Day 5. Real de la Jara to Monasterio 20kms
I got up at 06.00 as there was a bar serving breakfast at 06.30. It is not that 20 kms is a long way it is the heat later in the morning and early afternoon. The first 10 kms were quite pleasant, it was even chilly at first. I think there had been an overnight frost but it soon warmed up.
I got up at 06.00 as there was a bar serving breakfast at 06.30. It is not that 20 kms is a long way it is the heat later in the morning and early afternoon. The first 10 kms were quite pleasant, it was even chilly at first. I think there had been an overnight frost but it soon warmed up.
Into Extremadura.
The walk was through countryside and there was a bar at about 10kms, somewhere to have another coffee and use the toilets, so civilised, but after that the walking was horrible, to start with my legs seemed very tired, but the path was awful as well,
some of it was next to the road but at one point it was signposted off the road but suddenly there was no path, just the escarpment, a slope. I climbed up thinking I could climb over the crash barrier but it was too high so I walked along clutching the crash barrier. Later there was a very narrow path but with obstructions, so I walked along the old road. All in all it was unpleasant and hot. I am staying at the new parochial albergue in Monasterio, there are 7 of us in 3 rooms, so we are all well spaced out. It doesn't feel hot here, I can understand why locals tell me it isn't hot, it's just when you're walking with a back pack and there's no shade it feels very hot.
Actually are numbers increased by the evening when 3 cyclists arrived. Miguel Angel, the parish priest, came about 8 pm, he was really nice and not at all what one expects a priest to be like! we had a very pleasant evening with everyone sitting chatting around the table.
Day 6. Monasterio to ......
I got up at 06.00. Sometime during the night, about midnight I think, I was aware that we acquired a 4th person in the room, I don't know how. I must ask Ulrica, I keep forgetting. (I eventually asked, apparently the Spanish cyclists couldn't sleep for snorers so moved rooms, the girl came to us and the lad went to the other room, the other room had a door which wouldn't shut properly so they had wedged it shut! The lad put his weight against it and they all woke up!) I got up and made myself coffee and had bread, butter and honey. Then I got sorted and left just before 7 am. It did not seem so cold, it is definitely more pleasant walking in the cool. I was walking to Fuente de Cantos, 21 kms by my book, though every source seems to give a different figure.
I stopped for a drink and a bocadillo, I didn't see the albergue at all, nor any signs for it, though there is a new private albergue that had been putting out a lot of literature, I suspect that they have been tampering with some of the arrows on the way in. I found a 'Centre for Information' which declared itself to be open between 10.30 and 14.30 but the door was locked so I decided to walk on. I had a choice between Calzadillas de los Barros at 6kms or Puebla de Sancho Perez at 20! I fancied going as far as Puebla but it was getting hotter and hotter. I gave up at Calzadillas. I arrived about 2pm. I wanted to buy some fruit but I also needed to find out about the albergue, I headed towards the Town Hall but all the old men sitting outside pointed me off in another direction. I discovered in a few minutes that they were pointing me to the camino, you'd think they might realise that in the heat of the afternoon a pilgrim might be looking for something else! I walked the way they pointed then a man in a van passed, he pointed in the same direction but I told him I wanted the albergue, he asked if I had the key, the answer being 'no' I had to go to the ayuntamiento. I got there just in time, but missed out on the shop, which was just closing as I went past. I had to walk about 2kms to the albergue, but that was less than walking on to Puebla de Sancho Perez. I was told there was no kitchen and I feared it might be like the Refugio in Barros, or wherever, on the Portugues, but when I eventually arrived I found the place to be very clean, with bunk beds and clean sheets, pillow cases and blankets. 
Then I went for a shower, this was cold water so it was a very rapid shower and even so I noticed that the water was disappearing, I just managed to rinse some clothes but I couldn't finish washing my T-shirt as I had squirted soap on it and I couldn't rinse it off! I found a clothes line outside in the sun and sat and rested until it seemed worthwhile going back into the village to get some food. Fortunately I had had an enormous bocadillo at lunch so I didn't need much food. 
