Having left the camino in 2015 I have now decided to finish it. I have decided to get the 05.55 train on March 1st so here I am in Ourense on 28th February, ready to spend the night in the Albergue. I planned to take advantage of the fact that I am in Ourense to do some shopping but it is Shrove Tuesday and 'festivo' here so the shops are shut!
On previous occasions I haven't visited the convent next door so this time I did.
Mostly all that is visible is the cloister but this is well worth a visit.
Day 1 - to Rielves 24 kms
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| The Roman bridge in Ourense, illuminated. |
Up at 05.00 and off to the station. First a train to Madrid and then on to Toledo. The train journeys went well and I left the train station in Toledo at 12.15, I hadn't walked far when I discovered that I had lost the end of the drinking tube from my water bag, I thought I couldn't drink without this so I retraced my steps to see if I could find it, no luck, but I managed to waste 15 minutes and walk an extra kilometre! I was in a bit of a panic as I was carrying 2 litres of water which now seemed to be useless.
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| the walls of Toledo |
The walk through the streets of Toledo was long, eventually I stopped for a beer and managed to spill some on my trousers so I smelt like a brewery! I finally left the streets at 13.15, not a good time to start the days walk, the sun was shining and I was in shirt sleeves and sun glasses, fortunately there was a breeze so the walking was OK. I has also discovered that my water bag was still serviceable, I can drink from it but there is no protective end and the water exits a little quickly, but I can cope with that.
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| looking back to Toledo |
The walk seemed interminable and the paths had been ruined by tractors and were really rough on the feet.
Eventually I arrived in Rielves, the accommodation here is basic, a little annex at the side of the church. The Parish priest has the key and I managed to arrive at the end of Mass so I had to wait whilst the priest dealt with some parish business. It was 7 when I got in, I went off straight away to buy some food but found that both shops had just closed! Fortunately I still had some food I'd brought from home so I bought a bottle of wine in a bar and returned. The lady in the bar offered to uncork the bottle for me but I had a cork screw. Unfortunately the cork screw broke and I had to push the cork in, this resulted in me being sprayed with wine so I smelt even more like a brewery, or maybe a winery on this occasion! I was really, really tired, almost too tired to eat but I had a snack, the priest had provided me with a heater so I was alright in the main room but the wall-plugs in the bedroom were so outdated that I couldn't plug the heater in there. The accommodation is really basic, no hot water, no shower and it hadn't been used since October so the bunks were cold and damp but there were plenty of blankets so I just collapsed.
Day 2 Rielves to Escalona 36 kms
The night was OK, I woke feeling cold a few times and I was too lazy to get up for another blanket but I did sleep.
I had breakfast in the bar and then started. It was a day with plenty of water-stops, I think I probably overdid these early on as the day took much longer than I anticipated.
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| The castle in Barcience |
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| Official signing |
I got lost going into Torrijos and did an extra 2-3 kms, not a good idea on a long day. I had company for a little while as a girl on a bike stopped to walk with me, she was delighted to meet a pilgrim!!
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| Some of the arrows are very discreet!! |
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| a church in Torrijos |
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| The Town Hall, old Palace of Pedro I |
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| Inside the Palace |
I went into the Town Hall to get a stamp on my credencial and the lady in the Information Office took me across the road to the Albergue, I hadn't realised that there was one as my info just said there are beds and toilets!
What a day!
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| leaving Escalona |
It started fine, though the first few kilometres were along a path with high wire fences on both sides, I felt like I was in prison! Eventually the fences stopped, the almond blossom is out and it was very pretty.
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these fences were on both sides!
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I got to Almorox and stopped for a rest and a coffee, the only water-hole today. The path down from Almorox was horrible, steep and stony, really hard on the feet. Then a young man in a van offered me a lift. I'd been offered a lift before Rielves and I managed to say 'No' but this time I succumbed, I was already really tired and there was still a long way to go. The young man was a forest ranger, he said he often offers lifts to pilgrims because he likes to have company occasionally as he drives around the countryside, so I felt I could be forgiven for such an act of charity but 'Oh no'. He dropped me on the camino and I had 2-3 kms to walk to reach the main road and cross over, no problem at this point. I got to the main road (N403) at 12, crossed over and sat for a little rest. It was lovely, beautiful scenery and I only had about 10 kms to walk.
The path did a sharp bend, as described in my guide and then I came to a cross-roads (cross-paths in this case) this wasn't mentioned in my guide or on the map and there were no signs visible so I opted for straight ahead, there were no signs but I should have reached another road in a kilometre or 2, I suppose, with hindsight, when I didn't reach a road I should have gone back but I kept on, thinking that I would get there in a minute. Then there was a housing development in front of me, I thought that my map might pre-date the houses so I walked on and around, eventually I reached a road but not the right one, I was back on the N403 and only 6 kms from Almorox! I got back to the spot were I had originally crossed over at 14.00, 2 hours later. I wondered about continuing up the road but I decided that when I came to the turn-off I would head back to the camino, so I did. By this time it was pouring with rain, very cold rain. I followed the signs until I came to a road, there was an official sign-post directing Right, and then an arrow Left and another arrow and another arrow ....... so I returned and followed the arrows .. and got back to the N403. I ended up walking the next 6 kms up the side of a major road, I had my jacket on but my legs were soaking, my hands were frozen and my feet and back hurt. I decided that this was going to be the end, I would find alternative transport in San Martin! I came into San Martin, at 17.30, from quite the wrong direction and I had no idea where I was but I was lucky I saw a sign for Hostal Pilar. Once I had had a hot shower and a hot chocolate and brandy I felt better. Unfortunately Hostal Pilar doesn't do meals and I was not going to go out so it was another sandwich! and another early night.
Day 4 San Martin Valdeiglesias to Cebreros 17 kms
Well everything looks better in the morning! I had breakfast in the bar and decided to continue walking. It wasn't raining, which was nice. Unfortunately the previous days rain had soaked the ground, I found I was either waking along a stream or through a swamp.
At one point I climbed a wall and fence because all the land in front of me was water logged, I then had to climb another wall to get back on track. Later the path became rockier and then it became drier.
When I arrived in Cebreros I went straight to the bus station, there were no buses to Avila because it was the weekend, but it was possible to get a bus to a village with a train station and so get a train to Avila and that's what I did. I had to wait in Robledo de Chavela for a bus to take me to the station so I went to a beautiful restaurant and had a proper meal, the first for 4 days.
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| the altitude sign in Robledo de Chavela station |
2 views of Avila
From Avila I came home via Medina del Campo, I now promise myself that I will not do another camino. I know I will miss them but I'm too old to walk long days with a back pack.
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| Medina del Camp |
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| inside Medina del Campo castle |
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| Medina del Campo castle |
