The Via de la Plata is now the current way

[alexwalker]

I arrived in Sevilla today by train from Malaga. What a surreal experience. But let me explain:

I finally found my hostel, Samay. But I advice you to pick one much closer to the cathedral. Then I was haunting for my credencial (pilgrim pass). I went to the tourist office which gave me four addresses:I tried hotel Simon: They were sold out (!). Then went to the Junta de Andalucia: They were closed. My fault. I didn`t notice the siesta hours.

I noticed that half of all women in Sevilla were dressed like flamenco dancers. I was walking all day enjoying the beautiful ladies (Their dresses are of strech material, so little is left to imagination; and they display great beauty!!!). A blessing for an old peregrino. :lol: As I was waiting in a restaurant for the Junta to open again (they didn`t) I had to ask a couple what it was all about. The lady, dressed in Sevilla`s most beautiful dress according to my standard, said that this was the "feria" week in Sevilla. One week each year, Sevilla explodes in partying. This is the week. And here I am.

So Jorge and Victoria took me with them to the party: +1.000 tents of partying, together with their friends and colleagues. I have never been included and kissed on my cheeks by so many women in one day ever. Or been embraced by so many kind Spanish men ever. I was also taught by the kind women how to dance the flamenco. And so I did. Hint: Eating apples.

I mostly broke my heart to tell them I had to go back to get some sleep before tomorrow`s setoff. But the good thing is that we found serious reasons to keep the kontact: I will be hosting them later: They dream about seeing the Northern Light one day. In Norway, I am the captain on a tourist ship/boat hunting for the Northern Light every night in winter...

Can you imagine: The Camino gives you what you need, not what you want: I wanted a credential, but I ended up getting two dear friends in Sevilla, much needed after a long day!

Will fix the credential tomorrow. I must remember to be tranquil :!:

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Lucky lucky you! What a wonderful way to begin your camino!

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Alex,

What a start to your camino !

And you have made my mind up for next year, i love Flamenco, I was toying with the idea of starting from Cadiz and walking through the national park to the El Rocio Pilgrimage, which is also an explosion of Flamenco. I forgot about the ferria week in Seville, someone who i invited to walk some of the camino next year with me even mentioned this, just didnt connect it to Flamenco.

Thanks Alex!


Mike

 

[alexwalker]

It is my 7th day of walking. I am in Villafranca de los Barros, 172 km. from Sevilla, in a great hostel (no albergue here).

http://www.casaperin.com

18 Euros, in a double room with the German fellow, with own bath. No sleeping bag: REAL beds.

On my first day, outside Italica, I met a German pilgrim, first-timer, on his first day. He hooked up with me. He had trained and was prepared. After 3 days, I told him he was faster and stronger than me so he should carry on in his own tempo. After all, one must do what oneself is able to. So he did, and off he went. At the end of the day he was waiting for me in the next village, and now he walks with me again, in my tempo. It is easy to crush your feet on the Camino.

Yesterday I was sharing a beer with an Irish at a cafe on the way. He turned out to be TMPColeman from this forum. Soon after, Runner62 from the forum (now 65 but still running pretty good) turned up, and we spent the night in the albergue in Zafra discussing the close family relationship between the Norwegian and English royal families (which they surprisingly had no clue about. Now they have.).

Just in after sharing another beer with TMPColeman. As he said, if you order enough beer (each come with a small tapas dish) you don´t need to buy food. What a great way to have a meal :lol:

Seriously, the hostel has a fair kitchen, so tonight it will be tuna and mussel fish soup, with onions and tomatoes as side dish, bread, and enough vino tinto to make us sleep for a very long night. Tomorrow´s etapa is 27.5 kms., and it will be warm.


I should mention that the de la Plata is crowded: 3 out of 6 nights the albergues have been completo (full). I thought I would walk here in solitude, but no way! It seems that the Camino Frances is completely overcrowded (so a hospitalera said), and pilgrims are escaping down to de la Plata. There is also more cyclists than normal, said a hospitalero. There are also gangs of taxigrinos, busegrinos, and other scum here who occupy beds.

I should mention, if you are here, that my hat is gone. I lost in at the airport in Oslo!! Otherwise, my beard, cross, and t-shirt (a gift from Rebekah in 2009) is in place.

Buen Camino!

 

[alexwalker]

I nearly chrashed my camino yesterday.

On Wednesday evening, Tom (TMPColeman) and I were discussing life essentials; higher powers, women and sailing, not necessarily in that order, while sipping red wine in the atrium of the albergue. Good evening. Very good guy.

