Bad Pilgrim
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Yes
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Ice tea? Are you serious? Oh, you poor thing
They don’t call him Orujo Joe for nothing.I do not drink alcohol until the day is done. Then beers and Orujo.
Ok, I think we both went the same way! Except that you decided to climb down to the road, as you say. That was a wise thing to do! And as for the stream, I can imagine it being wider when you were there. I had to walk through it as well, and it was still wide, but the water only reached my ankles. Yes the last kms uphills to Moclín were really though. As you just read, I went the wrong way down in Olivares, to start with, and I wasn't happy about the waymarks to Moclín either, but I guess that is just me...
Geez, I don't want to speculate what my (second) moniker would be thenThey don’t call him Orujo Joe for nothing.
Can be done I guess. I had some problems the same year (2015) on Levante with two weeks between 40-48C (my camera and phone equipment gave up on me) and due to time constraints and solving these technicalities I had to skip Toledo-Avila part but otherwise with smart planning and research is very doable even in summer heat. As I read even more so on Mozarabe with all that olive groves. At least that's some shade, on Levante after Albacete you're out in the open with virtually no shade for miles and miles.Yes, I very much appreciate your updates with shorter stages. Will help me when I start planning for my Mozarabe after this summer. Question: how are the temperatures now? I heard that one should avoid the Mozarabe later than May. But then I walked the first half of the VdlP in May three years ago and it was the hottest May in decades. Idem for the interior Portugues in June last year - 37 c !
Bonne continuation!
Right now there is not a trace of a summer heat. Yesterday maximum temperature was 30 degrees, and no more than 28 in the surrounding areas. Maximum temperature is collected in the afternoon, I suppose. So I am walking in the morning, with no more than 20-25 degrees probably!Yes, I very much appreciate your updates with shorter stages. Will help me when I start planning for my Mozarabe after this summer. Question: how are the temperatures now? I heard that one should avoid the Mozarabe later than May. But then I walked the first half of the VdlP in May three years ago and it was the hottest May in decades. Idem for the interior Portugues in June last year - 37 c !
Bonne continuation!
Can be done I guess. I had some problems the same year (2015) on Levante with two weeks between 40-48C (my camera and phone equipment gave up on me) and due to time constraints and solving these technicalities I had to skip Toledo-Avila part but otherwise with smart planning and research is very doable even in summer heat. As I read even more so on Mozarabe with all that olive groves. At least that's some shade, on Levante after Albacete you're out in the open with virtually no shade for miles and miles.
Yes, that was what I meant... All these flooded places that I read about on other blogs... They are all reduced to a minimum now! That spot before Olivares is only one of two places that I had to take off my shoes to walk through...The difference might be Spring rain? It was moving quite rapidly too.
We were??? Really? S***, I forgot about this. Ah, I would love to have a drink with you!!!Yes I remember this K1... I was only one day behind you, remember? We were both the same day in Albergue Las Pascuales in Toledo. Too bad we didn't run into each other...!!
We were??? Really? S***, I forgot about this. Ah, I would love to have a drink with you!!!
Do you remember a young Korean chap? We were in the room together and spent quite a lot of time in the patio area talking.
SANTA CRUZ - CÓRDOBA July 7
I had booked a room in one of the pensiones close to the cathedral, where all the hostales are. I guess it doesn't matter which one you choose. They all look alike and there is an entrance every five meter... There is no problem to find accomodation in Córdoba I think.
/BP
CASTRO DEL RIO - SANTA CRUZ July 6
When I look back on the maps, there are apparently two ways of leaving Castro del Rio. One of them marks only 17 kms to Córdoba. Well I had no idea, I just followed the arrows that started right outside the hostal A Ka La Sole. The camino goes almost 10 kms to Espejo, and then 13 more to Santa Cruz.
I am surprised that first part was almost 10 kms. Time flew by and I was in Espejo in no time! I am usually slow and always wining about the effort in the morning, so I wonder if this distance is accurately measured...!
