Alcalá la Real to Alcaudete 25km

Once again I was awake before the alarm, having had another good night's sleep, and once again we were on the road by 0630. Like yesterday, this stage was about 25km, the guidebook was more or less correct in that there were no steep ascents or descents, but as we set off there was one long but shallow ascent and we only stopped once on the way up, just to take a photo. The guidebook had described the stage as monotonous and it was - it was just mile and miles of dirt tracks though field after field of olive trees. The view never really changed despite walking for hours, the psychological effect was quite negative as we felt like we were not really getting anywhere, despite having walked for hours.

When we eventually arrived in Alcaudete, I discovered that I had developed a couple of small blisters, Ken immediately got out his Swiss army knife and offered to amputate but I persuaded him that wouldn't be necessary. On the camino everyone has their own (often mad) method of treating blisters, one of the most common is to use a needle to draw some thread through the blister and leave the thread in it to drain the blister. My own view on that one is that it is an infection risk. So, I followed the instructions I had been given by an actual podiatrist on the camino two years ago (drain it, put on some iodine and a dressing to keep it clean, repeat daily), so I was confident that they wouldn't be a problem.

Japp messaged me to see how the pain in my leg was doing, he also warned us about a lack of accommodation over the next stage (he was a day ahead of us), so I spent some time in the evening to get beds booked.

We had a proper menu del dia in the Pension Hildago where we were staying, three courses for €14 and it was very good. we have been walking for just over two weeks now, and it has been very difficult, in fact it has been the most difficult thing I have ever done. We are both tired and beginning to feel the strain of the camino, yet it has also been a great experience, it has tested us but we have risen to every challenge, we have met some lovely people, and seen some amazing things. Tired as we are, I think we would both say it has been worthwhile...but there is still a long way to go.Baca lagi