I went to the Ayuntamiento but they were not able to sort out the water until the next day, so there was no point anyone else using the albergue. I bought some wine and some nibbles and strawberries, I already had a rice pudding with me, and I got a bottle of chocolate drink and a kind of croissant thing for breakfast.
There were computers in the Town Hall but you have to be registered and have a password etc.so back to the albergue for a peaceful evening. I reckoned I walked about 26kms, so probably only 20 to do to get to Zafra.
Day 7. Calzadilla de los Barros to Zafra 20kms+
I had a good evening on my own, sitting outside with my wine. I stayed outside until the sun went down and it got chilly, then I tidied up and went to bed, there wasn't much point in sitting around inside, it was a big cold empty room. My bedroom was warmer as I had had the window open and the sun streaming in. It didn't take me long to realise that I was tired and I wanted to get up early in the morning, so I went to sleep. I got up at 06.30, had 2 mugs of chocolate and the croissant thing, which was horrible, but it was a breakfast. I started at 7. When I got up the moon was shining, only half a moon but quite bright, but when I went out it was almost getting daylight. I had to walk the nearly 2 kms to the village and drop the key at the 'ayuntamiento', then I started. It started well enough, then I missed a turn, I was looking at some sheep to the right and missed the turn to the left! I arrived at the main road and realised that there were no arrows, so I had to walk back.
It started to get warm quickly, by 9 am the sun was already hot and the path was really bad, lots of stones underfoot. 
Actually are numbers increased by the evening when 3 cyclists arrived. Miguel Angel, the parish priest, came about 8 pm, he was really nice and not at all what one expects a priest to be like! we had a very pleasant evening with everyone sitting chatting around the table.
Day 6. Monasterio to ......
I got up at 06.00. Sometime during the night, about midnight I think, I was aware that we acquired a 4th person in the room, I don't know how. I must ask Ulrica, I keep forgetting. (I eventually asked, apparently the Spanish cyclists couldn't sleep for snorers so moved rooms, the girl came to us and the lad went to the other room, the other room had a door which wouldn't shut properly so they had wedged it shut! The lad put his weight against it and they all woke up!) I got up and made myself coffee and had bread, butter and honey. Then I got sorted and left just before 7 am. It did not seem so cold, it is definitely more pleasant walking in the cool. I was walking to Fuente de Cantos, 21 kms by my book, though every source seems to give a different figure.
The walk was very pleasant, through countryside, there was sun but just a slight breeze, not too hot at all, so I decided it would be worth walking on, especially as I got to Fuente de Cantos at 11.30.
I stopped for a drink and a bocadillo, I didn't see the albergue at all, nor any signs for it, though there is a new private albergue that had been putting out a lot of literature, I suspect that they have been tampering with some of the arrows on the way in. I found a 'Centre for Information' which declared itself to be open between 10.30 and 14.30 but the door was locked so I decided to walk on. I had a choice between Calzadillas de los Barros at 6kms or Puebla de Sancho Perez at 20! I fancied going as far as Puebla but it was getting hotter and hotter. I gave up at Calzadillas. I arrived about 2pm. I wanted to buy some fruit but I also needed to find out about the albergue, I headed towards the Town Hall but all the old men sitting outside pointed me off in another direction. I discovered in a few minutes that they were pointing me to the camino, you'd think they might realise that in the heat of the afternoon a pilgrim might be looking for something else! I walked the way they pointed then a man in a van passed, he pointed in the same direction but I told him I wanted the albergue, he asked if I had the key, the answer being 'no' I had to go to the ayuntamiento. I got there just in time, but missed out on the shop, which was just closing as I went past. I had to walk about 2kms to the albergue, but that was less than walking on to Puebla de Sancho Perez. I was told there was no kitchen and I feared it might be like the Refugio in Barros, or wherever, on the Portugues, but when I eventually arrived I found the place to be very clean, with bunk beds and clean sheets, pillow cases and blankets. Then I went for a shower, this was cold water so it was a very rapid shower and even so I noticed that the water was disappearing, I just managed to rinse some clothes but I couldn't finish washing my T-shirt as I had squirted soap on it and I couldn't rinse it off! I found a clothes line outside in the sun and sat and rested until it seemed worthwhile going back into the village to get some food. Fortunately I had had an enormous bocadillo at lunch so I didn't need much food. I went to the Ayuntamiento but they were not able to sort out the water until the next day, so there was no point anyone else using the albergue. I bought some wine and some nibbles and strawberries, I already had a rice pudding with me, and I got a bottle of chocolate drink and a kind of croissant thing for breakfast.There were computers in the Town Hall but you have to be registered and have a password etc.so back to the albergue for a peaceful evening. I reckoned I walked about 26kms, so probably only 20 to do to get to Zafra.
