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Camino Mozarabe

February - March 2024
Debi and Gerard
Feb 3 - Mrt 8 Read more
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  • Camino Mozarabe
    1
    Day 23

    Cordoba to Cerro Muriano

    February 25 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
    111
    Day 24

    Cerro Muriano to Villaharta

    February 26 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

  • Camino Mozarabe
    52
    Day 25

    Villaharta to Mina Guillermin

    February 27 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

  • Camino Mozarabe
    1
    Day 26

    Mina to Alcaracejos

    February 28 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
    Day 27

    Alcaracejos to Hinojosa del Duque

    February 29 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

  • Camino Mozarabe
    1
    Day 28

    Hinojosa to Monterrubio de la Serena

    March 1 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    D: Today was a reassuring reminder that we are still fine with longer distances…depending on the hills and walking surface. We had a 35 + km walk today, and it was mostly easy, relaxing and pleasant. We had intended to get in a cab at the 21 km mark to give ourselves a short easy day, but the cab was 40 euros so we decided to walk on. There was a diversion for 7km that was a km longer than the main route but kept us off the busier tarmac road. The last 5 km was on tarmac, and our feet began to suffer. We arrived at the Albergue as the street lights came on, and still needed to go out in search of food, adding another 2 km to our day, so it was a very long day.

    Grumpy comment: After 2 weeks on our own in albergues we are encountering other perigrinos, which is mainly nice. However, many of them (accustomed to being on their own as well?) treat the albergues like their private rental accommodations, and spread their stuff out everywhere, taking over shared space. This is the only Camino where I have seen this behaviour.

    G: vandaag leek een makkelijke dag te worden. Maar 22 km en rest met de taxi want 35 km leek ons wel te lang. Het langste wat we tot nu toe hadden gewandeld was 25 km. Die eerste 25 km was opmerkelijk. Want gisteren hadden we tot het dorp van die prachtige boabab eikenbomen en vanmorgen zien we er geen een meer. Eerst veel olijven en grasland maar dan na vier uur lopen komen ze weer tevoorschijn, samen met kleurige velden met bloemen. De bloemen zijn er voor het verrijken van de grond want we hebben een boer gezien die met de ploeg de bloemen in de grond verwerkte.
    Bij het punt waar de taxi kon komen, bellen we een taxi, maar de prijs is hoog. We bellen een tweede taxi, maar ook een hoge prijs. We voelen ons goed en het is nog maar 13 km dus we besluiten om te gaan lopen. Maar daar hadden we ons niet op ingesteld, we moesten water en eten rantsoeneren…
    We zijn net na zonsondergang binnen, het is nog licht. We besluiten eerst te gaan eten. Nog 2 km erbij… debi haar voeten en Achilles pezen zijn gevoelig, mijn kuiten net ben kramp. We hebben lekker gegeten, we gaan snel naar de herberg m. Er is 1 andere pelgrim in de zaal waarvan we weten dat hij snurkt. Maar we merken er nauwelijks iets van, zo snel vallen we in slaap. Krijgen we morgen de naweeën van onze beslissing om geen taxi te nemen? We gaan het wel zien.
    En op weg naar onze slaapplek zien we op de toren van de kerk de grootste verzameling ooievaarsnesten tot nu toe, zeven stuks. Dat moet een spectakel zijn als de ouders af en aan vliegen om hun jongen eten te geven….    Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe
    2
    Day 29

    Monterrubio to Castuera

    March 2 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    D: Today was not one of our better days. It was short (only 18 km), but almost all on tarmac, with a very strong cold wind from the side. Wide open terrain and nice views, but few places to shelter from the wind. Our feet were very sore by the last few km, and our destination village did not appear until we were almost upon it.

    We checked in with the police for the keys to the Albergue, where we are the only perigrinos in residence. Glad to have the space heaters. We went to a bar in the centre for a beer and fries, and a very kind couple at the bar asked us to join them for dinner. We were tired and dirty and had just eaten a giant plate of fries, so regretfully declined. Mainly, we were concerned about our limited ability to communicate with one another, particularly given how tired we were. Still, sad about the missed opportunity to connect with local people, who have been consistently kind throughout our travels.

