Hi Claire,
First off I want to apologize for not responding to your PM as I have been "off the map" as they say for the last 2 weeks. I was transferred to rehab last Monday and got my stitches out on Tuesday. I am allowed to put about 20 kg. of weight on my right leg. Next week I can start with my left so for the time being I am training my upper body and can sit 4 x 1,5 hrs per day in my wheelchair.
Sorry for the digression so just a note on the above comments (based on my Camino starting in July from Sevilla-Montamarte):
I visited Itálica on my way to Guillena, there is no need to take an extra trip. Since the first stage is quite short, I just stopped for an hour (I thought sufficient) on my way there. After my visit I had a cafe con leche at the bar across the street. I didn't see a soul on that first day and no one was there when I got to Guillena. TAKE NOTE: if the auberge is closed when you arrive, go into the cafe underneath the aubergue (there are 2 tables and chairs outside). The owner is quite friendly and said that I could leave my backpack in the bar if I wanted.
Manolo the hospitalero and local opened up the auberge around 3 p.m. The note outside said 4 p.m. but when I got back from walking around it was already open. There were 7 of us the first night. Javier a Spanish guy from the Canary Islands (and unfortunately had to rest a few days in Almadén de la Plata due to bad blood blisters), a Spanish speaking Belgian who lives in Spain (who had to give up within a few days due to the heat/distances), Manolo and Mercedes a Spanish couple from Analucia who became friends during the intial stages of the walk (but fast forwarded cause had already done parts of the VdlP) G. a Spanish speaking Italian doing his third Camino and myself - also Spanish speaking. G. would be my walking buddy for the next three weeks but that is another topic!
NOTE: Hotel Extremadura DID NOT have airconditioning when I was there begining July. The walk to Real de la Jara is only 16 km and we arrived there at 10 a.m. so we took a break then moved on to Monesterio. That was a HORROR of a day because it was SO HOT during the last ascent into Monesterio (long but doable). Advice: drink frequently and eat small amounts of dried fruit or the like during the walk from La Jara to Monesterio. I ended up dragging behind a ways before the start of the ascent and had to rest for about 45 min under a highway underpass to get out of the heat, eat and drink. I did that again another 2x. But don't be afraid!!! This never happened again during the Camino! I just couldn't eat much of anything those first few days due to the heat and the man with the hammer took a liking to me!
As I am now more mobile (moving around in the wheelchair) I am also able to e-mail and log on here frequently. PLS PM or post here if you need any quick info. (I can also PM you my phone number). I PROMISE that I will log in several times today and the following days should you need any moral support!!!
Wishing you an incredible, wonderful, insightful Camino-experienced full VdlP! Whatever the Camino throws at you or entices you to follow you will be able to handle. I am a firm believer that there is a reason for all that happens. I could write books about my aborted VdlP and my hospitalization in Spain and subsequent hospitalization, surgery and rehap in The Netherlands. But it was in spite of or rather because what happened that I look back at an incredible 3 weeks on the VdlP.
And just for a fun note: I have daily contact through e-mail, sms and phone with my Camino buddy G. and is coming to visit me in September!
VAYA CON DIOS Y BUEN CAMINO!
Cheers,
Lee
Two days to lighten it up...
