Via de la Plata Fartons

A Spanish treat, scented perhaps.

Via de la Plata, to Montemarte

A far more interesting day despite the first few grim kilometres of tarmac needed to exit the town. 

Route advice from the Cicerone guide book, waymarks and helpful locals all added to the, er, interest. 

There were far more Milarios and other features today. One garden I passed had been converted into a shrine of sorts - with all manner of garden-gnome type stuff.  Actually very impressive! 

Roadside water taps were more apparent, these were not only water supplies for the villages but also as very important  supplies for thirsty Peregrinos. 

I'll re-post with more photos when I get home, most of my photos were taken on my camera rather than my phone. 

Via de la Plata, to Granja de Moreuela

After leaving the Albergue in El Cubo del Vino in the company of Frank from Frankfurt we headed north to Zamora - but not before  visiting the local bar for a quick beer and some tapas.

It was a very hot day and a hard slog into Zamora. This was once again an unremarkable journey - in stark contrast to the Cacares to Salamanca section which was very interesting indeed. 

Zamora is a fascinating city, one that really needs more than one day to explore properly.

That will have to wait for another time though. 

Frank and I shared a small room in the excellent Albergue close to the centre of town. 

The two Hospitaleras, Seranella and Maria, made all the Camino Pilgrims very welcome, feeding and watering us to within 2.54cm of our lives. 

There was no charge for this hospitality, just a request for a donation.  I hope I was generous. 

There were around 16-18 staying that night,  cyclists,  walkers and one runner who had set out from Salamanca earlier that day - a distance of 68 of yer foreign kilometers. He was only a bit tired when he got there.

The Hospitaleras had been warned he was en route and so had saved him a substantial meal - he made short work of it! 

Frank from Frankfurt headed off route today, he's fractured a bone in his r foot. The doc has advised a week off walking so he's probably going to Porto in Portugal for some R&R.

Via de la Plata

To Cubo de Tierra del Vino

This village takes it's name from it's vine growing heritage.

The hospitalero has vines growing around the front door of his Albergue. Last night at dinner the Camino Pilgrims staying at Albergue Torre de Sabre were treated to the local wines. Although I enjoyed a small glass of the stuff it was wasted on me - I'm not a great wine buff.

Back to the beginning of the day - where I should have started: 

I left the cozy Albergue in Calzada de Valdunciel at 7am in the good company of Patrice & Christina from Paris. Our joint plan was to visit the local eatery to grab some brekky before hitting the trail.

The sign on the door of the restaurant advertised an opening time of 7am - but it was not to be. The place was in total darkness. ...so no desayuno or coffee for these hungry Peregrinos.

Although it had rained the previous night and the start of the day was quite cool, by 9am the sun was quite warm. It made for pleasant walking. 

It was 20km later before we found  refreshments and we took full advantage of it. An excellent little bar with a very flustered-looking barman who somehow managed to feed and water us whilst keeping the rest of his many customers happy. 

The day's route had been a mixture of quiet tarmac and Camino de Tierra - footpaths over rough ground. 

The only exciting thing we passed was the local High Security prison - and a just released prisoner hanging around outside hoping for a lift.

As we approached the village we were met by the hospitalero.  He was no doubt looking to make sure that any Camino Pilgrims went to HIS Albergue rather than the other ones in town. 

The Albergue was very comfortable and was really more of a Casa Rural. Huge meals of lunch, dinner, bed & breakfast were had for a whole €33. Beer and wine were included in the price. Pretty damned good value. 

8 Camino Pilgrims stayed the night: 2 Danes, 1 German ( the very entertaining Frank), 1 Spaniard, 2 French ( Patrice and Christina )..and me. The Spaniard was the only Peregrino cycling the Camino, the rest were walking. 

We all somehow managed to communicate using a mixture of sign language,  phrase books,  and in my case,  speaking slowly and loudly whilst waving my British passport. It seemed to work. 

A very pleasant evening followed with much jolly multilingual conversation. I think we all understood one another! 

Anyway, I am invited to a walking festival in Denmark next year. It's immediately prior to the Nijmegen 4 Days Marches ....and I'm seriously considering taking up the invitation. 

Via de la Plata: To Calzada de Valdunciel

Afterwards a very bad night's kip (due to me listening to Jim Naughtie's 'Scotland Decides' on t'interweb wireless most of the night) I surfaced around 8am to the sound of hissing down rain lashing against my window.  

Unlike my first leg of the Camino two years ago, this time I had a proper waterproof and a rain cover for my pack. Both were put to good use. 

I diverted to the local Decathlon to buy a very lightweight fleece (€5!) because it had suddenly got much cooler. The weather was much nicer back in Timperley. 

Leaving Salamanca by the Bull Ring, the next 5-6 miles were on roads. Norralot of fun. 

My original plan was to leave Salamanca by bus in order to avoid the roads and the ugly outskirts of what is otherwise a beautiful city. I wish I'd stuck to that idea. Oh well. 

Once off the tarmac the route followed splodgy field paths and dirt-tracks to eventually arrive the little village of Calzada de Valdunciel: 1 shop (closed), 2 bars (open) and most importantly,  1 very cosy Albergue - my bed for the night.  For the princely sum of €5 I have a bunk bed, a simple kitchen and a hot shower.  Magic.

The village has a Casa Rural (a sort of B&B) but that was closed for the fumigacion. Lovely. 

I'm sharing the Albergue with a French couple who started their Camino in Saville where it was a cookingly hot 44degC. 

I could do with a meal but there's nothing to be had here until the morning.  I've got a couple of bread rolls so I'll tuck into them when I finish typing this up.

Today's walk wasn't particularly inspiring,  but I knew that was to be the case. I should have used the bus!

I just hope that the walk tomorrow will be more interesting.