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Camino Mozarabe
  • Debi Brock
  • Gerard De Witt

Camino Mozarabe

Debi and Gerard
Feb 3 - Mrt 8 Read more
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  • Trip start
    February 3, 2024
    Camino Mozarabe

    Malaga

    Feb 3–5, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Arrived in Malaga during Carnival. Busy and festive.

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    Almeria

    Feb 5–7, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Gerard: Two nights in Almeria before our walk begins. Nice tapas bars! Casa Puga was a happening. Total chaos in the place (according to me) however food was excellent, service perfect, I donot know how they did it but it was spectacular to have been there and went home in high spirits about what just had happened to us. Highly recommended!Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe

    Almeria to Santa Fe de Mondújar

    Feb 7–8, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Gerard: First day of our walk. Originally we would walk to Rioja, but there the albergue was closed. we were advised to go to the next albergue in Santa Fe. It was only 24km.... It was hard on our feet as the first half was only tarmac. And our bodies were clearly not adjusted yet to carrying the backpacks. I was kaputt when we arrived. We were the only pilgrims in the albergue so plenty of hot water, It took 20 mins of hot showering to bring me back... Pff The sun felt hot today, only 21 degrees, clearly our winter bodies were not ready for this bombardement of sunray's. And to end this all, we also overdid preparing the trip. We expected cold weather , and had heavy warm clothes with us. We will send a few kg back home and do some shorter walking days. everything will be fine . Buen camino. GerardRead more

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    Santa Fe to Alboloduy

    February 8, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Debi: Today was a lot of climbing (3 peaks) with some steep downhills. Only about 15 km, but that took 5 hours, with breaks. It is a dry rugged landscape unlike anything I have seen. We also walked alongside many orange groves, and sampled a few. We were impressed by how well we are already adapting to the altitude and climbs. Another good day. Not sure why G chose to focus on food, other than we didn’t have much to eat today and arrived at our destination pretty hungry.🤤

    Gerard: Started with coffee and tostada. The bar owner asked me what I wanted. I am used in other parts of Spain to get toasted bread with cheese and marmalade on the side so that’s what I asked. Apparently it is common here to toast the piece of bread with the cheese in the oven. So I got this morning a piece of baguette with marmalade and melted cheese on top. It was delicious….. :-) Today was a shorter walk and at the end we had a late lunch in a cafe. Debi ordered a salad and i got meat and fried potatoes. When it was brought to our table debi eyeballed at my potatoes. The waitress saw that and she asked if debi wanted some too, which she did. Again delicious. Today’s walk was fine.    Read more

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    Alboloduy to Ocaña

    February 9, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Gerard: This day was 800 meters up and down, with very narrow tracks at some parts. We were intimidated but everything worked out fine. During the night we already noticed that the wind was picking up. There was a storm coming in and when we were at the highest point the wind was fiercefull. When we joined the road we walked in the middle because we’re afraid we would be blown over the railing, really, even with our backpack on it felt like we were feathers to the wind. We pushed ourselves to get as early as possible to Nacimiento because we knew a post office was there to post our abundance stuff home. Only to find out the post office was closed. It is hard to understand the opening times for shops bars etc. We will have to pay for that rushing I am afraid as it was very close to too fast. The walk after the mountain was thru the river bed, which was, I am sorry to say, a bit boring. Grey stones, bushes on the side, hardly any view and we had to keep our focus to the floor as it was so variabel. In Donna Maria no places to eat. We scored a bag of chips, a bocadillo (belegd stokbrood) and a bottle of wine in a bar. Just to be safe. Then we rushed the last 2 km to Ocaña where the only bar would close at six, ofcourse to find out that the bar was closed when we arrived. On a Saturday night! We wonder how do the people earn their money? So the bocadillo wine and chips was going to be our dinner and breakfast. We slept like a rose....Read more

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    Ocaña to Huéneja

    February 10, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 6 °C

    Debi: We began with a 7km walk to the next village, where we could have coffee and omelette. The wind was extreme headwinds and driving rain. We were soaked through. My boots were ponds. After food and drying up a bit we walked on for 8 km to the next village, where I insisted we find a taxi (not a very debi thing, but…) A local person gave us a ride to our destination, Hueneja. Another modest Albergue, but we are grateful. We are hanging out in the only open bar. Some people in the bar heard us trying to get vegetarian food and gave us their fresh beans. So kind.