Espejo is built on and around a murderous hill, like so many towns on the Mozárabe. I was huffing and puffing my way up the streets. But once at the top, the views are amazing. I stopped for breakfast at the first square I stumbled upon, certain that this was the center of the commercial activities. Well, on my way downhill I found another square, Plaza de la Constitución, of course, full of movement in the early morning. The town was larger than I expected!
The day heated up and the last kms were hard on me. The road to Santa Cruz is almost totally flat, except for the first part after Espejo. There was a sign warning me about a river crossing in the middle of the country road - but the spot was almost dry. It looked as if it could get deep in spring or in autumn, I suppose.
Luckily the hostal that I had booked, Casa José, was right at the entrance of the pueblo. There are two or three other hostals/restaurants at the same place along the motorway.
There is not much to do in Santa Cruz. But I do admire these small villages that are placed on those hills, so you can see the rest of the landscape several kilometers away, 360°. As for weather changes, you must be able to spot them several hours before they actually happen! Santa Cruz is so small that I often could peek between two houses and see the fields extend forever and ever to the horizon. I like!
I went for a walk in the afternoon. But after a short while I had seen the whole pueblo so I spent most of my time in my restaurant watching football instead... No cultural extravagancy available in Santa Cruz. But I slapped myself and decided I MUST visit the Mosque in Córdoba the following day. That should be a cultural experience enough for the rest of the month...!
Next stop: Córdoba! Tag along!
BP
SANTA CRUZ - CÓRDOBA July 7
This would only be a stage about 24 kms. It felt like a pilgrimage in its own right, as I had decided that the mosque-cathedral in Córdoba would be my goal of the day. I had given up on the Alhambra in Granada, and I was determined to do penitence by visiting this cultural landmark instead!
I was soon walking through an ocean of sunflowers. Very different from the olive groves that had followed me since... Well, since Almería, or so it seemed. They were now in full bloom - for once there might be an advantage walking in this month...! Unfortunately, when I got closer to Córdoba, someone must have turned off the garden hose cause they were all whithered and dried, like the usual dust of July.
There were no villages whatsoever on these 24 kms. Just some farmhouses and a couple of barking dogs. The closer I got to Córdoba, the usual rushing cyclists began to appear. And when I got to the sign that said "Córdoba 8 kms" , I could already see my target in front of me. From there the Camino descended slowly, and finally entered the city in some suburbs that were surprisingly restricted. When you enter Córdoba you can already see the gigant cathedral in front of you and it is really not far away. The suburbs end after a few minutes, and you are already approaching the cathedral. When you enter Córdoba, there is a bar on your right side that boasts "pilgrim-friendly" all over the place, "get your stamps here" and yadda-yadda. But they seemed utterly uninterested in me.
I had booked a room in one of the pensiones close to the cathedral, where all the hostales are. I guess it doesn't matter which one you choose. They all look alike and there is an entrance every five meter... There is no problem to find accomodation in Córdoba I think.
I had decided I would go to see the mosque-cathedral and I got there around 12.00. This was probably a good time because it looked as if there was a low in visitors, probably avoiding midday heat. I payed ten euros, grabbed a brochure with information and entered the area: first the garden, then the mosque itself. Holy cow! I was mesmerized! I had seen pictures from the inside, but I wasn't prepared for the emotional impact. I read each and every word on the panels and in the information brochure as I made my way from one corner to another. This is a place that you MUST see in Córdoba! Hmm... And I scoulded myself for missing out on the Alhambra, in Granada...! It suddenly dawned upon me that I would have loved that too. Stupid Pilgrim!
In the afternoon, I watched the world cup in football: my own dear team vs England. But the bar became flooded with Englishmen and I preferred to leave after the first half when I understood that my team would loose... And before any of the English supporters figured out what I was doing there!! What a shame.
Next chapter: Cerro Muriano!
