SpainA lovely walk on a perfect surface in perfect weather - not cold but with enough cloud cover that my sunburnt feet were happy. About 17km from Aljucén to Alcuéscar, through national park. Once here I caught a taxi out to see Santa Lucía del Trampal - a Visigoth church that has survived since the 7th Century. Quite remarkable. Staying tonight in a very nice German hostal and we’ve just had aRead more
Spain
Last night I stayed in Câceres in a nicely situated but rather dingy old hotel, tonight I’m in a spacious and bright modern apartment in Casar de Cáceres. With a washing machine, oh joy! I have on swimmers while every other bit of clothing goes through the wash.
Cáceres was heaving with people as the city prepared for a 4 day Womad (world music) festival. Technical vehicles everywhereRead more
Robyn SmithI’ve been watching the red dot too. Steady as you go. Winter hit today. Sport was windy and cold.
Spain
I think there will be some sore heads! Short video under.
My night was interesting. I headed back to the albergue early. It’s a lovely place run by a young couple with two small children. Good facilities - I should take photos for those unfamiliar with albergues. My friends had arrived before me and were allocated a small room which they filled.
I was in a huge room, with lots of bunks butRead more
Robyn SmithHope your Mother’s Day is good with happy walking. Just celebrated with Tony and mum at Sesame’s, Belmont. Now watching the inevitable Harry meets Meghan documentary!
Jill HillTrying to sleep last night I listened to a bit of the Eurovision song contest. Together with Meaghan and Harry, and a bit of Catalàn independence movement, that’s been the news here. Eurovision did not help sleeplessness!
SpainSet out from Al Real in crisp cold weather. The skies are quite spectacular in this weather - cold air streams must be interesting the cloud patterns. Again, another beautiful day of walking, for the first half of the walk along a quiet gravel road with a perfect walking surface. We crossed a few pretty streams, some via concrete fords covered in a few inches of water. My guess is that these areRead more
Johnnie WalkerSuper albergue. You're making progress Jill. Are there many other pilgrims? Reports today of the Albergue in Cáceres bring full. But it is a public holiday!
Lee TolmanGreat that you are staying there. Lovely priest and what about that bathroom!!! Simple pleasures. Ultreia peregrina!
Spain
Today was a day that I’ll remember forever. A day of thin places. Moments of sheer joy. I walked most of the 22km alone - apart from an eagle soaring over me - and was absorbed by the beauty around me. It was a day that answered the question “Why do I keep coming back”.
Again, a crisp cold day with heavenly blue skies and a lovely gravel path to walk on. About half way along the landscapeRead more
Roland NockGood to hear it is all going well. I think most of those trees dotted around in the middle of pastures are oaks - the same ones that produce the acorns that eventually end up as jamon iberico!
Judy Mylonasloving those wildflowers. Hope there are some still around when we get to Europe in a couple of weeks.
Spain
A 22 km walk today.
Casar de Cáceres was an unexpectedly pleasant village - obviously great local pride as they had made a very welcoming green arcade into town - vine covered trellis walkway and shady trees. A good local bar and an excellent apartment I’d reserved to share with the two other Aussie girls walking. It had a little back courtyard garden and we invited our walking friends roundRead more
Caroline MathiesonThat tree covered walk into Casar De Caceres ihas been the background on my facebook profile for donkeys years....
Spain
A quick holiday from the holiday while I visited Salamanca by bus, to meet up with a friend. More of Salamanca when I walk there, in a couple of days.
So from Salamanca I bused back to the Camino and to Baños. A thermal spa town that also happened to be having a fiesta. With everything closed. And the thermal baths “completo”. But free beer and alcoholic punch and cheese and jamón and beefRead more
Spain
Wow! What a gem. No wonder it is a world heritage site.
The day started early, leaving our rather primitive albergue before dawn. There was a wedding last night and the locals seem to celebrate by driving round all night and sounding their horns in the early hours of the morning, so we were all wakened by a 5am cacophony.
It was a straight tramp along the highway and we reached the Roman bridgeRead more
Robyn SmithGood morning, Jill. What splendid photos. I wonder whether the citizens of Merida realise how rich in history their home is. You look happy as do fellow pilgrims. Back from flying visit to Brisbane for Heidi’s birthday. She was quiet unwell but managed some fun once loaded with sugar.
Judy Mylonasgreat photos of the ruins(and I'm not referring to the pilgrims)....happy travelling.
SpainLast night I was too pooped to write up the blog, but for the record - Zafra is a dear little town with a couple of pretty squares, a nice medieval centre, a couple of interesting Mudejar churches (none open) and the Convent of Santa Clara. Where I purchased some delicious pastries from the nuns for my contribution to the shared pilgrims dinner in the albergué. And arranged for some prayers to beRead more
Johnnie WalkerAh Zafra, like a mini Seville. Great pics Jill. The flowers are beautiful! It sounds as if there is a great bunch of pilgrims around. Give Scottish regards to my Catalán cousins 😁
SpainMaggie (Oz, remote area RN) and I rejected the road route taken by most of the other pilgrims this morning, and instead took the “alpista” path or Camino Naturale. A bit of a climb and then we were on a ridge for about 12km. Lovely. Went past the Ave high speed train line construction. There is a huge bridge that must have cost many millions of euros, with a tiny span in the middle still to beRead more
You might also know this place by the following names:
Extremadura, Estremadura, منطقة إكستريمادورا, اكستريمادورا, Эстрэмадура, Естремадура, Εξτρεμαδούρα, Ekstremaduro, Estremaúra, اکسترمادورا, Estrémadure, Èstrèmadura, Ekstremadûra, Ekstremadura, אקסטרמדורה, Estremadure, Էստրեմադուրա, Extremadúra, エストゥレマドゥーラ, ესტრემადურა, Эстремадура, 에스트레마두라 지방, Estremadūra, 埃斯特雷馬杜拉, Екстремадура, एस्त्रेमादुरा, Эстремадурæ, ایکسٹریماڈورا, Ikstrimadura, แคว้นเอกซ์เตรมาดูรา, 埃斯特雷马杜拉
I have some socks I can lend you for your sunburnt feet.
I tried socks the day before and ! A blister popped up. So no socks. But more sunburn cream.
Fair enough. Where was the blister?
Ball of the foot. The sock is cotton rich and not wicking.
Have been loving your blog, mum. Do you think the buildings were former pilgrims' lodging?
Probably, from medieval times when it was part of a monastery. But I think the church pre-dates even the pilgrimage.