Saturday, 30 May 2015
DÍA 19 - TEMBLEQUE A VILLANUEVA DE BOGAS
Hoy fue una etapa corta, de unos 15 kms. Salimos a las 8.30 después del desayuno y llegamos a Villanueva a las 11.30. Nada destacable en esta etapa; nos cruzamos con un rebaño de ovejas y cabras y al acercarnos a destino ya hay más colinas y se van viendo montañas al fondo. Nos vamos acercando a Toledo.
Ayer me salió una ampolla enorme en un dedo del pie y usé la técnica de pincharla y atravesarla con alfiler e hilo, dejando un poquito de hilo en posición para que no se hinche mucho más. Funcionó bien y con la ayuda de un analgésico pude caminar sin demasiado dolor.
Al llegar a Villanueva el ayuntamiento estaba cerrado y el cura de la iglesia de excursión! Fuimos al único bar abierto y nos ayudaron a encontrar las llaves del Centro Cultural donde pasaremos la noche. Colchonetas en el suelo y ducha de agua caliente. Que más se puede pedir? Mmm... Esta noche parece que hay fiesta. Hoy se celebra el día de La Mancha en todas partes. La etapa de mañana es de 20 kms y no sabemos si encontraremos alojamiento!
Ayer me salió una ampolla enorme en un dedo del pie y usé la técnica de pincharla y atravesarla con alfiler e hilo, dejando un poquito de hilo en posición para que no se hinche mucho más. Funcionó bien y con la ayuda de un analgésico pude caminar sin demasiado dolor.
Al llegar a Villanueva el ayuntamiento estaba cerrado y el cura de la iglesia de excursión! Fuimos al único bar abierto y nos ayudaron a encontrar las llaves del Centro Cultural donde pasaremos la noche. Colchonetas en el suelo y ducha de agua caliente. Que más se puede pedir? Mmm... Esta noche parece que hay fiesta. Hoy se celebra el día de La Mancha en todas partes. La etapa de mañana es de 20 kms y no sabemos si encontraremos alojamiento!
DAY 19 - TEMBLEQUE TO VILLANUEVA DE BOGAS - 15KM
We slept in this morning, had breakfast at 08:00 and were on our way by 08:35. A much shorter day today, and a more benign path, were kind on our feet. Ana Maria is still suffering badly with a blister so we thought we would take it easy today.
The terrain is slowly changing from the flat plains to more low hills. In the distance we can now see the mountain ranges, looming in the far distance. Another hot day today, the only distraction a shepherd herding a flock of sheep and goats. We were glad to arrive at around midday. Trying to find where to stay was a problem. The guy in charge was on holiday, the local priest had gone on some trip or other and the Town Council Offices were closed, as today is Saturday. We found the only bar that appeared to be open and had a drink. There we made enquiries. Everyone knew where we were supposed to stay, but no one knew where the key was! Umpteen telephone calls later, including help from the local mayor's brother, we finally found the keys. They had been in the bar all along. This is Spain, after all!
Our accommodation tonight is Spartan; mats on the floor but at least there is a good shower and a loo. And in the bar, as Miriam might say.......there was wine! Tomorrow we face 23/25 Kms to the town of Almonacid de Toledo, the last stop before reaching Toledo and the end of the fearsome vast plains of La Mancha. We are told there is nowhere to stay in Almonacid. The locals here think there is. A friend was going to fly in to Madrid, hire a car and meet us in Almonacid. Sadly this has not worked out so I hope we don't find ourselves stuck. Watch this space!
The terrain is slowly changing from the flat plains to more low hills. In the distance we can now see the mountain ranges, looming in the far distance. Another hot day today, the only distraction a shepherd herding a flock of sheep and goats. We were glad to arrive at around midday. Trying to find where to stay was a problem. The guy in charge was on holiday, the local priest had gone on some trip or other and the Town Council Offices were closed, as today is Saturday. We found the only bar that appeared to be open and had a drink. There we made enquiries. Everyone knew where we were supposed to stay, but no one knew where the key was! Umpteen telephone calls later, including help from the local mayor's brother, we finally found the keys. They had been in the bar all along. This is Spain, after all!
Our accommodation tonight is Spartan; mats on the floor but at least there is a good shower and a loo. And in the bar, as Miriam might say.......there was wine! Tomorrow we face 23/25 Kms to the town of Almonacid de Toledo, the last stop before reaching Toledo and the end of the fearsome vast plains of La Mancha. We are told there is nowhere to stay in Almonacid. The locals here think there is. A friend was going to fly in to Madrid, hire a car and meet us in Almonacid. Sadly this has not worked out so I hope we don't find ourselves stuck. Watch this space!
Friday, 29 May 2015
DÍA 18 - VILLA DE DON FADRIQUE A TEMBLEQUE
Una etapa larga la de hoy, unos 32 kms. Decidimos salir a las 6.30 y parar en Villacañas a las dos horas para tomar un descanso y desayunar antes de continuar a Tembleque. Juan, el dueño de la casa rural, insistió en mostrarnos el camino de salida yendo en su coche y esperándonos en cruces claves. Fue como tener escolta! Tomamos la vía verde 'el trenillo Quintanar Villacañas' y llegamos a Villacañas. Para entrar al pueblo tuvimos que subir unas pasarelas altas y en muy mal estado para pasar las vías del tren. Nos asustó pero no había otra solución.
Por primera vez tuvimos que poner los ponchos porque nos cayó un chaparrón saliendo de Villacañas. No duró mucho por suerte. El resto de la etapa fue por camino de tierra al lado de la carretera, interminable! A la entrada de Tembleque vimos dos molinos de viento típicos de la Mancha en tiempos del Quijote! Tembleque tiene una hermosa plaza Mayor de estilo típicamente manchego, con balcones de madera labrada. Fue también plaza de toros donde el rey Felipe IV mató un toro pero de un arcabuzaso y desde el palco real! Hay también una gran iglesia pero está cerrada. Hoy vimos a un bicigrino y 4 coches nos saludaron con toque de bocina, el saludo clásico al peregrino.
DAY 18 - VILLA DE DON FADRIQUE TO TEMBLEQUE - 33 KM
Last night we had an incredibly nice stay in a Casa Rural, El Rincon del Infante, owned by Juan. A beautiful house, tastefully decorated. Juan and his wife Margarita were most attentive and offered us a variety of cold meats, beer and wine. Juan even insisted on driving this morning to ensure we found the way in the dark. It was like having a police outrider waiting at street corners! Thank you Juan.
Today was another of those very long days when you wish you'd stayed at home! As planned we did it in two stages. We left just after 06:00 and roughly two hours later we had reached the town of Villacañas, where we had breakfast. They had no bread so we ended up having croissants and churros! As we sat down to breakfast, it started to rain, but cleared shortly after. We rested there for about one hour and then geared up for the next 22 Kms or so!
Shortly after we left, the skies opened up and we had to use our ponchos for the very first time! On and on we plodded and eventually the rain stopped. We walked on a trail just by a main road all the way to Tembleque. The entrance to the town was probably the most exciting event of the day. The trail left us having to cross the railway tracks over an incredibly high pedestrian bridge. As we approached the bridge we saw that it had a large sign effectively saying, "NO ENTRY, BRIDGE IN DANGEROUS CONDITION". We looked for an alternative way over but could see none, without having to make a huge detour. Consequently we took the plunge and over we went, with myself leading the way. I was glad when we got to the other side! We finally arrived in the centre of town feeling quite exhausted.