    G: vandaag een saaie dag. Het was 15 km over een rechte asfaltweg met niet veel afleiding. Olijfboomgaarden, grasland, eikenbomen. Vlakbij het eindpunt 3 km onverharde weg. Daarom ook niet veel foto’s.
    Enige interessante was de schaapskudde die we tegenkwamen.
    En we hadden gelukkig niet veel last van de grote inspanning van gisteren.    Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe
    1
    Day 30

    Castuera to Campanario

    March 3 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    D: Today was made easy by short distance and largely dirt roads. Still windy, but a lovely big sky all around us. Not much else to remark on about the walk. Our feet were nonetheless sore near the end as we only took one short break. We had hoped for a nice Sunday mid day meal, but Campanareo does not have much to offer. We found a bar open in the centre and stopped in for a fresh tortilla patata, ensalada mixta, and beer. I also got a bottle of wine to take with us to the Albergue, along with the remaining tortilla, as it is a challenge to access food on Sundays in small town Spain. Was super annoyed that the bar owner charged 10 euros for a simple ensalada mixta, which seemed to be taking advantage of us.

    We went to the police station on the outskirts of town
    for keys and registration for the Albergue, but the police station was closed, and neither of the contact numbers would answer. We were by now standing in the rain and decided to call Pension Malay just down the street. The owner arrived 30 minutes later to let us in. It was the bar owner! A very basic room with bad beds, no internet, no water glasses, grungy washrooms across the hall, on a busy intersection with a view of a gas station. Not sure if the sheets are fresh. 50 euros. Quite the entrepreneur. I want to bad list this guy. Sorry to have such a negative experience so close to the end of our walk. But the thing about bad experiences on a Camino: It’s only one night, and then you move on. G treats the situation, as always, with his characteristic humour.

    G: een makkelijke wandeling. Niet al te lang en heerlijk zachte ondergrond voor de voetjes ( hard zand, gravel). Een welkome verandering na de 80% asfalt van gisteren. Mooie vergezichten over het uitgestrekte dal met de bergen op de achtergrond. Jammer alleen vond ik dat de lucht betrok rond 1 uur en toen we in het dorp waren klaarde het op. De foto momentjes van de middag waren stukken beter geweest als we twee uur later waren vertrokken. Maar het is wat het is, het bleef in ieder geval droog en dat is ook lekker.
    We dachten de sleutel van de gemeentelijke herberg net als gisteren bij het politie buro te kunnen ophalen. Maar daar aangekomen was de deur dicht, niemand in huis. De twee telefoonnummers op de deur voor support ( ook in geval van misbruik) waren beiden niet te bereiken. En om nou 112 te bellen voor de sleutel van de herberg vonden we toch ook een beetje overdreven.
    Dus we zijn uitgeweken naar een pension die eigendom bleek te zijn van dezelfde bar eigenaar waar we daarvoor hadden gegeten. En waar debi en ik vonden dat we teveel voor het eten moesten betalen. Dubbel genaaid is goed gestikt…    Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe
    2116
    Day 31

    Campanario to La Haba

    March 4 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    D: Today’s walk began with misty long views, including of Magacela, perched on the side of the only mountain half way along today’s 20 km route. It was a pleasant walk today in mildly variable weather. The route was to take us a little ways up the mountain but G found a diversion and we bypassed the town. My main issue today is my sore Achilles, but La Haba offers a pleasant opportunity for rest. The Albergue is only 5 years old and really nice. Clean, great beds, great showers, a nice common room and cooking facilities. Angelina, who is in charge of the Albergue, is quite sweet and reminds me a bit of Nely. She said that G and I can share the showrr/washroom because we are married and there is no-one else here! 😇 Such a contrast to the horrible Hostal Maya we stayed at yesterday.