Day 7. Calzadilla de los Barros to Zafra 20kms+
I had a good evening on my own, sitting outside with my wine. I stayed outside until the sun went down and it got chilly, then I tidied up and went to bed, there wasn't much point in sitting around inside, it was a big cold empty room. My bedroom was warmer as I had had the window open and the sun streaming in. It didn't take me long to realise that I was tired and I wanted to get up early in the morning, so I went to sleep. I got up at 06.30, had 2 mugs of chocolate and the croissant thing, which was horrible, but it was a breakfast. I started at 7. When I got up the moon was shining, only half a moon but quite bright, but when I went out it was almost getting daylight. I had to walk the nearly 2 kms to the village and drop the key at the 'ayuntamiento', then I started. It started well enough, then I missed a turn, I was looking at some sheep to the right and missed the turn to the left! I arrived at the main road and realised that there were no arrows, so I had to walk back.
It started to get warm quickly, by 9 am the sun was already hot and the path was really bad, lots of stones underfoot.
We also had to cross 2 streams, these were wide and fast flowing, and there hasn't been any rain for weeks. They were not easy, the stones which were only just covered with water were slippery and many of the dry ones were wobbly. I found the first one to be really difficult as the placing of the stones just didn't suit me.
Eventually I got to Puebla de Sancho Perez and had a coffee, it was lovely to have a proper break, I set off to leave at 11.15 but lost the arrows, I went to look around the outside of the church but overlooked any arrows there, then I saw signs for the albergue. I fancied seeing that anyway and wanted to see the 'bull-ring', it's square and reputed to be the oldest in Sapin.
It was worth the 1km walk, even though I had to walk back again. Eventually I left at 12.15. It was not far to Zafra. 
The strange thing about arriving in Zafra is that you come in by walking along a railway track, mostly this is well signed but just as it becomes questionable there are no signs, the same with signs in the streets, lots of arrows when it was straight ahead but none at junctions!
I found the albergue but was dithering because though it is said to be on c/Anche the entrance is around the corner, fortunately the hospitalero was outside chatting and pointed me the right way.
The town was lovely, an old quarter and an Alcazar, now Parador and some nice parks.
I also managed to use the internet for the first time, and could start blogging!
Eventually I got to Puebla de Sancho Perez and had a coffee, it was lovely to have a proper break, I set off to leave at 11.15 but lost the arrows, I went to look around the outside of the church but overlooked any arrows there, then I saw signs for the albergue. I fancied seeing that anyway and wanted to see the 'bull-ring', it's square and reputed to be the oldest in Sapin.
It was worth the 1km walk, even though I had to walk back again. Eventually I left at 12.15. It was not far to Zafra. The strange thing about arriving in Zafra is that you come in by walking along a railway track, mostly this is well signed but just as it becomes questionable there are no signs, the same with signs in the streets, lots of arrows when it was straight ahead but none at junctions! I found the albergue but was dithering because though it is said to be on c/Anche the entrance is around the corner, fortunately the hospitalero was outside chatting and pointed me the right way. The town was lovely, an old quarter and an Alcazar, now Parador and some nice parks.I also managed to use the internet for the first time, and could start blogging!
Well-done you! Have you left everybody behind?
ReplyDelete