    Gerard: The waiter communicated with us thru the google translation app. She was very helpful and even went with Debi to the tienda for some shopping. She also made fabulous barbecued chicken for me on their little indoor charcoal oven. Highly recommended! > Gerard    Read more

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    Huéneja to Alquife

    February 11, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Debi: what a beautiful day, despite the cold and a bit of rain. Snowy mountains in the distance, and an undulating path through almond orchards, in bloom. Walked through La Calahorra, with castle on hill. This area was used to film Hollywood westerns in the 1950s-60s. Some familiar mountain silhouettes. Only 19 km, but it felt like enough. Again no coffee available until we had walked 7km, but it is Sunday.

    G: Vandaag was uitzonderlijk mooi. Prachtige uitzichten op de Sierra Nevada. Wandelen tussen boomgaarden met amandelbomen in bloei. Prachtig wandelen langs de hellingen van verschillende heuvels. Misschien was gisteren ook mooi geweest maar toen waaiden we van de berg en zicht was bijna nul.
    Kortom een prachtige dag!!    Read more

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    Alquife to Guádix

    February 12, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    D: what a beautiful 24 km walk today!
    The scenery is outstanding. The last half reminded me of the US south west landscape, so it is understandable that Hollywood used the area to film westerns. Some up and down to keep the walking varied, but our eyes were mostly on distances. We are staying the night in a little cave apartment, which is cool but cozy.
    G: Dag van regenbogen, zo leek het wel. Eind van de ochtend werd het afwisselend zon en zware bewolking want dan wel weer mooie plaatjes geeft. Hoogtepunt van de dag was het wandelen door een vallei ingesloten op de zuidkant door de Sierra Nevada en Oost en West door ruige rood kleurige rotsen. Gisteren al gezien dat hier veel spaghetti westerns zijn opgenomen. En dan uitkomend in Guadix dat tussen de rotsen opeens tevoorschijn komt. Veel huisjes hebben een paar kamers in de rotsen uitgehakt wat natuurlijk heerlijk koel is in de zomer. Wij slapen vanavond ook in zo'n Cueva.    Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe

    Guádix to La Peza

    February 13, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    D: The first half of the walk was stunning, winding through the mountains. The second half was an unpleasant dirt path and a winding mountain highway. Great views, but we did quite a lot of up and down, often steeply.

    G: de dag begon al mooi, lichte bewolking. We moesten eerst nog wat overbodige kleren naar huis sturen via de Spaanse Correos. Altijd een kleine uitdaging want men praat rap Spaans en zoveel ben ik de taak nog niet machtig. Met de Google vertaal app kan je spreken en het gesprokene wordt dan in je eigen taal vertaald. Op een gegeven moment pakt ze mijn telefoon en spreekt in rap Spaans bijna een minuut lang in. Ik denk dat gaat nooit goed. Maar dat viel reuze mee. Ik begreep wat ze probeerde te zeggen. Al met al drie kilo retour. We hadden dikke winterkleding meegenomen naar hier is het soms net zomer. Als het koud gaat worden trekken we alle laagjes zomerkleding over elkaar aan. We starten om Tien uur voor 22 km en 550 meter omhoog en 500 meter naar beneden. De foto's spreken voor zich. Door het mooie weer een eerste goede kijk op de Sierra Nevada. Meer rotsen en Cuevaas. Half zeven kwamen we aan in la Peza. Moe van het laatste veel eisende stuk. Na een goede douche naar het dorp om te eten, helaas alles dicht. Ik vind nog overgebleven pasta in de keuken van de herberg. Debi gaat direct naar bed. Voor haar was dit de zwaarste dag tot nu toe. Morgen dan maar stevig ontbijten....    Read more

    See translation
  • Camino Mozarabe

    La Peza to Tocón de Quentar

    February 14, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Debi: I was sick today from dehydration and so took a cab while G walked and met him at the Albergue in the next village. Only a very short stage, but it involved steep climbs, and I was not up to it. Hoping all is well tomorrow.

    G: Wat een mooie wandeling weer vandaag. Al was het wel werken, om uit la Peza te komen was 't wel een 20% stijging de berg op. Gelukkig had ik 2 koppen koffie en tostada met jam genuttigd als ontbijt, dus kon dit wel aan. Maar moest toch soms wel even stoppen gedurende het eerste uur. Vier honderd meter omhoog.., met rugzak die nu lichter is maar dan toch weer zwaar voelt :-).