Tembleque has one of the most incredibly beautiful squares we have ever seen. A curious anecdote; the square was inaugurated by King Felipe IV and they held a bullfight in the square. The King insisted on killing the bull himself..........which he did using a type of musket, firing from the Royal Box! All right for some, I guess!
Tomorrow we have an easier day which should not exceed 20 Kms. Fingers crossed. Our thanks to everyone for your kind comments and likes. It helps to keep us on our toes! Did I say toes? They hurt like hell!
Today was another of those very long days when you wish you'd stayed at home! As planned we did it in two stages. We left just after 06:00 and roughly two hours later we had reached the town of Villacañas, where we had breakfast. They had no bread so we ended up having croissants and churros! As we sat down to breakfast, it started to rain, but cleared shortly after. We rested there for about one hour and then geared up for the next 22 Kms or so!
Shortly after we left, the skies opened up and we had to use our ponchos for the very first time! On and on we plodded and eventually the rain stopped. We walked on a trail just by a main road all the way to Tembleque. The entrance to the town was probably the most exciting event of the day. The trail left us having to cross the railway tracks over an incredibly high pedestrian bridge. As we approached the bridge we saw that it had a large sign effectively saying, "NO ENTRY, BRIDGE IN DANGEROUS CONDITION". We looked for an alternative way over but could see none, without having to make a huge detour. Consequently we took the plunge and over we went, with myself leading the way. I was glad when we got to the other side! We finally arrived in the centre of town feeling quite exhausted.
Tembleque has one of the most incredibly beautiful squares we have ever seen. A curious anecdote; the square was inaugurated by King Felipe IV and they held a bullfight in the square. The King insisted on killing the bull himself..........which he did using a type of musket, firing from the Royal Box! All right for some, I guess!
Tomorrow we have an easier day which should not exceed 20 Kms. Fingers crossed. Our thanks to everyone for your kind comments and likes. It helps to keep us on our toes! Did I say toes? They hurt like hell!
Thursday, 28 May 2015
DÍA 17 - EL TOBOSO A VILLA DE FADRIQUE
Salimos a las 6.30 después de tomar el desayuno en el locutorio pequeño del convento que nos dejaron preparado las monjas anoche.
La primera parte del camino no tenía flechas pero llegamos al Puebla de Almorariel sin problemas después de 15 kms. Este fue el primer pueblo donde pasamos y pudimos sentarnos en un bar para descansar y tomarnos un café antes de seguir caminando. Más viñedos de camino. Hablamos con un labrador que nos explicó que estaba cortando 'los americanos', las ramas bajas que salen del tronco le quitan fuera a a las cepas. No se porque las llaman así.
Llegando a la Villa de Don Fadrique después de 10 kms nos quedamos en la Casa Rural Rincón del Infante, una casona señorial de principios del 1900, renovada con mucho gusto y esmero. Este pueblo fue fundado en 1343. La iglesia es del siglo XV y se ven las vieiras en sus grandes portalones de entrada. Fue destruida durante la Guerra Civil.
La primera parte del camino no tenía flechas pero llegamos al Puebla de Almorariel sin problemas después de 15 kms. Este fue el primer pueblo donde pasamos y pudimos sentarnos en un bar para descansar y tomarnos un café antes de seguir caminando. Más viñedos de camino. Hablamos con un labrador que nos explicó que estaba cortando 'los americanos', las ramas bajas que salen del tronco le quitan fuera a a las cepas. No se porque las llaman así.
Llegando a la Villa de Don Fadrique después de 10 kms nos quedamos en la Casa Rural Rincón del Infante, una casona señorial de principios del 1900, renovada con mucho gusto y esmero. Este pueblo fue fundado en 1343. La iglesia es del siglo XV y se ven las vieiras en sus grandes portalones de entrada. Fue destruida durante la Guerra Civil.
DAY 17 - EL TOBOSO TO VILLA DE DON FADRIQUE
This morning at 06:00 we had breakfast in the most bizarre place ever! A small convent parlour where families can talk to cloistered nuns! Certainly a first for us! Suitably refreshed we set out for the well known town of Villa de Don Fadrique, a citadel of the Ancient Order of St James, founded in 1343. On the way we stopped for another coffee and "tostadas con aceite" in the town of Puebla de Almoradiel, some 15 Kms away!
From this town until we reached Villa de Don Fadrique, we noticed a change in the topography of the region. Gone were the flat plains, giving way to low rolling hills, again with kilometre after kilometre of vineyards. At one point we stopped to chat with one of the labourers toiling in the vineyard, who turned out to be the owner!
What did not change much today was the weather, which continued to be blinding hot reaching 32 degrees by the time we reached the town! Tonight we sleep in a very nice Casa Rural, Rincon del Infante, complete with air conditioning. The lap of luxury for us! The owner is a member of the Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Alicante and has afforded us a very warm welcome. A nice lunch, wine and lemonade and a siesta afterwards completed our afternoon.
Tomorrow we have a very long day, in excess of 30kms. We are going to try and do it in two stages, leaving early in the morning and stopping for breakfast some 10 Kms down the path. Resting there for a while and then carrying on another 20 or so Kms to our destination of El Tembleque (TheTrembling!). We hope it does not live up to its name. Toledo is that little bit nearer!
From this town until we reached Villa de Don Fadrique, we noticed a change in the topography of the region. Gone were the flat plains, giving way to low rolling hills, again with kilometre after kilometre of vineyards. At one point we stopped to chat with one of the labourers toiling in the vineyard, who turned out to be the owner!
What did not change much today was the weather, which continued to be blinding hot reaching 32 degrees by the time we reached the town! Tonight we sleep in a very nice Casa Rural, Rincon del Infante, complete with air conditioning. The lap of luxury for us! The owner is a member of the Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Alicante and has afforded us a very warm welcome. A nice lunch, wine and lemonade and a siesta afterwards completed our afternoon.
Tomorrow we have a very long day, in excess of 30kms. We are going to try and do it in two stages, leaving early in the morning and stopping for breakfast some 10 Kms down the path. Resting there for a while and then carrying on another 20 or so Kms to our destination of El Tembleque (TheTrembling!). We hope it does not live up to its name. Toledo is that little bit nearer!
Wednesday, 27 May 2015
DAY 16 - LAS MESAS TO EL TOBOSO - 28KM
We left today at 05:45 knowing we would not find anywhere open for breakfast. In anticipation of this we had prepared some tortilla sandwiches, bananas, Oreo biscuits and mixed nuts, a weird breakfast if ever there was one! Mind you it all tasted delicious.
The first ten kilometres or so were on Tarmac along a fairly busy road and the following eighteen kilometres along the Ruta del Quijote. Once again miles and miles of vineyards, many of which are completely new plantations. A couple of cyclists stopped to have a chat, we saw some guys drilling for water, and we had to stop several times to tend to our feet! Today has been a painful day both for Ana Maria and myself, which only painkillers managed to keep at a tolerable level!
Tonight we sleep in the Convent of the Madres Trinitarias in El Toboso. We find it a bit strange that they charge more for the room (€50 for bed and breakfast), than we have paid anywhere else on the Camino. Tomorrow, for example, we are staying at a hostal which charges (€43) which includes a welcome drink plus they wash your clothes free of charge! The Monastery at Orito where we stayed two nights while I was recovering charged nothing at all. Well, that's my little moan for the day!