    About the photos: obviously they are mainly taken by Gerrard as I am in so many of them. His phone has a much better camera, I ask him not to post so many photos with me in them, but he insists that the backgrounds are nice. Oh well!

    G: debi en ik schrijven alletwee in deze blog. Soms overschrijft de een de bijdrage van de ander. Zo ook deze keer. Ik laat het hierbij, heb geen zin om het hele verhaal nog een keer op te schrijven. Morgen maak ik mijn verhaal eerst in Word dan kan ik het altijd terug halen… weltrusten.    Read more

  • Camino Mozarabe
    1
    21
    Day 32

    La Haba to Medellín

    March 5 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    D: We began the day with a cold but quick walk to Don Benito, where we had our first coffee of the day. By that time it was sunny and warm (although we are quite fine with the cold for walking…no complaints about weather). After Don Benito the walk was quite uninteresting, on or near a highway. Part of the walk along the highway was on a very narrow side of pavement with a constant stream of vehicles passing us at great speed. Gronze warns about the danger of this part of the walk.

    We had arranged with the local police to sleep at the sports hall and had told them when we would arrive, but when we arrived at the police station it was closed (oops, wrong station!). We decided to walk to the nearby sports hall to investigate access before trying to phone the police. Coincidentally (?) a police officer pulled up and showed us into the building, providing us with instructions and keys. We were to sleep on some sports mats in the corner of the gym. We were totally ‘game’ for it, and G began to try a bit of gymnastics, but after the officer left the cleaner informed us that the area would be used by small children from 5-6, and from 6-9 the gym would be used for athletics, so it was not available to us until after 9, when it would also presumably be filled with the scent of perspiration. That was all a bit too much for us, so we went for a menu del dia and then headed to the hostel, which is cozy and comfortable, with great beds.

    I took an anti-inflammatory this morning and that did wonders for the discomfort of my Achilles. Yay drugs! Last January we walked the Via Serrana, which is a much shorter route, and G had trouble with his Achilles (his first time with a walking injury…he was indignant). We had to skip the final two days and take the train to Seville to hang out on patios drinking sangria. I feared (?) a repeat.

    Still, I am hoping that the remainder of the way to Merida will not be dominated by hard surfaces. We will need to check with the police in the morning about the river crossing as we forgot go ask the officer who assisted us this afternoon.

    G: Vanmorgen op zoek naar de bakkerij in het dorp. We vonden die maar er was geen winkel alleen de bakkerij. Debi ging naar binnen en vroeg of ze iets kon kopen en koffie. De bakker verwees haar naar het restaurant in de richting waar we net vandaan kwamen. Dan maar koffie in het volgende dorp, acht km verder.

    De koffie was in Don Benito zo gevonden, de Camino liep er bij doorheen. Na de koffie lopen we het dorp uit en zien dan al snel het kasteel op de berg waar we naar toe moeten, Medellin. Na twee uur wandelen zijn we er.

    Bij de politie konden we de sleutel van de herberg ophalen. De agent leidt ons binnen in de sporthal. Er is een schoonmaakster bezig. Hij wijst ons douche en waar we kunnen slapen. Dan gaat hij weg. We slapen in de conditie ruimte met een grote judomat en allemaal toestellen.
    Het is half drie en Debi begint alvast haar bed te maken, door een paar extra matten op elkaar te leggen. Het is improviseren maar daar kunnen we wel op slapen.
    Dan komt de schoonmaakster, ze is klaar en wil weggaan en ziet debi bezig op de mat. Ze vertelt in rap Spaans dat er om vijf uur kinderen komen spelen op de mat. En nog iets… we halen de google vertaal app erbij.
    Ze zegt dat er van zes tot negen volwassenen komen trainen op de apparaten en dat we daarna in de ruimte kunnen slapen.

    Misschien is het toch maar beter om een pensionnetje op te zoeken… wat we dan ook doen.

    We scoren vervolgens ook nog een menu del dia dus onze dag kon niet meer stuk. Welterusten.    Read more

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