    Debi gaat met de taxi, ze voelt zich niet lekker, ze was goed ziek vannacht. Wij denken dat gisteren te inspannend was in combinatie met de warme zon. Iets wat mij drie dagen geleden ook over komen is. En dan heb je totaal geen puf meer.

    Je loopt recht op de Sierra Nevada af die volgens mij nu al minder wit is vanwege het mooie weer van de laatste week. En daarna verre uitzichten naar het noorden. De wandeling is niet lang. 12,5 km maar met het op en neer en met de pauzes erbij, doe ik er toch vijf uur over. Ik heb ervan genoten.    Read more

    See translation
  • Camino Mozarabe

    Tocón de Quentar to Quentar

    February 15, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    D: It’s difficult to do justice to the beauty of this landscape and the variation we encounter in photos. Very glad that we stopped in Tocon yesterday instead of pushing through to this village. We met another Peregrino (our first) who had walked from La Peza and seemed in good spirits,but said that it would have been better to stop in Tocon. We were able to enjoy the day much more, and anyway needed to go slowly as we recover from dehydration sickness.

    G: We beginnen met een stijle beklimming vandaag. Debi komt goed mee na haar rustdag. Energie lijkt goed en vandaag is niet zo lang, maar 16 km. De zon lijkt door te breken maar na het ronden van een heuvel begint het te miezeren. Jammer want de uitzichten zijn fantastisch. Halverwege komen we witte kalkacchtige bergen tegen alsof we op een andere planeet zitten. Quentar ligt tegen de berg aan en de straatjes in het dorp gaan op en neer. We vinden onze slaapplek gelukkig snel voordat we door de regen al te nat dreigen te worden.    Read more

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    Quentar to Granada

    February 16, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Debi: It was a fairly gentle 16 km today. Lots of uphill for the first 10km, but not difficult and perfect temperature. We were joined for some time by two friendly frolicking dogs. I wonder how many peregrines they have escorted? They seem to have a very good life.

    In general, the dogs along this route have been non-threatening or pleasant, which is a nice change from our experience on the Via Serrana last year. Watch out for the copious amount of dog poop, however!

    We are staying at the Monasterio Cisterciense san Bernardo in Granada, which appears to be run by young, very sweet nuns. Rooms are small and clean and much better than hotel prices here, and we won’t stay out late, so no trouble getting in again. The cheaper hotels in this city all seem to have noise complaints, and we are not up to noise given the tranquility of the CM.

    Another Peregrino tip: We are eating at the La Riffeña, steps from the cathedral. It is quite basic and affordable, and with a decent kitchen. It’s a bit of a shock to the system to enter a big tourist target city, with restaurant prices to match, so nice to find a place like this.

    I finally figured out how to add Spanish symbols on my phone (smart to just ask G🙃).

    G: Vandaag weer een mooie wandeling. Wederom verre uitzichten, wandelen over de heuvels en door valeien. Op een gegeven moment komen twee grote honden ons tegemoet. Niet goed denk je dan, maar ze waren speels en bleven een uur lang met ons meelopen. Dat moet toch lekker zijn voor een hond. Elke keer nieuwe uitlaters.
    Het was wel even wennen om Granada in te lopen als je al meer dan een week nauwelijks volk op de straat hebt gezien. We slapen in een groot klooster die lijkt te fungeren als zowel hostel als opvang voor hulp behoevenden. De opbrengst van ons verblijf komt ten goede aan hulp aan die het nodig hebben.    Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe

    Rest day in Granada

    February 17, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    D: It’s a strange shift from mountains and villages to a big urban centre. We really like Grenada, where the plazas in the old town flow from one to another (some similarities to Barcelona, minus the Gaudi). It’s Saturday, and everyone is dressed well and out enjoying the sun and the social spaces.

    We were unable to get tickets for La Alhambra (a well preserved Islamic heritage site and the city’s main tourist draw) as tickets are booked up weeks in advance. But we will likely be here again.    Read more

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    Pinos Puente to Moclin

    February 18, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We took the suggestion of Andrew G and took the bus (nbr. 225 from Calle Rector Marin Ocete, close to the train station) to Pinos Puente as the walk out of Grenada is through an ugly industrial area, walking on pavement. When we asked the driver to disembark at Las Flores (last stop) he insisted on taking us a bit further (we were the last people on the bus) because he said that area was dangerous due to narco activity. We quickly joined the route and walked through olive groves, pausing at a village for food before beginning the steep 3.5 km ascent to Moclin. It is strenuous but quite do-able with lots of pauses and drinks of water.

