Castro del Rio to Santa Cruz

D: We got a slightly earlier start today because we were aiming to be in Santa Cruz in time for the menu del dia. We managed to get one yesterday (although the restaurant staff were not happy about our requesting food at 3:30) and that really worked well for us. A good meal and we were set for the night, with no searching for a place at 7 (or even 8) with an open kitchen. Ideal, if you can make it to your destination in time.

We did manage to eat the menu del dia again today, in the same hostal where we are sleeping, and it was nice to be able to fill up and then go upstairs to our room to shower and rest.

My feet are fairly sore again today because we walked on mostly hard surfaces) some paved, some stoney) and some very uneven dirt roads with lots of wear from tractors. It rained last night so the first few km involved a lot of mud that formed into big clumps on our boots. G found a way for us to detour back onto the side of the highway for a few km. Not pleasant but better than the mud.

As we approached Espejo, as with all Pueblos blancos, I wondered if we would be climbing through the village to the highest point. Today, yes we did, and it was fine.

The last two km was along a highway that had just been resurfaced but not yet painted with lines, so that was a bit in-nerving as it was a busy stretch. 23 km in total today. Not a long walk, but more than enough for our feet!

We enjoyed the weather and the views again today. So many flowers in bloom, including swaths of purple!

G: vandaag meer variatie. Met groene grasvelden, nieuwe boomgaarden waarvan ik niet weet wat het fruit zal worden, paarse kleuren van bloemen... Verfrissend. De weg is evenwel vreselijk. In het begin slipperige gladde modder daarna veel harde klei met uit stekende stenen of door tractors kapot gereden wegen waardoor we de hele tijd naar het pad moesten kijken om op te letten waar we stapten. Eind goed al goed want we waren op tijd in het dorp. De keuken was nog open zodat we een lekkere lange avond hebben zonder laat op zoek te moeten gaan voor eten... :-)Read more