We ate very well at a local restaurant and at a very reasonable price. And during the meal........the wine flowed and all was well in the world! ( This last bit is for Miriam!). Tomorrow another early morning start and some 25/26 Kms to do. Toledo draws nearer!
The first ten kilometres or so were on Tarmac along a fairly busy road and the following eighteen kilometres along the Ruta del Quijote. Once again miles and miles of vineyards, many of which are completely new plantations. A couple of cyclists stopped to have a chat, we saw some guys drilling for water, and we had to stop several times to tend to our feet! Today has been a painful day both for Ana Maria and myself, which only painkillers managed to keep at a tolerable level!
Tonight we sleep in the Convent of the Madres Trinitarias in El Toboso. We find it a bit strange that they charge more for the room (€50 for bed and breakfast), than we have paid anywhere else on the Camino. Tomorrow, for example, we are staying at a hostal which charges (€43) which includes a welcome drink plus they wash your clothes free of charge! The Monastery at Orito where we stayed two nights while I was recovering charged nothing at all. Well, that's my little moan for the day!
We ate very well at a local restaurant and at a very reasonable price. And during the meal........the wine flowed and all was well in the world! ( This last bit is for Miriam!). Tomorrow another early morning start and some 25/26 Kms to do. Toledo draws nearer!
Tuesday, 26 May 2015
DAY 15 - EL PROVENCIO TO LAS MESAS - 22KM
Today we continued our relentless march across the La Mancha plains. We hope to finally cross the plains on the 1st of June, so we still have a few days left! Two events to highlight today. The first and most important is that it is our daughter Celine's Birthday. She has grown into a beautiful woman and now has her own family. Her husband Alan, a pilot for British Airways and a beautiful baby son Austin, coming up to 7 months. Happy Birthday, darling!
The second event was that today, in the middle of the vast arid plain that is LA Mancha we came across the bizarre sight of a very large pine forest, about 3 Kms deep, which we traversed and around 5 Kms wide. It afforded us the best shade of the day. After going past a couple of beautiful fincas, the path continued its own hostile self with stoney paths, no shade whatsoever and temperatures into the high twenties!
Just after midday we found our "Polideportivo" as usual situated on the outskirts of the town some 2 Kms away! We have the exclusive use of one of the dressing rooms, complete with showers and toilets etc. Mattresses on the floor, no pillows and no blankets. The place could do with a clean as well! Unfortunately it is the only place in town where we can bed down for the night. I continue to dream of a nice hotel in Toledo. Oh well, time to wash today's clothes, hang them up to dry and hope they will be dry by morning. Today, part of the way I carried a shirt on the back of my rucksack, which was still damp from the nights wash. It dried completely in no time at all! What an exciting life we are leading!
The second event was that today, in the middle of the vast arid plain that is LA Mancha we came across the bizarre sight of a very large pine forest, about 3 Kms deep, which we traversed and around 5 Kms wide. It afforded us the best shade of the day. After going past a couple of beautiful fincas, the path continued its own hostile self with stoney paths, no shade whatsoever and temperatures into the high twenties!
Just after midday we found our "Polideportivo" as usual situated on the outskirts of the town some 2 Kms away! We have the exclusive use of one of the dressing rooms, complete with showers and toilets etc. Mattresses on the floor, no pillows and no blankets. The place could do with a clean as well! Unfortunately it is the only place in town where we can bed down for the night. I continue to dream of a nice hotel in Toledo. Oh well, time to wash today's clothes, hang them up to dry and hope they will be dry by morning. Today, part of the way I carried a shirt on the back of my rucksack, which was still damp from the nights wash. It dried completely in no time at all! What an exciting life we are leading!
Monday, 25 May 2015
DAY 14 - MINAYA TO EL PROVENCIO
We left This morning at 06:45 for what was going to be a long day. Shortly after the sun started to rise in the East. As we are walking in La Mancha it reminded me of the Prologue to Cervantes' Don Quijote, which I did many many years ago as part of my GCSE A Level Spanish. It went something like this "Apenas había el rubicundo Apollo tendido por la faz de la ancha y espaciosa tierra las doradas hebras de sus hermosos cabellos cuando el famosos caballero Don Quijote monto sobre su caballo, Rocinante y empezó a caminar por el antiguo y conocido campo de Montiel"
It is without doubt the most beautiful description of a sunrise in the Spanish language.
34 Kms later we arrived at the door of our albergue for tonight , another Polideportivo! This one is better fitted out for our needs with locks on the door, a welcome relief. We arrived exhausted. There were two options on th route today. Walki most of the way on a path next to a motorway or taking the scenic route. We decided to take the latter which proved a mistake as it added quite a lot of kilometres to our journey. Notwithstanding the long trek we enjoyed today. Ana Maria is still having problems with one blister in particular and I have begun to suffer from an old hockey injury which cracked my big toe. Aft the pounding we received on the paths today which oscillated between stoney, pure gravel and pure fine sand , my toe had had enough and started to hurt like hell! We had to stop a couple of times to tend to our feet and in the end we walked for just under eight hours.
The highlight today was seeing an immense plantation of garlic. We stopped to chat to the workers who were collecting these. There were 18 Romanians who were delighted to see us. Their overseer came from Timisoara, a place in Romania I know well, having worked with severely mentally handicapped children in a nearby town of Caracal and Cezieni in the early nineties, following the downfall of Ceacescu. We were able to exchange pleasantries about Romania, Gibraltar and Argentina before continuing on our way. All in all a very tiring by enjoyable day.
DIA 14 - MINAYA A EL PROVENCIO
Salimos a las 6.45 después de muestro desayuno clásico de tostada con aceite y café. Caminamos mucho entre los campos de cultivo, trigo, cebada, etc. Luego nos encontramos y hablamos con un grupo de 18 rumanos cosechando ajos en una plantación de 3 has! Más adelante pasamos por Venta de Alcolea, una aldea abandonada y medio derruida. Es triste ver tanto abandono, los pobladores se han mudado a las ciudades... Seguimos caminando nuevamente por la Ruta del Quixote pero no queda ni un molino de viento a la vista. Muchos viñedos en esta parte. La entrada al pueblo de El Provencio es larga y difícil de seguir. Las flechas amarillas desaparecieron y nos costó encontrar el polideportivo donde pasaremos la noche. Finalmente conseguimos las llaves del encargado. Que diferencia al de La Gineta, limpio, seguro y nosotros con dos llaves, completamente independientes del resto de la instalación y la gente muy amable y simpática! Hoy fue un día largo, de 34 kms hasta nuestro destino, mañana serán sólo 19 kms!
It is without doubt the most beautiful description of a sunrise in the Spanish language.
34 Kms later we arrived at the door of our albergue for tonight , another Polideportivo! This one is better fitted out for our needs with locks on the door, a welcome relief. We arrived exhausted. There were two options on th route today. Walki most of the way on a path next to a motorway or taking the scenic route. We decided to take the latter which proved a mistake as it added quite a lot of kilometres to our journey. Notwithstanding the long trek we enjoyed today. Ana Maria is still having problems with one blister in particular and I have begun to suffer from an old hockey injury which cracked my big toe. Aft the pounding we received on the paths today which oscillated between stoney, pure gravel and pure fine sand , my toe had had enough and started to hurt like hell! We had to stop a couple of times to tend to our feet and in the end we walked for just under eight hours.