    We have now seen 3 peregrinos since we began in Almeria.

    G: the walk up to the castle in Moclin is well worth it. Spectacular views and a last look on the Sierra Nevada?    Read more

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    Moclin to Alcalá la Real

    February 19, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    D: What a beautiful start to the day! A steep descent out of Moclín into a misty valley. Much of the rest of the day was through olive groves, although there was still quite a lot of uphill and we were tired by the end of the 22km walk. We had fruit and nuts to snack on today, but need to do a better job of finding food that will help us to power through the day.

    G: wat een prachtige start van de dag. Zoveel foto momentjes. Prachtig nog met de ochtenddauw. Het was een lange dag. We zijn acht uur onderweg geweest. We doen nog geen drie km per uur, maar we nemen ook onze rust wanneer nodig. Dit landschap is nu niet bepaald vlak...    Read more

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    Alcalá la Real to Alcaudete

    February 20, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    D: This 24 km day was likely our easiest so far, simply because we walked through rolling but not at all challenging landscape. We were accustomed to some much longer stages on the CF and VDLP, so it has been a surprise on this route (until today) to find 20 km enough for a day! The trade off is that the views are nice but far less remarkable. Still, we enjoy!

    As always in Spain, I am impressed by the evidence of a robust feminist movement, impacting daily life in even small communities.

    G: vandaag een wandeling voornamelijk tussen de olijf-boomgaarden. Op het laatste stuk kwamen we op de weg heel veel rupsen tegen, ze kwamen bij de olijfbomen vandaan en liepen naar de andere kant.. Het zullen er meer dan duizend zijn geweest...

    Gisteren hadden we voor het eerst sinds drie dagen weer een stevige maaltijd. Op de een of andere manier komen we altijd te laat in een dorp voor de maaltijd van de dag ( menu del dia). Een gebruik in Spanje waarbij voor een redelijke prijs iedereen een dagmenu kan krijgen. En in de plaatsen waar we slapen gaan de restaurants daarna niet meer open. We hebben een paar dagen geleefd op toast van het ontbijt, pindaas en fruit.
    De goede maaltijd van gisteren met het redelijk vlakke terrein van vandaag maakte de 24 km makkelijk. We haalden daardoor ook een hogere gemiddelde snelheid. Maar om vier uur aankomen op de plaats van bestemming betekent wel dat de keuken net weer dicht is... Ons haasten om op tijd te komen lijkt ons geen optie.
    a.Weet je niet of er überhaupt wel een restaurant open is en b.als je forceert betaal je dat ergens anders terug en we willen wel de route kunnen uitlopen.
    Kijken of we vanavond wat kunnen scoren.    Read more

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    Alcaudete to Baena

    February 21, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    D: Today was a fairly easy 25 km, but the scenery is less interesting away from the Sierra Nevada. There was a long stretch toward the end that was a somewhat rocky and mainly flat road through the olive orchards. The main challenge was the full hot sun with few opportunities for shade during the second half of our walk.

    G: vandaag weer olijven, olijven en olijven. De bloemetjes zorgden voor een prettige afwisseling. Vandaag de langste afstand 25 km in iets minder dan acht uur ( incl pauzes). Om vier uur waren we er. Energie was goed, voetjes goed. Debi heeft al paar dagen blaren op beide kleine tenen maar die drogen al op. Morgen is een kortere dag. En het weer blijft goed!    Read more

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    Baena to Castro del Rio

    February 22, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    D: Today was an easy 20 km stretch, although a bit heavy on paved surfaces. We made the acquaintance of a large dog whose job is to protect the sheep, although he was willing to tolerate our picnic under the olive trees as long as we were willing to share our tortilla patata with him.

    We had a lovely menu del dia with perigrino Hieu, who unfortunately must stop walking today. See you on the Forum, Hieu!

    G: olijven olijven, rupsen en olijven. Hieu en wij delen een prachtig verhaal over een hond, de commotie, de ontknoping,en plot twist en een goede afloop. Maar het is te lang voor nu, dat verhaal houden jullie van mij tegoed.    Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe

    Castro del Rio to Santa Cruz

    February 23, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    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

  • Camino Mozarabe

    Santa Cruz to Cordoba

    February 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    It was a fairly easy 24 km day, but our feet continue to complain about the uneven rocky surfaces, which comprised about a third of today’s walk. I enjoyed the undulating hills surrounding us and under us, although G found it uninteresting compared to yesterday’s flowers.

