Camino Pilgrim

I was so hungry this morning that I walked right to the first open café before sunrise. It was a good way to pass a little time too.

The first 10km to Baños de Montemayor was on the old N-630. Then from town the route split and went heavily uphill. The 3km it took to reach the beginning of Castille y Leon region was hard. Although it was just a 200m climb in elevation. Its just that the whole day kept climbing and climbing after that.

The new region immediately looked different. I did not see any olive trees or cactuses. At time passed, those started to appear too. Its very green in the hills. Many of the leaves om trees are just about to open up. This super green area should be temporary. I expect to be back in the desert climate tomorrow.

Walking through the hills went relatively fast and smooth. My shoes managed to stay dry all day. Every time the water seemed too much, there was an answer somewhere around. I just had to look. Usually the answer was walking the car road.

In this region the concrete box signposts are gone, but I have noticed benches and big stones placed for pilgrims to relax on. There are even cafes dedicated to just pilgrims like I visited in Valverde de Valdelacasa. All the villages before that had accommodation options, but no open restaurants or grocery stores. Not exactly sure how people manage here.

The last 10km into Fuenterroble de Salvatierra went relatively effortlessly. Feet did not enjoy the car road in the end, but the mind did enjoy the curvy roads passing small cattle farms around forests.

Just before the village the forests disappeared and a familiar sight of open grasslands came back. I might already be on the edge of the desert region. As far as I know there is another 200 kilometers before the desert is really behind me.

I am staying today at another donation based albergue. This place is full of various wooden carvings and is sheltering a lot of pilgrims. Seems like a popular rest area for many.

Rain should start coming during the night across Spain and continue for two days. I hope the trails will still remain fast. Anyways its Sunday tomorrow, so I have been carrying my trail snacks with me all day.