The highlight today was seeing an immense plantation of garlic. We stopped to chat to the workers who were collecting these. There were 18 Romanians who were delighted to see us. Their overseer came from Timisoara, a place in Romania I know well, having worked with severely mentally handicapped children in a nearby town of Caracal and Cezieni in the early nineties, following the downfall of Ceacescu. We were able to exchange pleasantries about Romania, Gibraltar and Argentina before continuing on our way. All in all a very tiring by enjoyable day.
DIA 14 - MINAYA A EL PROVENCIO
Salimos a las 6.45 después de muestro desayuno clásico de tostada con aceite y café. Caminamos mucho entre los campos de cultivo, trigo, cebada, etc. Luego nos encontramos y hablamos con un grupo de 18 rumanos cosechando ajos en una plantación de 3 has! Más adelante pasamos por Venta de Alcolea, una aldea abandonada y medio derruida. Es triste ver tanto abandono, los pobladores se han mudado a las ciudades... Seguimos caminando nuevamente por la Ruta del Quixote pero no queda ni un molino de viento a la vista. Muchos viñedos en esta parte. La entrada al pueblo de El Provencio es larga y difícil de seguir. Las flechas amarillas desaparecieron y nos costó encontrar el polideportivo donde pasaremos la noche. Finalmente conseguimos las llaves del encargado. Que diferencia al de La Gineta, limpio, seguro y nosotros con dos llaves, completamente independientes del resto de la instalación y la gente muy amable y simpática! Hoy fue un día largo, de 34 kms hasta nuestro destino, mañana serán sólo 19 kms!
Sunday, 24 May 2015
DAY 13 - LA RODA TO MINAYA - 19KM
A slightly shorter walk today that took us just four and a half hours. For the past few days we have been walking along La Mancha, an immense plain in the very heart of Spain. It's landscape is richly patterned and dramatic: undulating plains of rich henna-coloured earth, neatly striped and spotted with olive groves, and golden wheat fields and grapevines – all stretching to a horizon you never seem to reach. This has been a daily feature for us; paths that seem never-ending.
This is Don Quijote country, although we have only seen one windmill that in any way resembles the ones that Don Quijote did battle with. I wonder what he would have made of the giant wind-turbines that blot the landscape from time to time. It is an arid harsh land, the earth everywhere peppered with stones of various sizes. It is truly amazing that any farming can be done here! Every so often you see piles of stones gathered by the side of the path, no doubt gathered from the fields. The Arab name for this area was "no water", so we have to make sure that we carry enough water with us to last the day. This can be a problem as each litre of water weighs one kilo so one has to balance the need for water with the need not to carry too much weight.
The paths are still quite stoney in the main, and one has to look down all the time to ensure you don't step anywhere that could cause an ankle sprain. At the same time you try to avoid stepping on the thousands of ants that Criss-cross the paths going about their business, which in turn means it's difficult to gain a steady walking rhythm!
Throughout the day we have met and talked with two Italian pilgrims, Lorenzo and Aldo, from Milan, who are travelling a different route which today uses one of the Don Quijote Paths that we are using. They walk thirty to forty kilometres a day so we let them get going while we slowly but surely made our way to today's destination, Minaya. Tomorrow we estimate 27km to our next stop El Provencio (which means added water- ouch!)
Our highlight today has been skypeing with our children and their families. Seeing our grandchildren Hal, Austin and Magnus has made all our aches and pains vanish, at least for a while! Slowly but inexorably we continue to make our way westwards in the direction of Toledo, our next rest destination. We aim to reach there on or around the 1st of June.
This is Don Quijote country, although we have only seen one windmill that in any way resembles the ones that Don Quijote did battle with. I wonder what he would have made of the giant wind-turbines that blot the landscape from time to time. It is an arid harsh land, the earth everywhere peppered with stones of various sizes. It is truly amazing that any farming can be done here! Every so often you see piles of stones gathered by the side of the path, no doubt gathered from the fields. The Arab name for this area was "no water", so we have to make sure that we carry enough water with us to last the day. This can be a problem as each litre of water weighs one kilo so one has to balance the need for water with the need not to carry too much weight.
The paths are still quite stoney in the main, and one has to look down all the time to ensure you don't step anywhere that could cause an ankle sprain. At the same time you try to avoid stepping on the thousands of ants that Criss-cross the paths going about their business, which in turn means it's difficult to gain a steady walking rhythm!
Throughout the day we have met and talked with two Italian pilgrims, Lorenzo and Aldo, from Milan, who are travelling a different route which today uses one of the Don Quijote Paths that we are using. They walk thirty to forty kilometres a day so we let them get going while we slowly but surely made our way to today's destination, Minaya. Tomorrow we estimate 27km to our next stop El Provencio (which means added water- ouch!)
Our highlight today has been skypeing with our children and their families. Seeing our grandchildren Hal, Austin and Magnus has made all our aches and pains vanish, at least for a while! Slowly but inexorably we continue to make our way westwards in the direction of Toledo, our next rest destination. We aim to reach there on or around the 1st of June.
Saturday, 23 May 2015
DAY 12 - LA GINETA TO LA RODA - 24KM
Our experience last night of having our rucksacks rifled and one communications item stolen has been rather demoralising. We will be wary of staying at Polideportivos in future although we have been assured here in Roda today that the one in LA Gineta has a bit of a reputation! I wish someone had told us beforehand!
Anyway, today in sharp contrast to yestErday we have been warmly welcomed in Roda by two members of the local Camino de Santiago Association and we are staying at their Albergue which is in the infirmary of the local bullring! I have already taken a bow in the middle of the bullring in true Toreador fashion!
We started late today as we needed to speak to the Local Ayuntamiento officials, who were unobtainable last night. Not surprisingly they were not available this morning either. Oh well, we will chalk this up to experience. A lot of zigzagging across fields today, a long stretch on an old Roman road, walking along the biggest peach "orchard" I have ever seen and never-ending straight paths. Our highlight today was meeting Carmen near Roda, who was out exercising her pet sheep. She told us she has 9 children who all keep in touch with her practically every day. She seemed lonely and wanted to talk incessantly. After about fifteen or twenty minutes we went on our way!
Roda is famous for its puff pastry "Miguelitos" filled with cream, a couple of which we have just devoured. Yummee!
Ana Maria's blister is still proving troublesome and I sense she is in a lot more pain than she is letting on. She is a tough one, my wife!
This evening we have been joined by two Italian pilgrims who have walked all the way from Albacete via a slightly different route to ours, nearly 40kms, all in one go! Tomorrow we leave for Minaya about 20km. More than enough for us!
DÍA 12 - LA GINETA A LA RODA
Hoy salimos tarde porque teníamos que pasar por el ayuntamiento para dejar la llave y dejar constancia de lo que ocurrió ayer. Estaba cerrado y dejamos la llave y una nota con la dueña del bar donde desayunamos.
El camino fue por campos interminables. Lo más interesante fue charlar con Carmen, una pastora con su oveja mascota!
El albergue está situado en la enfermería de la antigua Plaza de Toros. Una habitación cómoda con tres camas, mesa y sillas y el uso de un baño con buena ducha de agua caliente. Nos revivió, buenísimo!
Esta tarde hubo una procesión a la iglesia. Lindo de ver pasar a niños y mayores con trajes típicos de la región llevando ofrendas de flores a la virgen. Mañana a Minaya...
Anyway, today in sharp contrast to yestErday we have been warmly welcomed in Roda by two members of the local Camino de Santiago Association and we are staying at their Albergue which is in the infirmary of the local bullring! I have already taken a bow in the middle of the bullring in true Toreador fashion!
