Camino de Levante week 3

Week 3 Day 15 Tembleque to Mora 25 km

I got up early and had breakfast in a bar up the road, then started walking. To begin with it was more of the same, another day of no towns or bars.

 It was perfect walking weather, not too cold and not raining. After a while the surroundings changed dramatically

It was lovely to walk on paths that didn't just go straight on and on. At one point I thought I had missed the path as the farmer had simply ploughed straight across it.



the path!



the castle of Pena Negra

the path up

looking back to Tembleque

There was even an outcrop of rock at the top of the hill, somewhere to sit down!

The 'Glorietta' in Mora

 Day 16 Mora to Toledo 39.5 km

I woke up early so I started early. I hadn't bought a drink but I had a banana, a muesli bar, and some water and started walking. It was to be a long day but there were plenty of towns. I got lost coming out of Mora. For some reason I thought I should turn right, but I was wrong, it should have been left. Signs were non existent. I walked back a bit, but probably not far enough. I was walking a long the road but I saw a turn off and thought that it would lead me to the path I needed, wrong again. I ended up in a dead end and had to walk across 2 wet, ploughed fields. Eventually I found the camino and continued on to the first village, Mascareque. It was only 5 km from Mora and it seemed a bit early to stop so I decided to carry on to Almonacid at 11km.

The castle of Almonacid

It was supposed to have all services, it had shops and banks but no sign of a bar until just on the way out of the village, this bar was shut and for sale, fortunately they had left the tables and chairs outside so I could sit down for a rest. The next town was supposed to be 11 km away but I'm not sure where from, the road signs said 7 so I opted to walk up the road. Nambroca is a lovely little town and, as I entered on the main road, I found a bar straight away, but it is a town with a lovely big main square and a bar in the square, just where it should be, idiot proof! I studied my guide and realised that for the rest of the walk there was a town at 4km, one at 5km and the Parador at 8. Broken down into small bits it seemed much easier so I decided to stop at every opportunity. When I went outside it was raining but everything still seemed brighter. 

the view of Toledo as I approached the Parador

 I decided that I was going to go to the Parador, and have a glass of wine, to celebrate my arrival in Toledo, and then I was going to get a taxi down to the hostel!

I spent 3 nights in Toledo, in order to really see the city. Now I have come home. I think I have almost been cured of the camino bug. There are various reasons why I have stopped: the lengths of the days; the lack of infrastructure; the lack of company. I have not completely stopped. Next week I will go to Zamora and do the last of my planned weeks. There will be plenty of people after Zamora, not least because it will be Holy Week. It will be interesting to see how I feel when I have company, but I think this is the end.