beautiful pathways, with long views to distant hills. After about 4km the Camino entered a series of beautifully serene dehesas, at first climbing then following the way through shaded groves of cork trees and Holm oaks. The distant mountains provided a contrast to the undulating terrain we were walking through. Passing through farms we eventually arrived at the road and the Ventaquemada. From here we were collected by taxi to go to the Roman Cathedral city of Plasencia, where we spend the overnight.

Another milestone

Arriving at Cañaveral the day before yesterday was significant as it is approximately a third of the way to Santiago. As it stands, I have now done 367km to Galisteo, with 642km to go. It's good to see that number coming down!

Day 17: Grimaldo to Galisteo

So, last night I started typing up my daily blog, and suddenly it disappeared. So it has had to wait till this morning to be rewritten. 

The evening in Grimaldo, Saturday evening, was very pleasant. The only place to eat was the Asador, a charcoal grill place specialising in top quality steaks. Well we take the rough with the smooth... It was also a very comfortable Casa Rural where we stayed. Our host, César, was full of useful information too.

Sunday morning, it was an opportunity to get to Mass in the little church of the Immaculate Conception. Unfortunately, once again the online information was incorrect, and I turned up for Mass just as it was finishing. However, I did celebrate Mass with Tim and César's father, in English, after the Spanish Mass had finished. 

Taking to the Camino once again, we went back down to the path which started off passing through farm land. It was very much like public footpaths back home. The farm fields became dehesa type land. After covering about a quarter of the distance, we found two blocks to sit on for a breather. After a few minutes we heard what sounded like a stampede of horses coming towards us. In fact, it was a group of about ten deer running through the park land. They stopped about 100 yards from us, stood, observed us, and then continued on their way. Too quick to get s photo! The silence was then broken by a group of Czech bikers on some very expensive motorbikes. Not the sort for that sort of path. Then came a group of about forty very noisy ramblers from Salamanca. We spent the rest of the day either surrounded by them and their noise, or avoiding them. Then through came some more bikers on scramble bikes. They were unwelcome as they were ripping up the pathway.

Taking the original route of the Camino, we had to pass through a stream the water of which was fortunately low. Apparently, in wet weather the dam just upstream overflows and makes it impossible to pass. Tim went first, and the stepping stones seemed a bit precarious. The water was so low that I just walked through it. The water didn't get in the boots, so that was a result!

Taking to the road and then through farm land, it was a pleasantly quiet way through the hills. My feet were not too comfortable so we stopped for a while. Unfortunately it meant that the ramblers caught up with us. The final stretch, along muddy paths, and up a steep hill, meant we arrived finally in Galisteo rather tired, and ready for a drink and some crisps, the first thing we had eaten since breakfast. The approach to the town was magnificent. From a few kilometres away it was lit up by sunlight, against the blackness of a heavily cloudy sky. Just like the city built on a hilltop in the day's Gospel. Then, getting nearer, it was wonderful to see the complete walls of the upper part of the town, and the aqueduct leading from the town out to the fields around. 

Finding the pensión for the night, we met up with old friends from previous days, and a welcome meal in the bar in the main square. 

Day 16: Embalse de Alcántara to Grimaldo

The welcome and atmosphere at the Albergue or hostel at the Embalse was warm, but the hostel itself was not. The brutal concrete bunker type structure and lack of heating made it an uncomfortable morning. However, as the light of day came forth, the beauty and stillness of the surroundings came back into view. This morning was cool and cloudy as we set off along the N630 road once again to walk the first half of today's section which would lead us to the town of Cañaveral. (Don't forget: the first conquistadors to colonise Mexico and the southern states were from Extremadura and took names from here over to there, hence Cape Canaveral.)

The road continued along the side of the reservoir, so we had the water on one side and the old railway line on the other side. As we came to the furthest extent of the water, we could see the remains of the Roman Alconétar bridge, which were transferred here to avoid destruction in their original situation over the Tagus when the dam was built. 

The road then began to rise up between grassy hills reminiscent of the Scottish lowlands. After a short distance our lunch stop of Cañaveral came into view, nestled amidst the hills. The last 3km to the town we up an uphill rough path bringing us to the even steeper road up to the church square.

After a first refreshing drink of lemonade we went in search of lunch and found it in the form of a menu of the day in a very popular little Bar-Restaurant called Delfi. After the respite provided by Cañaveral, it was time to take the road out of town and then uphill for about 3 miles firstly through farm land and then pine wood. Here we found the so called 'Republic fountain', inaugurated during the time of the Republic in the 1930s. I had forgotten that this section includes quite a steep section which was mercifully short. However, once at the top of the hill, the view towards the distant Sierra de Salamanca to the north was breathtaking. 

Walking down the wooded hillside, we crossed the road to enter a beautifully cool section of dehesa, or wooded farm land. The 3km of dehesa brought us promptly to the bottom of the hill below Grimaldo. The last steep hill brought us to the church and castle like house beside it, and also face to face with our host, César, from the Casa Rural Posada de Grimaldo, a very comfortable place to spend tonight.