We started late today as we needed to speak to the Local Ayuntamiento officials, who were unobtainable last night. Not surprisingly they were not available this morning either. Oh well, we will chalk this up to experience. A lot of zigzagging across fields today, a long stretch on an old Roman road, walking along the biggest peach "orchard" I have ever seen and never-ending straight paths. Our highlight today was meeting Carmen near Roda, who was out exercising her pet sheep. She told us she has 9 children who all keep in touch with her practically every day. She seemed lonely and wanted to talk incessantly. After about fifteen or twenty minutes we went on our way!
Roda is famous for its puff pastry "Miguelitos" filled with cream, a couple of which we have just devoured. Yummee!
Ana Maria's blister is still proving troublesome and I sense she is in a lot more pain than she is letting on. She is a tough one, my wife!
This evening we have been joined by two Italian pilgrims who have walked all the way from Albacete via a slightly different route to ours, nearly 40kms, all in one go! Tomorrow we leave for Minaya about 20km. More than enough for us!
DÍA 12 - LA GINETA A LA RODA
Hoy salimos tarde porque teníamos que pasar por el ayuntamiento para dejar la llave y dejar constancia de lo que ocurrió ayer. Estaba cerrado y dejamos la llave y una nota con la dueña del bar donde desayunamos.
El camino fue por campos interminables. Lo más interesante fue charlar con Carmen, una pastora con su oveja mascota!
El albergue está situado en la enfermería de la antigua Plaza de Toros. Una habitación cómoda con tres camas, mesa y sillas y el uso de un baño con buena ducha de agua caliente. Nos revivió, buenísimo!
Esta tarde hubo una procesión a la iglesia. Lindo de ver pasar a niños y mayores con trajes típicos de la región llevando ofrendas de flores a la virgen. Mañana a Minaya...
DAY 11 - ALBACETE TO LA GINETA - 24km
It seems that the good people of Albacete don't like getting up early. We could not find a bar open at 06:00 and left without having breakfast! Breakfast was an hour later and consisted of a banana, mixed nuts and water. How I missed my coffee and "tostada con aceite"!
It was a chilly start with an overcast sky, threatening rain, which never materialised. Instead we got soaked having to run the gauntlet of automatic sprinkler systems along the path. For the first time ever I saw a plantation of peas ( I'm really a city boy!). Beautiful flowers along the way as well, including the by now ubiquitous poppy. We also spotted what appeared to be white poppies. Can anyone correct us on this? Then past the Albacete model aircraft club and a 1km long dog racing track, which hosted three national dog racing championship in years past. It now seems to be abandoned judging by the state of the track and the stands!
A long almost straight stoney path led us relentlessly towards La Gineta, where tonight we are staying in the local sports centre. Mats on the floor, no pillows, but at least we have hot showers! When we arrived we saw the highlight of the week in LA Gineta, the market! It comes to the village every Friday and allows people to stock up until the following week! It never ceases to surprise me that even the smallest of villages has an imposing church. La Gineta is no different, with an imposing Church of San Martin, declared of cultural interest in 1992. The priest there was very welcoming and stamped our "credencial" our official pilgrim passport which allows us to use sleeping facilities along the way, that are either free or very cheap. The quality of these places tends to vary from excellent to very poor. Tonight qualifies as the latter!
DÍA 11 - ALBACETE A LA GINETA
Empezamos a caminar a las 6. No encontramos ninguna cafetería/bar para tomar el desayuno. El camino nos llevó a puentes para cruzar las vías del AVE (tren de alta velocidad) y de la autovía Caminamos al lado de la autovía unos kilómetros y luego al lado de las vías del tren otros más. El resto fue a través de campos, siempre llano. Lo más apasionante fue pasar al lado de un sistema de riego en funcionamiento que nos empapó! Una aventura más como diría mi madre. Llegando a las afueras de La Gineta pasamos por el campo de aeromodelismo y la pista de galgos, estrecha y larga, abandonada. Entramos a La Gineta por un túnel debajo de la autopista llegando luego a la calle principal con su mercado de los viernes. Un policía nos ayudó a contactar al encargado del polideportivo donde pasaremos la noche. Dos colchonetas en el suelo de un pequeño vestuario y el uso de un par de duchas y aseos. El plus es que había agua caliente!! Para ver, sólo una iglesia enorme del siglo XVI. Un pueblo pequeño con una imponente iglesia!
Una mala experiencia al final del día. Al volver al polideportivo para prepararnos para el día siguiente y dormir nos encontramos que habían entrado por una ventana y habían revuelto las mochilas. No encontraron nada de gran valor pero nos robaron un dispositivo electrónico que nos permite bajar las fotos de la cámara al iPad. Pensamos que eran unos chicos que habían estado antes en el polideportivo. Un experiencia desagradable pero podría haber sido mucho peor...
It was a chilly start with an overcast sky, threatening rain, which never materialised. Instead we got soaked having to run the gauntlet of automatic sprinkler systems along the path. For the first time ever I saw a plantation of peas ( I'm really a city boy!). Beautiful flowers along the way as well, including the by now ubiquitous poppy. We also spotted what appeared to be white poppies. Can anyone correct us on this? Then past the Albacete model aircraft club and a 1km long dog racing track, which hosted three national dog racing championship in years past. It now seems to be abandoned judging by the state of the track and the stands!
A long almost straight stoney path led us relentlessly towards La Gineta, where tonight we are staying in the local sports centre. Mats on the floor, no pillows, but at least we have hot showers! When we arrived we saw the highlight of the week in LA Gineta, the market! It comes to the village every Friday and allows people to stock up until the following week! It never ceases to surprise me that even the smallest of villages has an imposing church. La Gineta is no different, with an imposing Church of San Martin, declared of cultural interest in 1992. The priest there was very welcoming and stamped our "credencial" our official pilgrim passport which allows us to use sleeping facilities along the way, that are either free or very cheap. The quality of these places tends to vary from excellent to very poor. Tonight qualifies as the latter!
DÍA 11 - ALBACETE A LA GINETA
Empezamos a caminar a las 6. No encontramos ninguna cafetería/bar para tomar el desayuno. El camino nos llevó a puentes para cruzar las vías del AVE (tren de alta velocidad) y de la autovía Caminamos al lado de la autovía unos kilómetros y luego al lado de las vías del tren otros más. El resto fue a través de campos, siempre llano. Lo más apasionante fue pasar al lado de un sistema de riego en funcionamiento que nos empapó! Una aventura más como diría mi madre. Llegando a las afueras de La Gineta pasamos por el campo de aeromodelismo y la pista de galgos, estrecha y larga, abandonada. Entramos a La Gineta por un túnel debajo de la autopista llegando luego a la calle principal con su mercado de los viernes. Un policía nos ayudó a contactar al encargado del polideportivo donde pasaremos la noche. Dos colchonetas en el suelo de un pequeño vestuario y el uso de un par de duchas y aseos. El plus es que había agua caliente!! Para ver, sólo una iglesia enorme del siglo XVI. Un pueblo pequeño con una imponente iglesia!
Una mala experiencia al final del día. Al volver al polideportivo para prepararnos para el día siguiente y dormir nos encontramos que habían entrado por una ventana y habían revuelto las mochilas. No encontraron nada de gran valor pero nos robaron un dispositivo electrónico que nos permite bajar las fotos de la cámara al iPad. Pensamos que eran unos chicos que habían estado antes en el polideportivo. Un experiencia desagradable pero podría haber sido mucho peor...
