Belorado to San Juan de Ortago

Today was an early start for our 24 km walk . We left at 630 am in the dark and it was quite chilly. ( Brian loves it cold). We walked as day was breaking passing again fields of spent sunflowers but the sun was rising behind us and we were all feeling fresher then yesterday morning! After about 5 km we came across a cafe for a much needed coffee and the waitress had also been to the Spanish no charm school. However it was good to eat some breakfast..beautiful baguettes with pastrami and tomatoes and then Brian couldn't resist the sugar donuts!
We carried on in the cool morning air but it was starting to warm up and luckily today there was lots of shade until near the end. We passed through a couple of pretty villages, one which had a beautiful old well that was meant to take all your tiredness away! We were tempted but it was pretty chilly.
We stopped at Villa Franca for lunch ( pastries filled with chocolate or custard) So although we must be burning some calories with all the walking we are certainly consuming some!
After leaving Villa Franca we started the ascent of Montes de Oca which is a climb of 200 metres over 3 km and it was hot! Maybe those pastries weren't a great idea. At the top of Montes de Oca there is a monument dedicated to the victims of a massacre during the civil war. The inscription reads " Their death wasn't in vain, their execution was"
On we walked through forests of oak and pine and was great to be in the shade. The forest is meant to have wild boar, deer, badgers and wolves but luckily it was too hot for them to be out and about. We had a couple of stops in the shade and a lady had a stall with loud Spanish music playing.
It's always the last 3 or 4 km that are the killers and by then the sun is hot and the shade had gone.
Finally we got to San Juan which is a tiny wee village but our accommodation is great with even a clothes line! And guess who is in town, Barrett the fog horn. Lee is thrilled.
We are all in good spirits, still no injury or blisters although the best part of the day is taking your shoes off.
Love all your messages and it's starting to seem a long time since we left NZ. .Read more