/BP
Yes - pilgrims shouldn't expect always to find cheap last-minute accommodation in popular cities during long holiday weekends or fiestas. I passed through Cordoba and Caceres on such weekends in May 2018 and I had to plan the stages creatively. There are undoubtedly some rooms available, particularly in places that don't have internet booking, but you may need to search the streets and then pay a lot. If you prefer certainty, you might need to be stay outside the city, taking a bus in and out to sightsee or to get past a stage that would be too long, otherwise. Even the neighbouring towns fill up.There are a parts of the year, like early May, when everything is booked up
That would be the spot I mentioned in my post. No, there was just some water by the side of the track, not where I was walking...I had to walk through a rushing stream just shy of the road prior to entering Santa Cruz. Did you encounter water here too?
Ok, didn't know that. I needed more than one hour though... At least I think so. I kind of lost my sense of time in there...! I only left when my legs started to hurt, of too much walking, standing and watching without sitting down...!If you go to the Mosque/Cathedral at opening, entrance is free. They allow you to stay for 1 hour before hustling you out for the paying customers.
I had decided I would go to see the mosque-cathedral and I got there around 12.00. This was probably a good time because it looked as if there was a low in visitors, probably avoiding midday heat. I payed ten euros, grabbed a brochure with information and entered the area: first the garden, then the mosque itself. Holy cow! I was mesmerized! I had seen pictures from the inside, but I wasn't prepared for the emotional impact. I read each and every word on the panels and in the information brochure as I made my way from one corner to another. This is a place that you MUST see in Córdoba!
If you go to the Mosque/Cathedral at opening, entrance is free. They allow you to stay for 1 hour before hustling you out for the paying customers.
As if some owners actually understand that there is money to be made if they are the only game in town that particular time of the day (duh!)
You illustrate the difficulty of the business model for albergues and businesses that cater to pilgrims, especially when there is just one in the morning and another one in the later afternoon!The thing is that, in addition to the room that was 15 euros, Ángel would take 23 euros for the taxi service. I suppose it would then be 15 euros more for the second night at the hostal (??). Stingy pilgrim..
So glad you loved the Mesquita, as I do. It's probably my favourite single building in Spain and one of my favourites in the whole world.
I was told by a guard there a couple of months ago that this is only on Mondays and Saturdays. We had paid to go in on Sunday afternoon and then my Dad and I were walking around town on Monday morning taking photos when we walked past and saw people going in a different entrance. So we went back in too!
The Camino mostly follows the motorway between Alcaracejos and Hinojosa del Duque.
I guess that I walked the same route as @peregrina2000. I looked over my photos for the day and did not have a single one of a highway. I try to take a good representation of the day's walk, so if there was a lot of highway I would have taken one. Maybe spring is the time to go!This stage was all off-road and through nice fields.
We might have seen the same dog! We were approaching a field on this same stage where there were dogs keeping an eye on sheep (I think) when a van come down the path to turn around. The dog was crazy with barking. and then leaped over the fence to bark the van away. Once the van turned and left, the dog looked satisfied, stopped barking and jumped right back over the fence into the field. My companion and I had been nervously approaching, ready to pick up stones or jump into the van, but the dog was not at all interested in us. We walked by without provoking any further barking.these dogs were so annoying. But it is all to show off, so don't worry.
MONTERRUBIO DE LA SERENA – CASTUERA July 13
As yesterday’s stage was quite hard, it was nice to do less than 20 kms this morning. The problem is that if I walk fast, I arrive at 11 a.m. in these little pueblos and I don’t know what to do for the rest of the day… It would be possible to walk 20 kms more and thus do a stage of 40 kms all the way to Campanario. That is what some guidebooks propose. But as I had set my mind on doing these shorter stages, I opted to do 2 stages of about 20 kms instead. I think it is perfectly possible to do the 40 kms in one day though. The terrain is totally flat all the way to Campanario. And with Castuera in the middle, it provides a delightful place to stop to have a rest.