Thursday, 21 May 2015
DÍA 10 - DESCANSO EN ALBACETE
Hoy no tuvimos que madrugar!
Albacete es una ciudad grande y moderna pero también con historia. La catedral de San Juan Bautista es del siglo XVI y tiene hermosos frescos cubriendo sus paredes interiores.
Albacete es conocida como la Ciudad de la Cuchillería por su industria artesana. Visitamos el museo de la Cuchillería ubicado en la Casa de Hortelano, palacete modernista de principios del siglo XX. Este edificio posee una fachada de color verde con azulejos vitrificados, pináculos góticos y llamativos ventanales. En el museo se exhiben todo tipo de cuchillos, dagas, puñales, navajas, tijeras, etc, todos ellos hermosamente labrados y decorados.
Por ultimo visitamos el Recinto Ferial, también conocido como 'La Sartén' por su diseño. Se inauguró en 1783 y es una edificación ferial permanente única en el mundo. Buen lugar para comer ricas tapas y cañas refrescantes!
Esto completa nuestro tour turístico de la ciudad. Ahora sólo resta prepararnos para continuar nuestro camino a La Gineta mañana!
Albacete es una ciudad grande y moderna pero también con historia. La catedral de San Juan Bautista es del siglo XVI y tiene hermosos frescos cubriendo sus paredes interiores.
Albacete es conocida como la Ciudad de la Cuchillería por su industria artesana. Visitamos el museo de la Cuchillería ubicado en la Casa de Hortelano, palacete modernista de principios del siglo XX. Este edificio posee una fachada de color verde con azulejos vitrificados, pináculos góticos y llamativos ventanales. En el museo se exhiben todo tipo de cuchillos, dagas, puñales, navajas, tijeras, etc, todos ellos hermosamente labrados y decorados.
Por ultimo visitamos el Recinto Ferial, también conocido como 'La Sartén' por su diseño. Se inauguró en 1783 y es una edificación ferial permanente única en el mundo. Buen lugar para comer ricas tapas y cañas refrescantes!
Esto completa nuestro tour turístico de la ciudad. Ahora sólo resta prepararnos para continuar nuestro camino a La Gineta mañana!
DAY 10 - RESTING IN ALBACETE
Albacete is a sprawling town with no old quarter to speak of, although it has a few notable buildings. Yesterday afternoon and this morning we have spent sightseeing walking as far as the Recinto de la Feria an 18th Century building built expressly to host an annual "Feria", and which is bordering on the outskirts of the town. It is the only such dedicated building in Spain.
The Cathedral has some imposing frescos on its inside walls and an imposing chandelier. For us the most beautiful building was the one that houses the "Museo de la Cuchilleria", with green tiles adorning its facade. Albacete is the Sheffield of Spain and is famous for the production of all types of cutlery but in particular its knives. The museum has an imposing array of knives on display. Many shops in town sell all kinds of knives some of which would be positively deadly in the wrong hands! After a very good lunch we are now relaxing in our hostal, getting all our kit ready for the continuation of our journey tomorrow.
Tomorrow we are heading to the small town of La Gineta some 23km away. Ana Maria has been suffering with one particular blister that she has burst today and which we are hoping will not prove too troublesome tomorrow. So far I have managed to keep my blisters on check. In this respect I am grateful to Rui Ferreira of Shuropody in Kingston-upon-Thames, who was instrumental in customising a pair of carbon fibre insoles for me which so far have worked marvellously well. As many of you will know I suffer from Plantar Fascia which proved such a problem in 2010 during our epic 1000 mile walk. This time so far so good. Ana Maria also had some new insoles fitted but is still having to trim hers to get the perfect fit.
The Cathedral has some imposing frescos on its inside walls and an imposing chandelier. For us the most beautiful building was the one that houses the "Museo de la Cuchilleria", with green tiles adorning its facade. Albacete is the Sheffield of Spain and is famous for the production of all types of cutlery but in particular its knives. The museum has an imposing array of knives on display. Many shops in town sell all kinds of knives some of which would be positively deadly in the wrong hands! After a very good lunch we are now relaxing in our hostal, getting all our kit ready for the continuation of our journey tomorrow.
Tomorrow we are heading to the small town of La Gineta some 23km away. Ana Maria has been suffering with one particular blister that she has burst today and which we are hoping will not prove too troublesome tomorrow. So far I have managed to keep my blisters on check. In this respect I am grateful to Rui Ferreira of Shuropody in Kingston-upon-Thames, who was instrumental in customising a pair of carbon fibre insoles for me which so far have worked marvellously well. As many of you will know I suffer from Plantar Fascia which proved such a problem in 2010 during our epic 1000 mile walk. This time so far so good. Ana Maria also had some new insoles fitted but is still having to trim hers to get the perfect fit.
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
DAY 9 - CHINCHILLA TO ALBACETE
Hoy por primera vez hacía frío cuando salimos, sólo 8 C! Tuvimos que subir al pueblo de Chinchilla para buscar y encontrar la flecha amarilla que nos llevara de vuelta al Camino. Pasamos por una linda ermita a la salida de Chinchilla y luego cruzamos por puentes la autopista y dos veces las vías del tren (la antigua abandonada y la nueva del AVE) para retomar el sendero. El camino fue bastante monótono, bastante llano, sin polvo gracias a las fuertes lluvias de ayer, pedregoso en partes y sin paisajes memorables. La autovia a nuestra derecha por varios kms, lejana pero todavía visible y con su ruido de tráfico continuo. La entrada hasta el centro de Albacete larga y tediosa pero llegamos a la enorme catedral a tiempo para que nos sellaran la credencial, prueba de que completamos la etapa. Mañana día de descanso...
DAY 9 CHINCHILLA TO ALBACETE - 20KM
Left Chinchilla today at 06:45 after our usual tostadas con aceite. Didn't sleep very well last night. We were staying at a roadside truck stop and they stopped and started all through the night! Yesterday there were violent storms in this region although we managed to avoid most of it. Yesterday for example, on the road to Albacete there was a heavy hailstorm. Had we been caught in that it could have been very painful! Luckily the storms have passed but there has been a marked drop in temperature. It was decidedly chilly this morning as we set off. Our journey today was rather tedious, just a hard cross-country slog for just under six hours. I was glad when we reached our destination, the Cathedral in Albacete. Tomorrow we rest here to recover our strength and to replenish our stocks.
DAY 9 CHINCHILLA TO ALBACETE - 20KM
Left Chinchilla today at 06:45 after our usual tostadas con aceite. Didn't sleep very well last night. We were staying at a roadside truck stop and they stopped and started all through the night! Yesterday there were violent storms in this region although we managed to avoid most of it. Yesterday for example, on the road to Albacete there was a heavy hailstorm. Had we been caught in that it could have been very painful! Luckily the storms have passed but there has been a marked drop in temperature. It was decidedly chilly this morning as we set off. Our journey today was rather tedious, just a hard cross-country slog for just under six hours. I was glad when we reached our destination, the Cathedral in Albacete. Tomorrow we rest here to recover our strength and to replenish our stocks.
Tuesday, 19 May 2015
UNABLE TO POST PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE
We very much regret that we have hit some technical hitch and we are unable to upload photos to this page. Photos can be viewed on our Facebook page by clicking the photo on the left margin
Lamentablemente tenemos dificultades técnicas para subir fotos al blog. Las fotos se pueden ver en nuestra página de Facebook haciendo clic en la foto del margen izquierdo.