    We are now in cordoba, showered and ready for a bit of bar hopping on this Saturday night. We were in Cordoba last January before beginning the Via Serrana so will not have a rest day here. Staying at the Hostal Alcatraz, in a tiny room but we were happy with the 30 euro price. Later we realized there was a trough in the middle of the bed and the sheets had likely not been changed after the previous occupant. We slept in our sleeping bag liners.

    G.: qua wandeling vond ik vandaag een dag met weinig hoogtepunten. Veel velden waren geploegd en daarom saai bruin. De zon wilde niet doorbreken dus ook daarvan ook geen heldere contrasten.
    De wandel ondergrond was vandaag 1/3 klei met steen wat mijn voeten behoorlijk vermoeid en pijnlijk maken. Cordoba was gezellig . Een mooie stad.    Read more

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    Cordoba to Cerro Muriano

    February 25, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Today was a short walk (18km) but one of the heaviest climbs of the CM so far. We walked about 4 km to get out of Cordoba and began climbing soon after. The climbing didn’t stop until 1-2 km before we reached Cerro Muriano. Lots of rocky surfaces of various kinds, so it was slower going than we anticipated. We were glad to see so many flowers in bloom along the way, including our first lavender sightings.

    It is Sunday, so the paths are shared by walkers, runners and mountain bikers. The mountain bikers can come upon you quickly! They only seemed to go downhill, and we saw that they indeed had van support for the uphill.

    In Cello Muriano we stopped at a very busy Bar Bruno for a meal, and they kindly made me a very nice vegetarian burrito. Their deserts are homemade and excellent. However, our biggest treat was arriving at our habitation, Bar Equis (Bar X on the CM guide) and finding a charming cozy wine bar. We were shown to room 7, which is the Camino Mozarabe room. The walls are covered in Camino memorabilia. So welcoming, and a lovely place! I was showered and relaxing in bed by 5, but we will definitely go downstairs later to enjoy the wine bar. We can hear the classical music playing. The bar owner is a Camino adept, and very informative over the next (long) stages.

    Later: Well, the music changed to the sound of the bar tv (thin walls), and later a bunch of fellows gathered to watch a football game. We slept well, nonetheless, although I did hear the final patrons leave at 4:30 a.m!

    G: veel rotspaden vandaag. En we hadden ons ingesteld op redelijk vlakke wandeling. Maar we bleven maar omhoog gaan. Achteraf bleek het de vierde meest stijgende dag van de trip te zijn. Geestelijk is dat wel een aparte ervaring. Want het lijkt dan veel zwaarder...
    Toen we in het dorp aankwamen hadden we wel het geluk dat we zo aan het dagmenu konden aanschuiven. Heel het dorp trouwens at tussen twee en vier buiten de deur.... Een zondag ritueel?    Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe
    The ducks enjoy luxury habitation.
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    Cerro Muriano to Villaharta

    February 26, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 9 °C

    The day began cool and invigorating, but a strong headwind appeared, followed by rain and hail on and off all day, with brief periods of sunshine. Much of the path was very wet from overnight rain, and we made a couple of detours onto the road, which lengthened our day (only 21 km, officially). We were constantly putting rain gear on and off as lovely warm sunshine would appear for brief periods.

    We stopped for a bite in El Vacar, where we were aiming for the panderia but ended up in the first bar, which had really bad food and questionable hygiene. Just a bit further down the road was the lovely panderia. All of the peregrinos made the same mistake. I would like to put a big sign there to warn future peregrinos, or have the warning added to the pilgrim guide.

    We are now settled in the pleasant modern albergue in Villaharta with our own room for 10 euros each. There is a tienda in town and a kitchen here, plus a bar nearby.

    G: vandaag best een mooie wandeling, maar de vele regen in de nacht maakte de paden soms... Lastig. Het weer was erg variabel, de voorspelling was droog en zonnig maar we kregen vier keer hagel en mijn broek is zes keer nat geregend maar net weer opgedroogd voor we aankwamen. En dat is het lekkerst. We slapen in de gemeentelijke herberg vandaag, daarvoor moesten we ons voor 14.00 uur aanmelden want daarna is het gemeentehuis dicht.    Read more

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    Villaharta to Mina Guillermin

    February 27, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    D: Today’s walk was mostly lovely, largely through a natural area. It was cool with light wind, but also sunny and no rain. The last part was an uneven uphill rocky path.