But yesterday when I arrived at the albergue and pulled of my shoes and socks, I noticed that my right sock was full of blood. On inspection, the skin between my right big toe and the next had simply divided. Ripped apart. I saw raw flesh. My own. I thought that this was the quick end of my camino, for sure. But today, after visiting the hospital in Merida (by taxi; I became a taxigrino myself ), they said I should take it easy and stay still for 3-4 days, and then try to walk again. I have got prescription for antiseptics, I have got tons of medical patches etc. It cost me 0. Nada. The benefit of living in a community (EU; or rather, we Norwegians are associated with it). Eat that, you Americans :!: 8)

It was a scary experience, though: Being on the brink of failure...... As for now, I´ll stay in Merida for 3-4 days, and then start walking again, slowly. At least that is the plan tonight. But the beauty of the peregrino is the ability to change plan fast :roll:

And would you believe: The albergue in Merida is completo :!: The peregrinos are steaming around this camino, as on the Frances. It is beginning to become a serious stress factor, I can promise you.

Another thing: If you cannot communicate a little in Spanish, you will have a hard time here. No-one at the hospital spoke other than Spanish.

Wishing you soon back on the Camino, Tom!

 

[Alan Pearce]

Hi Alex
So sorry to hear about the injury to the foot, and wishing you a quick recovery, and after that, that you have a camino as enjoyable as mine. I am briefly back in Santiage after walking to Muxia. While there I had the privelege of attending mass in the church built on the waterfront, where thay have the most magnificent choir. I was with 2 German women and 2 out of the three of us cried, but I wont say who. The albergue in Muxia is great, and it was a wonderful end to a wonderful time.
Good luck and buen camino to all

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[alexwalker]

Still recovering in Merida. We´ll see: I may be catching up with a bus... :twisted:

There are cockroaches here: Saw a nice big specimen last night. Also saw one in Torremejia the other day, at the toilet. A fast bugger :wink:

Thanks, Alan.

 

[LTfit]

Congradulations Alan and wishing you a speedy recovery Alex!

Look forward to hearing more about your travels. I won't be off to Sevilla till July.

Cheers,
LT

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Alex,

Just want to add to the wishes for a quick recovery. Merida is a better place to be "stuck" than many, so I hope you can enjoy it a bit.

Merida is the place where my foot started to self-destruct two years ago. I remember it vividly, I had a sharp pain in the heel just as I was entering the museum near the ruins. I'm hoping you have much better results.

Buen camino, Laurie

p.s. I much prefer cockroaches to bed-bugs, at least the roaches don't bite.

 

[tmpcoleman]

Hi Alex,
I just arrived home a few hours ago. Already looking forward to recommencing from Merida next September. That foot of yours certainly looked nasty. Definitely not blisters. I guess we'll never know the true cause of the injury. Mind you, I still think the combination of ladies nylon stockings under hiking socks and full Norwegian army boots may have been a contributing factor!
Buen Camino,
Tom

 

[sprinter62]

Hi Tom, Saw your post tonight , Glad you arrived home safe and sound I am still in Badajos and have had a wonderful weekend, Saw Alex ramberlings on this post, How was your trip down to Seville, And by the the way I am spirnter62 not runner62( stay off the vino Alex!!! ) 30c in Badajos today and the Battlefield tour is amazing, tomorrow is the main day 16th May 2011 200 years since the the battle of badajos.... :arrow: :arrow:

 

[alexwalker]

Hi all!
My foot has recovered remarkably and is almost as good as new. Today I am in Embalse de Alcantara: Simply an albergue in the midst of nothing. Had thunderstorms and heavy rain for 4 hours this morning, so many wet pilgrims here trying to dry up. Just as my shoes were filling up with water, the sign for the albergue showed up. It is cold here. I am an Arctic Viking freezing in Spain :!: :lol:

Tom, I knew you couldn´t shut up :!: New socks have been bought. Nylon was overrated :lol:

Thanks for message, Mike. Sorry about the name confusion, Tim. I think I will go to the bar here and buy a bottle of red to pass this boring, cold day 8)

 

[Canuck]

Alex,

Amazing how this route can differ from one season to another.

I almost died of a heat stroke (45 degrees) after walking from Caceres to Ambalse de Alcantara in September two years ago. Bad memories!

Enjoy the rest of your walk and may the nice weather be with you.

Cheers,
Jean-Marc

 

[Deleted member 3000]

This route was to be my next walk, but collectively, you all are lousy salesmen!!!

Crowds. Weather. Long stages. Full albergues. There must be something good going on!!

Keep on truckin'.

 

[mmm042]

O.K., here's my sales pitch. It's a great route! I LOVE IT! Do try it. Just not during high season. I've been on it in October, November and March and collectively saw just 10 people on the trail over about 5 weeks of walking. The albergues were often totally empty. Hardly any rain, either -- at least nothing of note that kept you inside. Some bad muddy spots during November, but again, nothing extreme. It's simply beautiful. I highly recommend it. Especially in March, when the wildflowers are blooming in Extremadura.