Lamentablemente tenemos dificultades técnicas para subir fotos al blog. Las fotos se pueden ver en nuestra página de Facebook haciendo clic en la foto del margen izquierdo.
DAY 8 - PÉTROLA TO CHINCHILLA - 19Km
Today was pretty uneventful. Again an early morning start, with breakfast (our usual Tostada con aceite and coffee) at 06:15 in a local bar. As we left the village we passed by the side of the Laguna de Petrola, a bird sanctuary where in the distance we spotted a flock of flamingos! The setting was truly beautiful and it brought home to us one of the joys of the Camino, the countryside!
The path was again quite stoney and the odd passing tractor threw up large dust clouds. This time there were no vineyards to admire but ploughed field after ploughed field. The last seven kilometres or so were on the road where we enjoyed a couple of very welcome showers, to cool us down. We also took advantage of the km markers on the road to test the accuracy of our step counter. Seems to be working ok!
We are now in the EL PEÑÓN (The Rock!) Hostal and Restaurant where we will spend the night. For the first time in days we have a reasonably strong WiFi signal and so have been able to catch up on our news. Thank you for the many who contacted us to make sure we were all right. We appreciate your concern. Please try to share our posts and if you haven't already done so please LIKE our Facebook page.
Tomorrow we leave for Albacete, where we will rest an extra day.
DÍA 8 - PÉTROLA A CHINCHILLA
Pasamos por al lado de la gran laguna de Pétrola, de agua salobre. Hermoso amanecer escuchando a los pájaros y flamingos en la lejanía. Todos se concentran en el centro de la laguna donde hay una especie de isla. El camino de hoy no tenía dificultad aparte de las benditas piedras en varios kilómetros! Luego carretera, camino semi-asfaltado y finalmente carretera de acceso a Chinchilla. En carretera siempre caminando por el estrecho arcén. No mucho tráfico por suerte. Chinchilla tiene una parte antigua muy bonita, con una iglesia del siglo XIV, Sta María del Salvador, realizada en estilo mudejar, gótico, renacentista, barroco y neoclásico a través de los siglos. En el altar, la imagen de la Virgen de las Nieves de tan solo 25 cms de altura. Hay varios edificios antiguos señoriales de los siglos XV al XVIII. El pueblo está en lo alto de una colina, coronado por un castillo semi-derruido del siglo XVI, levantado sobre un antiguo alcanzar árabe. Hoy por primera vez lluvia a cántaros a partir de las 4pm! Esperemos que pare mañana cuando salimos para Albacete.
The path was again quite stoney and the odd passing tractor threw up large dust clouds. This time there were no vineyards to admire but ploughed field after ploughed field. The last seven kilometres or so were on the road where we enjoyed a couple of very welcome showers, to cool us down. We also took advantage of the km markers on the road to test the accuracy of our step counter. Seems to be working ok!
We are now in the EL PEÑÓN (The Rock!) Hostal and Restaurant where we will spend the night. For the first time in days we have a reasonably strong WiFi signal and so have been able to catch up on our news. Thank you for the many who contacted us to make sure we were all right. We appreciate your concern. Please try to share our posts and if you haven't already done so please LIKE our Facebook page.
Tomorrow we leave for Albacete, where we will rest an extra day.
DÍA 8 - PÉTROLA A CHINCHILLA
Pasamos por al lado de la gran laguna de Pétrola, de agua salobre. Hermoso amanecer escuchando a los pájaros y flamingos en la lejanía. Todos se concentran en el centro de la laguna donde hay una especie de isla. El camino de hoy no tenía dificultad aparte de las benditas piedras en varios kilómetros! Luego carretera, camino semi-asfaltado y finalmente carretera de acceso a Chinchilla. En carretera siempre caminando por el estrecho arcén. No mucho tráfico por suerte. Chinchilla tiene una parte antigua muy bonita, con una iglesia del siglo XIV, Sta María del Salvador, realizada en estilo mudejar, gótico, renacentista, barroco y neoclásico a través de los siglos. En el altar, la imagen de la Virgen de las Nieves de tan solo 25 cms de altura. Hay varios edificios antiguos señoriales de los siglos XV al XVIII. El pueblo está en lo alto de una colina, coronado por un castillo semi-derruido del siglo XVI, levantado sobre un antiguo alcanzar árabe. Hoy por primera vez lluvia a cántaros a partir de las 4pm! Esperemos que pare mañana cuando salimos para Albacete.
DIA 7 - MONTEALEGRE DEL CASTILLO A PÉTROLA
Un día relativamente fresco pero más largo de lo previsto. Trechos muy pedregosos donde los pies sufren mucho, caminos de tierra y finalmente un camino recto de unos 7.5 kms en sube y baja para llegar a Pétrola, agotador! Algunos viñedos, campos de trigo y otros arados y preparados para sembrar. Gran combinación de colores. Vimos lagunas de aguas salobres de origen endorréico, un enorme parque eólico, muchas liebres cruzando el camino, un rebaño de ovejas y una pequeña víbora. Nadie en todo el camino, tan sólo el pastor Pedro con su rebaño. El albergue es básico pero cómodo, sin ducha y sólo agua fría. Sólo 1000 habitantes en este pueblo.
DAY 7 - MONTEALEGRE DEL CASTILLO TO PÉTROLA - 29KM
When we were planning this walk we used a guide published in 2007, the most up to date available for this route. We have found that on a number of occasions the distances quoted are less than the actual ones, possibly because there have been modifications to the route etc. Today was a good case in point. It should have been 23km and it turned out to be over 29. An extra 6 km doesn't sound much but coming as it does at the end of your walking day, when your pace has slowed it means an extra hour and a half walking!
Now that I've had my little moan let me tell you about today! As usual we set off at 6:30. We witnessed a beautiful sunrise as we left Montealegre behind. The path soon turned into a very stoney one and climbed relentlessly. It then opened out into very colourful fields with hues of dark and light green and red earth, reminiscent of Ana Maria's homeland, Misiones in Argentina. From here we carried on past a number of brackish water lakes (!) and then continued to climb to the top of the mountain again on very loose stoney ground until we reached a wind turbine park. From there it was downhill all the way to Petrola for 7.5km on a completely straight road which completely sapped our strength. We ended up completely knackered and are still recovering after a few beers and a tapas lunch.
This is a small village. The Albergue is comfortable but has no shower or hot water. Guess we have no option but to return to the bar! Tomorrow we leave for Chinchilla.
DAY 6 - YECLA TO MONTEALGRE - 30KM
A very long and tiring day. We arrived in Montealegre completely exhausted! Our comfort zone is normally 20 to 25 km a day. Anything over that is really stretching us!
That said, it was an enjoyable day. In part this was due to the scenery which was beautiful in places. Gone are the arid plains, we are now into much more lush vegetation, with vineyards lining a great part of today's trek.
Underfoot it was a different matter! Very hilly, with either very stoney paths or very soft sandy ones, the latter in particular bring very taxing on the legs. Reminded me of when, some 50 years ago, my crew from the MRC Rowing Club and I used to train running on the sand at Eastern Beach in Gibraltar to strengthen our leg muscles. I never liked it then and I still don't like it now! In addition we had long stretches on Tarmac which with temperatures of 26/27 degrees made the feet overheat considerably. There were long stretches with no shade at all, but we still managed to find the occasional spot to lie down and rest.
