Day 41: Don Benito to Medellín

Day 41, Don Benito to Medellín, 10.4km
A short stage, just the way we like them when the weather is hot. The "official" route of this stage goes along the carretera EX-206, with its high volume of traffic, for almost half of the stage (9km).
Our Australian friend, who had walked with us for two days, recommended that we take a taxi for this stage. In his own words, he had told us that it was dangerous, crossing the bridge over the railway line, which we saw from a distance, was an accident waiting to happen.
Manuel of Badajoz Jacobea had sent me the tracks of an alternative, which, although a little longer, is certainly safer, and I would even say more pleasant.
Instead of worrying about traffic, we were able to enjoy the views of the rural area.
We saw lots of different crops: tomatoes (the ones that are a bit oblong), apple trees, squash, rice paddies, nectarines, peaches, olive trees, maize and cereals.
We had plenty of shade for our breaks, and our arrival in Medellín was just below the castle.
A quick visit to the tourist office for a sello, the Ayuntamiento being closed as it was Saturday, a hello to the storks on the roof of the church of Santa Cecilia, and we dropped off our bacjpacks to go and see the church of Santiago, now a museum, the Roman theatre and the castle.
If there's one thing that stands out today, it's our gratitude to Badajoz Jacobea for turning what could have been a stressful stage into a very enjoyable day! ¡Muchísimas gracias!Read more