Sevilla here I come!

[LTfit]

All packed up and ready to go! One more day of work then I leave Amsterdam for Sevilla. I have been there before but get in early enough to do some sight-seeing. I will be staying at Triana Backpackers Hotel which also gives out the pilgrim's passport. Friday July 8th I will start off on the Via de la Plata.

My ATMOS 35 is 5.6 kg (excluding my 2 L hydration pack and 2 water bottles). This is heavier than last year on the Francés but given the sizzling heat is much needed.

Have no idea if I will post but keep your fingers crossed that I don't fry!!!

Many thanks to all of you that have posted information about the VdlP this past spring and fall. What a great resource we have here!!!

Cheers,
LT

 

[Anniesantiago]

Have a wonderful walk!
Do you have a blog we can follow?

 

[LTfit]

Thanks Annie for your good wishes! Will be leaving soon for the airport. Tomorrow it all begins!!!

 

[grilly]

LT, I'm very curious and interested how you will find la Via de la Plata, as we'll be following you in September.
Buen Camino, claire

 

[Anna-Marie]

Buen Camino!

Anna-Marie

 

[backiej]

Hi there

I am a first timer arriving in Sevilla on 19th July to start on 20th July and I'm worried that you have not posted recently. Did you fry?
If not can you please document your travels for me?
In particular I need to know if there is a bus/taxi between Castillblanco de los Arroyos and Almaden de la Plata.

I really hope you are doing well.

best wishes
Jackie

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Jackie,
Welcome to the forum and buen camino.

It looks like Sevilla is really heating up, with temperatures in high 90s, that's the 36-38 centigrade range. There are lots of posts on the forum about walking in such high heat. At 1 kilo a liter, water becomes a substantial, but necessary, burden. Just this spring, I spoke with a Brazilian man who walked the Vdlp last summer and he carried one of those big 5L jugs of water with him because there are parts on the Vdlp with very little access to water. Since I walked in May, I wasn't sensitized to the problem, but others who have walked in summer can probably help you out. Anniesantiago has some pretty graphic descriptions of the sweltering heat in September (?), look for her posts here too.

Unlike the Camino Frances, where there seems to be almost unbroken bus service from Roncesvalles all the way to Santiago, the situation on the Vdlp is a bit more spotty.

There are buses from Sevilla to Castilblanco, but that route doesn't seem to extend further north.
http://www.castilblancodelosarroyos.es/ ... _0017.html I am guessing that there must be buses from Sevilla to Almaden de la Plata, which would logically have stops in Castilblanco, but I can't find them. There are a couple of web wizards on this forum, though, who can likely do better than I.

I'm sure you will find taxi service, it tends to cost about 1 euro a kilometer. Good luck, what's your intended route? Buen camino, Laurie

 

[ranthr]

I checked the bustimes from Castilblanco to Almaden this spring and found that there was a bus Monday to Friday at 17.00 arriving 17.40 in Almaden. Do not remember where I found it but I think it was a bus from Sevilla that stopped in Castilblanco and continued to Almaden. When I walked in May some taxis with peregrinos passed me on the SE-185. The road throught Park natural El Berrocal was nice and shady and the last uphill was not as bad as described in all guidebooks.
Some of the climbings the day after were harder, I think.
ranthr

 

[lovingkindness]

mind the bed bugs......

 

[ria]

Hi LT,
I am wondering how you are doing on the plata in the heat. I am walking the Levante at the moment, and altough people tell me it could be even hotter this time of the year, I think it´s pretty hard
Good luck, maybe see you in Zamora!
ria

 

[LTfit]

Re: Sevilla here I come! VdlP aborted in Zamora

Greetings from a hospital bed in Westeinde Ziekenhuis in The Hague!

I will report on my reflections on a summer VdlP shortly. Unfortunately I had to abort my Sevilla-Santiago endeavor on July 30th in Montamarta (day 23) due to hospitalization in Zamora. I can now report extensively on Spanish emergency care! I was in the Hospital de la Virgen de la Concha in Zamora for 4 days before being repatriated by ambulance/plane on a stretcher to The Netherlands on Wednesday.

It is a bizarre story as I spontaneously developed a pelvic and tibial plateau (knee) fracture!!!! My right knee will be operated on most likely end of next week. Tuesday I have a discussion with both my trauma specialists whether I will also need an operation on the left side of my pelvis. I hope that it can be treated conservatively. Either way I am bed-bound for the next 6-8 weeks. And this means NO weight-bearing on either legs!!!!!