Montealegre is a small town with a huge, crumbling church of Santiago and the ruins of an old castle with a connection to the Duke of Berwick. No internet connection so will have to research him some other time. We were met by one of the town council members who took us to their Albergue, which we have all to ourselves! Tomorrow we set off for the town of Petrola where it would appear the only accommodation is a mattress on the floor at the local church. No shower..........enough said!
DÍA 6 YECLA A MONTEALEGRE - ADICIONAL
Hoy completamos una gran etapa. Salimos a las 6.30 después de tomar un desayuno de tostada con aceite y llegamos a Yecla en 6 horas! Un día agradable sin demasiado calor y siguiendo la 'Vía Verde' gran parte del camino. Un sendero creado sobre la ruta antigua del tren Chicharra. Fácil de caminar y bien señalizado. Campos de cultivo de cereales, viñedos, olivares... Luego caminos asfaltados para entrar en Yecla y llegar al hotel. No hay albergue. Esta noche es la gran fiesta de San Isidro en Yecla y todos los negocios están cerrados. Gente vestida con trajes típicos, gran ambiente! Hay desfile de carrozas, todas decoradas con papeles de colores, primero pasan los de los chicos con motivos juveniles y luego las de los adultos de gran tamaño e increíblemente decoradas, también hechas de papel.
That said, it was an enjoyable day. In part this was due to the scenery which was beautiful in places. Gone are the arid plains, we are now into much more lush vegetation, with vineyards lining a great part of today's trek.
Underfoot it was a different matter! Very hilly, with either very stoney paths or very soft sandy ones, the latter in particular bring very taxing on the legs. Reminded me of when, some 50 years ago, my crew from the MRC Rowing Club and I used to train running on the sand at Eastern Beach in Gibraltar to strengthen our leg muscles. I never liked it then and I still don't like it now! In addition we had long stretches on Tarmac which with temperatures of 26/27 degrees made the feet overheat considerably. There were long stretches with no shade at all, but we still managed to find the occasional spot to lie down and rest.
Montealegre is a small town with a huge, crumbling church of Santiago and the ruins of an old castle with a connection to the Duke of Berwick. No internet connection so will have to research him some other time. We were met by one of the town council members who took us to their Albergue, which we have all to ourselves! Tomorrow we set off for the town of Petrola where it would appear the only accommodation is a mattress on the floor at the local church. No shower..........enough said!
DÍA 6 YECLA A MONTEALEGRE - ADICIONAL
Hoy completamos una gran etapa. Salimos a las 6.30 después de tomar un desayuno de tostada con aceite y llegamos a Yecla en 6 horas! Un día agradable sin demasiado calor y siguiendo la 'Vía Verde' gran parte del camino. Un sendero creado sobre la ruta antigua del tren Chicharra. Fácil de caminar y bien señalizado. Campos de cultivo de cereales, viñedos, olivares... Luego caminos asfaltados para entrar en Yecla y llegar al hotel. No hay albergue. Esta noche es la gran fiesta de San Isidro en Yecla y todos los negocios están cerrados. Gente vestida con trajes típicos, gran ambiente! Hay desfile de carrozas, todas decoradas con papeles de colores, primero pasan los de los chicos con motivos juveniles y luego las de los adultos de gran tamaño e increíblemente decoradas, también hechas de papel.
DÍA 5 - VILLENA A YECLA - ADICIONAL
Hoy completamos una gran etapa. Salimos a las 6.30 después de tomar un desayuno de tostada con aceite y llegamos a Yecla en 6 horas! Un día agradable sin demasiado calor y siguiendo la 'Vía Verde' gran parte del camino. Un sendero creado sobre la ruta antigua del tren Chicharra. Fácil de caminar y bien señalizado. Campos de cultivo de cereales, viñedos, olivares... Luego caminos asfaltados para entrar en Yecla y llegar al hotel. No hay albergue. Esta noche es la gran fiesta de San Isidro en Yecla y todos los negocios están cerrados. Gente vestida con trajes típicos, gran ambiente! Hay desfile de carrozas, todas decoradas con papeles de colores, primero pasan los de los chicos con motivos juveniles y luego las de los adultos de gran tamaño e increíblemente decoradas, también hechas de papel.
DAY 5 - VILLENA TO YECLA - 27KM
Alarm clock went off at 05:30, we were having breakfast at 06:00 and set off on our way at 06:35. The path today was quite flat, being a "Via Verde", an old railway line that has been converted into a path for ramblers and cyclists. I had assumed it would be quite boring but we were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed the trek. I must be feeling a lot better as we covered the distance in record time (at least for us!). Along the way we passed the "Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes", a 15th Century Monastery. Along the way we saw plantations of wheat, olive trees, vineyards and for a short while the path was lined with fig trees, the smell reminding me of a large, old fig tree in Rosia Bay. Is it still there, I wonder?
As soon as we left the Via Verde, the yellow arrow markings were difficult to see or in one place at least followed a path that disappeared into nothingness! The local Camino Association please note!
Yecla is celebrating its "Feria de San Isidro" today. It is suponed to be one of the best in this región (Murcia) and we are looking forward to the parade of some 50 floats in about two hours time. Getting up at 05:30 tomorrow is going to be a struggle!
As soon as we left the Via Verde, the yellow arrow markings were difficult to see or in one place at least followed a path that disappeared into nothingness! The local Camino Association please note!
Yecla is celebrating its "Feria de San Isidro" today. It is suponed to be one of the best in this región (Murcia) and we are looking forward to the parade of some 50 floats in about two hours time. Getting up at 05:30 tomorrow is going to be a struggle!
Saturday, 16 May 2015
DIA 4 - ELDA A VILLENA - ADICIONAL
El camino de Elda a Villena fue bueno. La temperatura bajó desde ayer y la máxima fue de 25 C, fresco temprano por la mañana y con una brisa agradable durante toda la etapa. Pasamos al lado de campos de cultivo de cebada, trigo, etc con sistemas de riego automático y vimos las primeras amapolas en flor. Caminamos un trecho sobre la antigua calzada romana. Villena es conocida por su industria del mármol. Visitamos la interesante iglesia gótico-renacentista de Santiago que fue quemada durante la guerra Civil española y restaurada años más tarde. También se destaca el castillo árabe de la Atalaya del siglo XI. !Una buena etapa!
Friday, 15 May 2015
DAY 4 - ELDA TO VILLENA - 23 KM
We left at the crack of dawn expecting another extremely hot day. Instead we found a very pleasant day with a nice cool breeze and temperatures never exceeding 25 degrees. Suffice to say we had a very enjoyable day!
The terrain too was in sharp contrast with the previous day's. Gone were the arid lands, giving way to an expanse of arable lands and trees, giving a fair amount of shade from time to time. We made very good time and arrived in Villena some six hours later. The town boasts one of the most important Gothic style churches in Spain and a splendid castle.
Along the way we saw our first poppies, a reminder of all those who fell in both world wars to ensure we could live in freedom today. Thank you. Rest in peace.
The terrain too was in sharp contrast with the previous day's. Gone were the arid lands, giving way to an expanse of arable lands and trees, giving a fair amount of shade from time to time. We made very good time and arrived in Villena some six hours later. The town boasts one of the most important Gothic style churches in Spain and a splendid castle.
Along the way we saw our first poppies, a reminder of all those who fell in both world wars to ensure we could live in freedom today. Thank you. Rest in peace.
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