Castro del Rio to Santa Cruz 25km

I got a message from Helen early in the morning , she was concerned about their walk today they had 38km to do in order to reach Cordóba. It would be the further than she and Jaap had ever walked, she asked us to pray for them and I said I would.

I had slept not too badly considering it was my first night in a sleeping bag for about a week. I was glad to be leaving, the albergue in Castro del Rio was one of the worst we have stayed in so far. Most people who walk a camino are not expecting luxury but when albergues can't even get the basics right, its not good. All we really ask is that it would be clean with a decent shower and toilet, I don't think that is unreasonable.

We had only walked a couple of km when we saw a sign on the road to Espejo saying it was 6km, that was 5km shorter than the camino route. So, we decided to stay on the road and have breakfast there. The downside was that it was the main road so there was plenty of traffic, but fortunately because it was a main road there was also a wide verge so the risk factor from traffic was very small. By the time we found our way into the town we had added another 2km but it was good to get breakfast, but even with that stop, we arrived in Santa Cruz a lot earlier than expected.

My feet were very sore, it was not the blisters but my feet generally, the degradation of my shoes was beginning to be a real problem. I will do some online searching tonight to see if there are any independent outdoor shops in Cordóba, I know there is a Decathlon but they only seem to have their own brands, and I need to make sure I get a really good pair that will be up to the job, not just for this camino, but for the next one as well. I will also be able to post home my coat I have never used and a few other things that will lighten my pack as there is a post office in Cordóba.

We are staying the night in a hostal again, it is a bit more expensive than an albergue (48 euros) but there are no albergues in Santa Cruz. The Hostal was ok, we got our washing done and dried, but the food was not great.

We have also decided to get the bus into Cordóba tomorrow due to time pressure. Not only do I need to go and get new shoes, it may be the only time I will be in the city and I have wanted to go and see the Mesquita for a very long time. So we will call it a rest day and be tourists.

Ken has made the decision to only go as far as Merida, which is unfortunate, but that's the way it is. I will continue on the Santiago on my own from there.Читать далее