On a positive note - I had an incredible 3 weeks on the VdlP! There were only a handful of us starting the VdlP on July 7 from Sevilla and most nights were spent in auberges alone with a lovely Italian gentelman who I met in Guillena following the first stage. We ended up being walking buddies for 3 weeks - something I never expected! Luckily we both spoke Spanish - something I believe is essential on the VdlP. Last night he was in Laxa and if all goes well will be in Santiago by Wednesday.

It is in the middle of the night but I couldn't sleep and so decided to sign on.

Buen Camino to all those out on the road now. I will post details within the next few days.

Cheers,
LT

 

[jl]

So sorry to hear of your misfortune LT. Look after yourself, and I trust that you will make a speedy recovery. As you lie in bed resting you will have many happy memories of your Camino to keep you company and I know that the feelings peace and tranquility (apart from the tiredness!) will assist you as you make your recovery. Take care, Janet

 

[grilly]

This must have been a pretty scary experience, LT. You're great to take it all so positively. I hope you get better very soon. Three weeks on the VDLP is already a feat. I look forward to reading your thoughts about it.
Take care,
claire

 

[mmm042]

Speedy healing! I'm so sorry you're injured and your trip was aborted, but glad that you got a wonderful three weeks. I'm looking forward to your story, as I'll be heading out to Salamanca to walk the last half on Sept. 18.

Melanie

 

[LTfit]

Hi guys (or shall I say ladies !

Am working on a thread with reflections on a summer Via de la Plata but it is taking more time than I expected. I am still sifting through my journal but hope to post shortly. But let me say this: the Via de la Plata is NOTHING like the Camino Francés! For some this will be a positive point, for others not.

To be continued...

Cheers,
LT

 

[skilsaw]

LT,
sorry to hear of your misfortune.
Getting to Zamora in 23 days is a real accomplishment.
You must have been walking in the mid-day to accomplish that (Unless you were starting in the dark, which I could never do)

I think in the summer heat, the plains of extremadura are the anvil and the sun is the hammer.

I hope your surgery goes well, and that you are able to continue where you left off. After turning left just passed Zamora, the topography becomes quite hilly, wild wonderful.

Get well soon,
David, Victoria, Canada.

 

[grilly]

But let me say this: the Via de la Plata is NOTHING like the Camino Francés! For some this will be a positive point, for others not.

To be continued...

Cheers,
LT

This sounds good to me, LT. Waiting for your thoughts with bated breath
claire

 

[LTfit]

I think in the summer heat, the plains of extremadura are the anvil and the sun is the hammer.

Quite right you are David and thanks for your good wishes!

Received great news today - my pelvis does not need to be operated but 8 weeks bed rest is required. Today I hope to hear when my tibia will be operated on.

Going through my notes I was surprised to see how many 30-35 km days we did. Most mornings we started at around 6 a.m. and only once was it awkward in the dark and decided the following day to wait till sunlight. Due to our walking speed we were usually in by 3 p.m. although we usually stopped to rest 2x during the day for 30-45 min.

As the locals said, it is "extrema" and "dura"!

Cheers,
LT

 

[lovingkindness]

LTfit, I am so sorry. I have just read this thread and its many weeks since your misfortune occurred. What a painful experience. Perhaps by now you have had surgery and are recouperating. I hope that things go well. Regards, Lovingkindness

 

[mmm042]

Your posts are tantalizing! Can't wait to hear your thoughts. Although I've only done parts of the VDLP, I can tell from having driven by miles and miles of the Camino Frances that the two are very different, mainly with the # of other pilgrims.

Glad to hear the pelvis just needs rest. Hang in there!

Melanie

 

[LTfit]

It has taken me longer than expected to get back to you guys!

I am continuing on another thread: Reflections on a summer Vdlp (cont'd Sevilla Here I Come).

Cheers,
LT

 

[sundra]

Hi everyone, I´m planning my next camino from Sevilla next year somewhere around middle of May. Is there any one who is doing the same route and at the same time?

 

[sundra]

Hi LTfit, sorry to read about your breaking up the camino. I´m very new in this column and hope by now your´re fit again . This year I did my first camino from León till Muxia. Now I´m already planning my next camino next year from Sevilla. I heard it is one of the most difficult one to master. I believe when there is a will there is always a way. Take care