grilly
Active Member
Via de la Plata, End of Phase I, Sevilla-Merida (September 2011)
Greetings,
If you have a sixth sense, you know that our Camino this year did not go as planned.
Paul and I just returned yesterday from Spain and decided that we will return to the Via de la Plata next year to pick up the Camino where we left it, i.e. Merida (well, Paul really stopped at the next stage, in Aljúcen.)
When I tripped on Sep 11, on the way to Fuente de Cantos, I did not know this fall was signaling an early end to our Camino. Once again, I had not laced my boots to the last hook, leaving the top one free, which gave it the freedom to hook my other shoe's laces and have me fall on my right knee and elbow. As dumb as that.
From Tuesday on, I sensed something was not right. From Wednesday, I fear something was wrong. And from Saturday on, my fear was confirmed. I planned on taking a bus or a taxi to follow Paul till my knee was OK. Our plans suddenly changed. We took a taxi to Alcuescar, then a bus to Caceres and Salamanca. A train and plane from Salamanca to Madrid to Geneva.
Here we are. Soon planning the Phase II of our camino next year. We'll start later in the year. Our pack will be lighter still. We'll get ready for stages of 26-27 ks...
The Camino is wherever we are... I can still feel under my feet the soft dust to which sometimes the Camino treats the soles of our feet. I can still feel the softness of that same dust between my fingers, when I rubbed it that last day on the Camino in Alcuescar. If the Camino wanted to hook me more still, it has succeeded...
Life is good. Thank you for your prayers. You can count on ours as well.
claire
Some information on the VDLP itself which you may not have as of now:
The albergue in Guillena has been refurbished and is now quite nice.
There is a new private albergue in El Real de la Jara, (for about 10-12 pilgrims), right after the municipal albergue. We stayed at Casa Molina, a private home, with a delightful patio, and access to the kitchen.
A new albergue has opened in Monasterio (right in front of Hotel El Pilar). We missed the signs, so ended up in the hotel.
The municipal albergue in Merida was closed for chinches, two or three days after we decided not to stay there, as all the bottom bunks had been taken by cyclists by 1 pm and my knee already did not feel so good.
The albergues in Fuente de Cantos, Zafra, and Torremejía were as great as said. The albergues in Aljúcen and Alcuescar both really special in different ways.
The first week of September was as hot as we had been warned. 38 to 40 degrees. Wow... Everyone was wiped out, young and old, well trained and not so well trained.
The Via de la Plata feels really different from the Camino Francés. Some of the etapas are daunting, not so much for the distance itself as the lack of cafes in-between.
The pilgrims we came across were made up of several French, 1 Dutch, 5 Germans, 1 South African, 2 Austrians, several Spaniards, 1 Italian, and at least one American, my husband
To all those on the Camino, may Santiago guide you and take care of you!
¡Buen Camino!
Greetings,
If you have a sixth sense, you know that our Camino this year did not go as planned.
Paul and I just returned yesterday from Spain and decided that we will return to the Via de la Plata next year to pick up the Camino where we left it, i.e. Merida (well, Paul really stopped at the next stage, in Aljúcen.)
When I tripped on Sep 11, on the way to Fuente de Cantos, I did not know this fall was signaling an early end to our Camino. Once again, I had not laced my boots to the last hook, leaving the top one free, which gave it the freedom to hook my other shoe's laces and have me fall on my right knee and elbow. As dumb as that.
From Tuesday on, I sensed something was not right. From Wednesday, I fear something was wrong. And from Saturday on, my fear was confirmed. I planned on taking a bus or a taxi to follow Paul till my knee was OK. Our plans suddenly changed. We took a taxi to Alcuescar, then a bus to Caceres and Salamanca. A train and plane from Salamanca to Madrid to Geneva.
Here we are. Soon planning the Phase II of our camino next year. We'll start later in the year. Our pack will be lighter still. We'll get ready for stages of 26-27 ks...
The Camino is wherever we are... I can still feel under my feet the soft dust to which sometimes the Camino treats the soles of our feet. I can still feel the softness of that same dust between my fingers, when I rubbed it that last day on the Camino in Alcuescar. If the Camino wanted to hook me more still, it has succeeded...
Life is good. Thank you for your prayers. You can count on ours as well.
claire
Some information on the VDLP itself which you may not have as of now:
The albergue in Guillena has been refurbished and is now quite nice.
There is a new private albergue in El Real de la Jara, (for about 10-12 pilgrims), right after the municipal albergue. We stayed at Casa Molina, a private home, with a delightful patio, and access to the kitchen.
A new albergue has opened in Monasterio (right in front of Hotel El Pilar). We missed the signs, so ended up in the hotel.
The municipal albergue in Merida was closed for chinches, two or three days after we decided not to stay there, as all the bottom bunks had been taken by cyclists by 1 pm and my knee already did not feel so good.
The albergues in Fuente de Cantos, Zafra, and Torremejía were as great as said. The albergues in Aljúcen and Alcuescar both really special in different ways.
The first week of September was as hot as we had been warned. 38 to 40 degrees. Wow... Everyone was wiped out, young and old, well trained and not so well trained.
The Via de la Plata feels really different from the Camino Francés. Some of the etapas are daunting, not so much for the distance itself as the lack of cafes in-between.
The pilgrims we came across were made up of several French, 1 Dutch, 5 Germans, 1 South African, 2 Austrians, several Spaniards, 1 Italian, and at least one American, my husband
To all those on the Camino, may Santiago guide you and take care of you!
¡Buen Camino!
