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Solvitur ambulando
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2022 - Camino de Levante
I'm writing this from Sevilla on the day I had planned to walk the last stage of the Via Augusta (Utrera to Sevilla). I gave up the quest yesterday after walking into Utrera and took the first train I could get to Sevilla where I will enjoy an extra day experiencing this beautiful city before starting the Via de la Plata.
My journey on the Via Augusta began four walking days ago in El Puerto de Santa Maria instead of Cadiz - the traditional starting point. El Puerto holds special significance for me as I used to live there when I was stationed at the nearby Rota naval base when I served with the US Navy many years ago. After a day and evening recalling wonderful memories in El Puerto, I started my journey along the Via Augusta to Jerez the next morning. This was a very short stage and although I know the area, I found myself having to use a GPS track I had loaded previously onto my iPhone. Finding the right way leaving the town was a challenge. There are way marker arrows along the path, but most are hard to see and have obviously been neglected for a while. Once I arrived in Jerez, they disappeared totally. No problem; I had my GPS track and I enjoyed my evening in Jerez very much.
The next morning I was totally reliant on my GPS to navigate my way out of Jerez onto the right track to El Cuervo de Sevilla, my next destination. I did not see a single way marker to lead me out of Jerez. Very occasionally I saw a neglected arrow along the way telling me I was on the right track as I followed my GPS. At one point my GPS track took me along side a farmers field where my GPS map told me there was a path. Unfortunately, it seems that the farmer had plowed over the track. A few kilometers outside of El Cuervo de Sevilla, I saw my first (and only) concrete marker stone, like the ones marking the way on the Camino Francés. It was brand new. Unfortunately it seemed to be pointing me in the wrong direction. I opted to follow my GPS route because it took me directly into town. As I went on this path, I found that is was being used as the town's garbage disposal area. I found out later that a new path had been defined to bring pilgrims in a much clearer way. I should have followed the arrows even though it would have added about a kilometer to my journey. No problem; all's well that ends well. I had a very pleasant stay at the Hostel Santa Ana - the only lodging in town. I got a double room with bath for a special pilgrim price of 15 Euros. Very nice!
The next morning I started walking to Las Cabezas de San Juan, my next destination. Again, I needed my GPS track to lead me out of town and get me on the right track. There were very few way marking arrows along the way. The ones that I did see were very badly neglected and often hidden in the bushes or had fallen down is a ditch and very easy to miss. The trail led me in part along an irrigation canal which did have one or two neglected arrows along the way. I mention this because it holds significance later. After bumbling into a farmers barn yard and being barked at by about 10 dogs running free, I stumbled into the beautiful town of Las Cabezas de San Juan safe and sound. I got a wonderful holiday apartment at Hostal Las Cabezas (again the only accommodation in town) for the amazing pilgrim price of 15 Euros. It had its own bathroom and washing machine!
What turned out to be my last day of walking was very unpleasant and dangerous. After walking 100 kilometers out of my planned 132 kilometers to Sevilla, I finally decided to give up during the last few kilometers into Utrera. From Las Cabezas de San Juan to Utrera there are NO way markers at all! No one I asked along the way seemed to know where the Camino trail was. So I just followed my GPS track. My GPS track again led me along a very long irrigation canal. There were signs saying that walking along side the canal was dangerous and prohibited, but I disregarded them. Without any markers and no other option, I continued to follow my GPS track. After all, the day before I had walked along side a canal and there had been one or two neglected way markers on that path and there were also danger signs. About 20 kilometers into my walk, a very nice local policeman drove along the canal and stopped me. My Spanish is not very good, but I got the gist of what he was saying. In effect he told me that the path I was on was dangerous and prohibited and I ran the risk of being fined (mucho dinero) if I continued. He told me to walk along the A-471 until I got to the A-4 overpass, where the train line and the canal pass underneath. From there he told me to walk the A-8030 into Utrera. So I did. Crossing over the N-4 overpass is very dangerous for a walker, but walking for 12 kilometers along a narrow two lane road with no footpath (A-8030 into Utrera) with cars and trucks swerving around me and zooming past at 100 km/h is terrifying! There were times when I had to jump off the road into the ditch to avoid being hit. There was no place to take a rest. It was then that I decided to end my Via Augusta quest. Not knowing if there was even a defined Via Augusta path between Utrera and Sevilla anymore, I didn't want to have the same experience again the next day.
I am saddened that the Via Augusta trail itself is slowly dying from neglect and is in some places dead due to progress. I had a wonderful time in the towns I visited, but the trail itself is no longer maintained and is now a dangerous proposition in places. I had many joyful moments along the way, but I don't want to spend my Camino experience wondering if there is even a path, wondering if I am trespassing, and worried about being hit by traffic. It's just too stressful.