Melanie

 

[+@^^]

@ Ivar
id like to report abusive marketing tactics
attempting to make to vldp more popular
please stop this before more people discover its beauty
the average 4 people per day i saw in sept/oct 2010 is a good number
now lets keep it that way

 

[alexwalker]

Hi folks!

I am in Palencia for a short weekend with a Canadian friend, Heinz. Together we are two old greayhaired men who share a room for 2 nights, looking at the beautiful senoritas and senoras... All what the women do for us old men! :lol:

Last day was great until 3-4 kms from Galisteo. I spent 2 hours and 10 kms back and forth without finding ANY marks for the way. Fortunately, a French couple with a detailed handbook led the way for us. Hold on to your chair and be seated:

It turned out that a farmer had painted white over the yellow arrows in the area, and on his gate (through was the only camino strech to Galisteo, he had put a sign:

"Prohibito paso
Caminos particular"

Roughly meaning:

"Forbidden to pass
Especially pilgrims"

Many people were sweating out there for hours without being able to find their way to the city, which could be seen a short distance away.

I am (trying to be) a good pilgrim, but I can honestly say: If I ever get hold of that farmer, I will put rough sticks (with back branches) into every bodily opening I can find on him, and after that, I will search for more openings on him :evil:

At the common evening meal, I announced my plan, and there was not a single pilgrim not agreeing with me. 8) There were many bad mouthfuls uttered yesterday towards this unknown farmer, also from Spaniards.

Anyway, tonight Heinz and I will have a menu del dia at the hotel (20 metres from the Plaza Mayor). I will order "Bacalao de dorado". It is a fish pot dish. It shall normally be prepared with salted and dried NORWEGIAN COD, but they are cheating me today too. :wink:

Will spend Sunday too here, but then back to Banos de Montemayor for further walking along. Must have some breaks and fun: This is a looong way to walk!

 

[Caminando]

It is my 7th day of walking. I am in Villafranca de los Barros, 172 km. from Sevilla, in a great hostel (no albergue here).

http://www.casaperin.com

18 Euros, in a double room with the German fellow, with own bath. No sleeping bag: REAL beds.

On my first day, outside Italica, I met a German pilgrim, first-timer, on his first day. He hooked up with me. He had trained and was prepared. After 3 days, I told him he was faster and stronger than me so he should carry on in his own tempo. After all, one must do what oneself is able to. So he did, and off he went. At the end of the day he was waiting for me in the next village, and now he walks with me again, in my tempo. It is easy to crush your feet on the Camino.

Yesterday I was sharing a beer with an Irish at a cafe on the way. He turned out to be TMPColeman from this forum. Soon after, Runner62 from the forum (now 65 but still running pretty good) turned up, and we spent the night in the albergue in Zafra discussing the close family relationship between the Norwegian and English royal families (which they surprisingly had no clue about. Now they have.).

Just in after sharing another beer with TMPColeman. As he said, if you order enough beer (each come with a small tapas dish) you don´t need to buy food. What a great way to have a meal :lol:

Seriously, the hostel has a fair kitchen, so tonight it will be tuna and mussel fish soup, with onions and tomatoes as side dish, bread, and enough vino tinto to make us sleep for a very long night. Tomorrow´s etapa is 27.5 kms., and it will be warm.


I should mention that the de la Plata is crowded: 3 out of 6 nights the albergues have been completo (full). I thought I would walk here in solitude, but no way! It seems that the Camino Frances is completely overcrowded (so a hospitalera said), and pilgrims are escaping down to de la Plata. There is also more cyclists than normal, said a hospitalero. There are also gangs of taxigrinos, busegrinos, and other scum here who occupy beds.

I should mention, if you are here, that my hat is gone. I lost in at the airport in Oslo!! Otherwise, my beard, cross, and t-shirt (a gift from Rebekah in 2009) is in place.

Buen Camino!

Thanks Alex.
Though I think you´ll find that it's actually a British royal family.

 

[alexwalker]

English, British, it a dying institution anyway... :wink:

Today, we saw an interesting sign on a house at the corner of Plaza Mayor:

"Joyeria Marycarmen"

Now, I don´t know what Marycarmen is offering in her Joyeria, but for a moment Heinz and I were tempted to spend a couple of hours there, but we decided to stay put and continue to flex our beer muscles (stomach) in stead.

But they are really taking good care of us old, grey-bearded folks down here.

Had a great sermon in the beautiful cathedral at 9.00 this morning. Very engaged and interesting priest, so we had our mouthful of mercy, camino, and being good in charity.

Tomorrow is Banos de Montemayor and serious walking up to Salamanca, and then 50% of the walk is behind us. Extremadura was a tough stretch go pass. 31C here now.