    We were glad to stop at the Mina Albergue at the 17km point, rather than completing the 35 km stretch in one go. After being greeted and escorted by two very sweet German Sheppard dogs we sat outside in the warm sun, drinking beer made available in the fridge. It’s a quirky and intriguing Albergue. Does anyone live here? Some indications yes and some no. Very peaceful and isolated. Horses in addition to the dogs. The horses roam freely but the dogs ensure that they stay in the horse pasture area. Cleaning could be better, but we adapt. The owner will arrive soon to make our dinner as there are no services in the area. The owner appears to be kind and accommodating, including veg food for me. Request for future guests: please bring a ball for the bigger dog, who is making do carrying a rock in its mouth.

    G: een dag met meer zon en dus meer foto’s. De wind was koud, niet wandelen in mijn hempie zoals in de eerste week. Veel gele bloemen in het gras, mooie paden, op het eind liepen we naar een oude mijn waar we zouden overnachten. We werden opgewacht door twee allervriendelijkste herdershonden. Ongelooflijk hoe ze ons accepteerden hoewel ze ons nooit hadden gezien en de eigenaar niet eens thuis was, die komt vanavond pas. Dus we liepen zo hun territorium in, maar geen probleem, goed opgevoed dus. Dat zien we wel eens anders.    Read more

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    Mina to Alcaracejos

    February 28, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    We were excited last night to hear that today is a holiday in Andalucia and expected festivities in the town. Unfortunately the celebrations are happening at a place we passed 7km out of town, and we are not going back there!

    Today’s walk was mainly through a pleasant natural area. There were someuneve. Rocky portions which tired our feet. We also needed to cross a wide stream in our sandals. Cold water but quite doable.

    The last 5 km were a bit of a drag along a dirt road with strong headwinds. When we reached town we stopped at a bar for a beer, and to our surprise the Albergue contact showed up and drove us the short distance back to the Albergue, thanks to a phone call from his pal, the bar owner,

    It is a small pleasant Albergue with a sink and microwave but no other cooking facilities. Fortunately there is a restaurant open after 8, and El Contact bar open in the meantime.

    There has been a bottled water advisory in this area since last April, so good that we can buy water at the bar. In Spain, Everything happens at the bar. Of course.

    G: vandaag een korte en makkelijke wandeling, hoewel we grote plassen tegen kwamen waar we ons omheen konden werken. En een rivier waarvoor we onze schoenen moesten uitdoen want de oversteek zonder natte voeten was geen optie. Vandaag is het feest in Andalucia om te vieren dat ze 50? Jaar geleden autonoom waren geworden in Spanje. We verwachtten een dorp vol met festiviteiten. De waarheid was anders, 7 km voor het dorp zagen we allemaal families in een park barbecueën en spelletjes doen. In het dorp zelf was niets te doen, sterker nog, alles was dicht want iedereen was op de party…    Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe
    2

    Alcaracejos to Hinojosa del Duque

    February 29, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    D: Today was a sunny pleasant 21 km walk, mainly through farm land. We chatted with lots of animals along the way, and G also talked with a Shepherd who spoke some English and plans to walk part of the CF with friends in the summer. We are seeing storks nesting in church towers now, so reminiscent of the CF. We also passed by many old oak trees with definite personalities!

    People remain pleasant and welcoming. A lot of dedication to building a Camino infrastructure here, as there has been all along the Mozarabe. They want us!

    G’s ‘bullshit’ Spanish had come a long way and he can often have conversations with people. I am still at the basic ‘cafe con leche, por favor’ but I blame my diversion into learning Dutch instead of Spanish.

    The walk into this town is quite dull for the last 4 km (industrial area) and unfortunately our hostal is on the outskirts of town. The Albergue is much better located in the pleasant centre but it is only one room, and we know from last night that it will have two heavy snorers in it. Lovely fellows, but we have become accustomed to quiet rooms on this walk.

    G: vandaag een makkelijke wandeling, grotendeels parallel aan een grote weg maar dan doe je je oordopjes in met muziek en geniet je van wat je ziet. Voor foto’s vind ik het belangrijk dat het licht goed is, ik zoek daar altijd naar. En vandaag met de zon en wolken was het smullen. Een prachtige wandeling tussen fantastische eikenbomen. Ik noem ze bij deze : de Spaanse Boababs    Read more

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