I am enjoying myself in Sevilla and am very much looking forward to walking the Via de la Plata!!
My journey on the Via Augusta began four walking days ago in El Puerto de Santa Maria instead of Cadiz - the traditional starting point. El Puerto holds special significance for me as I used to live there when I was stationed at the nearby Rota naval base when I served with the US Navy many years ago. After a day and evening recalling wonderful memories in El Puerto, I started my journey along the Via Augusta to Jerez the next morning. This was a very short stage and although I know the area, I found myself having to use a GPS track I had loaded previously onto my iPhone. Finding the right way leaving the town was a challenge. There are way marker arrows along the path, but most are hard to see and have obviously been neglected for a while. Once I arrived in Jerez, they disappeared totally. No problem; I had my GPS track and I enjoyed my evening in Jerez very much.
The next morning I was totally reliant on my GPS to navigate my way out of Jerez onto the right track to El Cuervo de Sevilla, my next destination. I did not see a single way marker to lead me out of Jerez. Very occasionally I saw a neglected arrow along the way telling me I was on the right track as I followed my GPS. At one point my GPS track took me along side a farmers field where my GPS map told me there was a path. Unfortunately, it seems that the farmer had plowed over the track. A few kilometers outside of El Cuervo de Sevilla, I saw my first (and only) concrete marker stone, like the ones marking the way on the Camino Francés. It was brand new. Unfortunately it seemed to be pointing me in the wrong direction. I opted to follow my GPS route because it took me directly into town. As I went on this path, I found that is was being used as the town's garbage disposal area. I found out later that a new path had been defined to bring pilgrims in a much clearer way. I should have followed the arrows even though it would have added about a kilometer to my journey. No problem; all's well that ends well. I had a very pleasant stay at the Hostel Santa Ana - the only lodging in town. I got a double room with bath for a special pilgrim price of 15 Euros. Very nice!
The next morning I started walking to Las Cabezas de San Juan, my next destination. Again, I needed my GPS track to lead me out of town and get me on the right track. There were very few way marking arrows along the way. The ones that I did see were very badly neglected and often hidden in the bushes or had fallen down is a ditch and very easy to miss. The trail led me in part along an irrigation canal which did have one or two neglected arrows along the way. I mention this because it holds significance later. After bumbling into a farmers barn yard and being barked at by about 10 dogs running free, I stumbled into the beautiful town of Las Cabezas de San Juan safe and sound. I got a wonderful holiday apartment at Hostal Las Cabezas (again the only accommodation in town) for the amazing pilgrim price of 15 Euros. It had its own bathroom and washing machine!
What turned out to be my last day of walking was very unpleasant and dangerous. After walking 100 kilometers out of my planned 132 kilometers to Sevilla, I finally decided to give up during the last few kilometers into Utrera. From Las Cabezas de San Juan to Utrera there are NO way markers at all! No one I asked along the way seemed to know where the Camino trail was. So I just followed my GPS track. My GPS track again led me along a very long irrigation canal. There were signs saying that walking along side the canal was dangerous and prohibited, but I disregarded them. Without any markers and no other option, I continued to follow my GPS track. After all, the day before I had walked along side a canal and there had been one or two neglected way markers on that path and there were also danger signs. About 20 kilometers into my walk, a very nice local policeman drove along the canal and stopped me. My Spanish is not very good, but I got the gist of what he was saying. In effect he told me that the path I was on was dangerous and prohibited and I ran the risk of being fined (mucho dinero) if I continued. He told me to walk along the A-471 until I got to the A-4 overpass, where the train line and the canal pass underneath. From there he told me to walk the A-8030 into Utrera. So I did. Crossing over the N-4 overpass is very dangerous for a walker, but walking for 12 kilometers along a narrow two lane road with no footpath (A-8030 into Utrera) with cars and trucks swerving around me and zooming past at 100 km/h is terrifying! There were times when I had to jump off the road into the ditch to avoid being hit. There was no place to take a rest. It was then that I decided to end my Via Augusta quest. Not knowing if there was even a defined Via Augusta path between Utrera and Sevilla anymore, I didn't want to have the same experience again the next day.
I am saddened that the Via Augusta trail itself is slowly dying from neglect and is in some places dead due to progress. I had a wonderful time in the towns I visited, but the trail itself is no longer maintained and is now a dangerous proposition in places. I had many joyful moments along the way, but I don't want to spend my Camino experience wondering if there is even a path, wondering if I am trespassing, and worried about being hit by traffic. It's just too stressful.
I am enjoying myself in Sevilla and am very much looking forward to walking the Via de la Plata!!
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