 

[tmpcoleman]

Hi Alex
Glad to see you're making such good progress. Your foot must have healed very well. I too saw a sign that said 'PROHIBIDO PASO CAMINO PARTICULAR', and jumped to the same conclusion. However, I discovered that it does not refer to THE camino or to pilgrims. It is a general use of the term camino, meaning way, or path. It means 'TRESPASSING PROHIBITED ON THIS PATH' and refers to the path which the sign is pointing to, and not to the camino path.
Regards,
Tom

 

[inmari]

Hi Alex, enjoy following you on your way! As "soon-to-be" a first-timer, I use this page to pick up useful stuff - plan to walk fro Le Puy to Pamplona in 2013 and "do Europe" next Holy Year by cycling from Frederikshav (Denmark) via Tours to SdP. Hopefully I'll stay well until then! I'll probably have to do this on my own, esp. the cycling, as I don't imagine any of my family or friends being enough interested to accompany me. I'll keep following your postings!
Ingrid Marie

 

[Alan Pearce]

Hi Inmari

Your cycling plan sounds great, and reminds me of 2 of the nicest young men I have ever met. They were Danish, and I met them in Merida in April, where they camped in the park beside the albergue. They had not long finished school, when they came up with the idea of cycling from Morocco to Denmark via at least part of the Camino Via de la Plata. They were going stronly and on schedule when I met them. They were having a ball, but were a bit undecided on whether they would actually get to SdC as it was, to say the least, a bit out of their way!

Buen camino

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[Alan Pearce]

Hi Alex

re your post on having difficulty finding the way to Galisteo. You would have served your fellow pilgrims better by telling them how to overcome the problem rather than discussing gratuitous violence
I too had problems on the way to Galisteo. The last yellow arrow I saw was on a disc of metal hanging in a tree, and when I looked at the other side there was an advertisement for a bar, so I just ignored it and went straight on. At least 2 groups behind me did follow the arrow and got hopelessly lost. I found myself beside a concrete-lined water channel that twisted and turned for ages, with not an arrow in sight. I just kept following it because I could not think of what else I could do. Eventually I came to a gate with a yellow arrow, and the No Passar sign which you described. The sign was made of metal, and on closer examination I found that someone had scratched into it [ probably with a nail ] "peregrinos OK'! I could see two other yellow arrows showing the way on the other side of the gate. Encouraged by the scribbled message of comfort I opened the gate and headed off down the road, following the arrows as I went. Eventually I came to another gate which I went through and there was another No Passar sign on the far side of it. I was relieved that at least I was past the No Passar stage, and headed off into Galisteo.
If the farmer did use white paint to cever up the yellow arrows, I did not see any white arrows. I think you are trying to start an urban [or should that be rural ] myth! So glad the foot has come good, have some vino tinto for me, and I will have some for you here in Austraya.

buen camino

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[LTfit]

Reading forum postings is helpful prior to departure :wink: !

Melanie (aka mmm042) gave everyone a heads-up in her post in April:

http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/camino-mozarabe-and-via-de-la-plata/topic10624.html

I've been taking notes for my upcoming trip - off course that doesn't mean that I won't get lost!

Buen Camino!

LT

 

[Canuck]

[quote="Alan Pearce"
Eventually I came to a gate with a yellow arrow, and the No Passar sign which you described. The sign was made of metal, and on closer examination I found that someone had scratched into it [ probably with a nail ] "peregrinos OK'!
[/quote]

I remember this situation vividly. Just like Alan I jumped over the fence and ''Bob's your uncle''. I don't see the big fuss.

Jean-Marc

 

[alexwalker]

Salamanca reached.

Heinz and I got to sleep in the Albergue Marycarmen in San Pedro last night :!: :lol: So he eventually got his way :wink:

Weather is good, and the endless streches of nothing in Extremadura are history. The area really deserves its name: Extremely hard. So is the Via de la Plata also called: Camino Duro: Hard way.

But feet are OK. I don´t use Compeed or bandages any more, and it seems I´m up to 30 kms/day if I take care of them, and take off my shoes and sock a couple of times for drying up and check.

Salamanca looks like an expensive place: Paid 3.70 Euro for a beer. Taking two days here to look around, and back on track on Saturday.

Take care, and good luck to all who are planning their Way.

 

[ranthr]

Hei Alexwalker.
Glad your feet are good again. To day a Norwegian girl had to go back to hospital or a medico in Zamora because of really bad blisters. I am in Benevente today. Walking up north to Astorga, and suddenly I am almost alone so far after a month in a crowd. Overfilled albergues all the way, from twenty to fifty pergrinos each day. The weather has been reasonable good , some hot days, but also some beautiful cold mornings. The sunrise is splendid. Thunder and rain in the afternoons.
Buen camino, Alex.
Randi

 

[alexwalker]

Hi all,

Unfortunately, due to urgent family matters, I had to return home after Salamanca.

Well, 500 kms done. The next and last 500 will be done next May. Such is life.