Rabe...to Castrojetez

Today we started the much anticpated Masetta good and proper. It is famed for being long, relatively flat, hot and tedious. We were blessed with a cool overcast day and really enjoyed ourselves.

Setting of at 6.45am prior to sunrise we were looking forward to our breakfast at the 8km town of .... However everything was closed and we had to walk on. We were rewarded with a great lunch in the beautiful town of. Hortsnas. Fresh croissants french bread and totilllas. Good coffee, too. At 1.2 Euros per.coffee, Michelle felt completely justified ordering 3! There is a very nice looking small hotel here with an attached spa
We would highly recommend staying here or at least lunching here at the Bar in the albergue in the middle of the town

In the last few kilometers prior to Castrojertz we came across the ruins of medieval monastery church, and pilgrims hospital. It was magnificent. A group of volunteers are restoring it and have built a very basic albergue there (it has no power - so it was a no for us).

Castrojetz is a great town and we are very happy to be here. The albergue is 2 years old, modern and clean. They serve breakfast at 6am - so excellent for us. We have learnt that it is awesome to get the serious k's in before lunch (i.e. about 20), so you have time to wash clothes, plan accommodation, and explore the town in the afternoon.

Today we saw a 800 year old church with an interior dating back to Roman times. Built 1214. Mind blowing for us kiwis. But the absolute thrill of the day was climbing to the ruins of the Castle of Castrojez. This is a 9th century castle in great condition that we were able to explore. Simply mind blowing.

A feature of the Castilian County that we are now in is the many houses built into the rock face. We saw many of these cave homes in Castrojez today.

I also observed a new feature in the ancient houses where the roof beams of the first floor hung about 50cm over the ground floor creating more floor space on the second floor and an eve over the ground floor. Not seen in the Basque County and not common - but evident.

So far, we have walked 325kms on the way...doesn't include the many kms done once we reach our destination.Läs mer