Well, I stopped for the day in Castuera. There is not much to say about the stage. There was a lot of olive groves when leaving Monterrubio, a large stretch of asphalt, then I remember some more rural tracks into Castuera… No, it was such a short stage that there is not much to say about it and, for once, no misfortunes to report…
I had booked a place in the Hostal Los Naranjos. By the way, I had become so spoiled with hostals so I hadn’t even checked if there was an albergue in town. Sigh. And to think I always stayed dutifully in the municipal albergues between Almería and Granada…
The hostal was very nice and modern, with a lounge-like bar and a fancy restaurant. Luxury…! But it was only 21 euros, or something like that. The only problem was the enormous parrot near the entrance that emitted shrieks and yells to everyone that walked by its cage. In the evening it sounded as if it was being murdered: the shrills echoed up the stairs and into the rooms in the hostal. Or it might just be mating season in the Amazon. Luckily it stopped just before I went to bed. Perhaps someone threw a blanket over it.
Los Naranjos is at the outskirts of Castuera, so it was a walk of 10-15 minutes to get back to the main square for the shopping and the sightseeing. But as I only had done 20 kms, I thought I might as well do some extra walking… I saw the entrance to the Museo del Turrón, but didn’t check if it was open… I had some problems with my cellphone that I managed to fix, and I planned my way for the next day: not to Campanario, but to Magacela. That would be 30-35 kms. I had heard about the hostal Malay in Campanario and its bad reviews, and the municipal albergue in Campanario seemed to be located a few kms outside the town which is too far from me… I’m a City Pilgrim and spend much time in the towns, not in the albergues. I could as well carry on to Magacela the following day. And boy am I glad I did…! But more about that in my next post!
/BP
Ok, ok, you are back and writing, but I am still waiting for the Yelbes adventure.
Maybe. However, timing is everything - past a certain point your audience might forget about it!But I have to build up the suspense!! :OP
Maybe. However, timing is everything - past a certain point your audience might forget about it!
Unfortunately I was there on a Monday, so I missed it too!You missed out on a real treat, that castle and the Roman theater are very well worth a visit.
If it hadn't been Monday when I had another excuse, I might admit to the same consideration.the World Cup wasn’t located half-way up a mountain
Even if a few years old, this I do is important for me in planning the Mozarabe in Sept 2021DAY 4 ABLA - HUÉNEJA June 25
Easy walking to Fiñana in the morning. I don't know how, but I ended up on the carretera when leaving Abla and I suspect this wasn't the real camino. So it was asphalt all the way to Fiñana but I didn't mind. Then a walk in the dry riverbed (?) which is not my favourite terrain because of the sand and pebbles that slow me down. I met a farmer and his herd of goats with two enormous mastiff-looking kind of dogs that cirkled the animals. Of course they attacked me... to greet me! The only problem for the farmer was to keep the dogs from jumping happily up and down around me, tails waving. Now that is the kind of dogs I like to meet on the camino!
A much greener scenery than before and a lot of uphill walking to get to Huéneja, with its fountain whith wolves' heads that looked quite terrifying for a public fountain. I took some pictures, but Forum tells me the files are too large? What have I done wrong? Although I only brought my humble cellphone, it would be nice to share some pictures with you.
Huéneja : Another municipal albergue with everything I needed. They are all donativo and I tend to leave quite a large amount in the boxes, considering how impressed I have been with them so far. And just like my predecessors, I have taken the habit of leaving food that I don't need, carefully writing the date on it so the following people will know when I opened it. And as everyone has left me a spotlessly clean place I have done my best to keep it that way. This routine is new to me, as I always try to stay in hostals on my other caminos! Now I have to learn to think about OTHER people as well, ough... It is indeed a challenging camino!! :0D
Now if anyone could help me to figure out how to upload my fotos...!
I will be back!
/BP
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