Via de la Plata v Camino de Santiago

[sulu]

I am intrigued as to how these differ and why.
In Monasteiro I went into an information office for the Via de la Plata (near the church), I picked up a leaflet on the stages of the Via de la Plata in Extremadura. Stage 3 is: Fuente de Cantos to Medina de las Torres, now I had no expectation of going via Medina de las Torres and, following the signage, I didn't, but when I arrived at Zafra the hospitalero did ask me which way I had come.
Likewise, Eroski have a stage (7) from Zafra to Almendralejo, again I followed the signs and I didn't go that way, but I did meet people who had gone to Almendralejo. According to the guide from the office in Monasteiro; 'Almendralejo was part of the Order of Santiago in the 12th century'. I wonder why it does not seem to be the recognized place to visit, rather than Vilafranca.
The signage itself indicates differences, according to whether the plaque on the square is blue, yellow or half and half
Does anyone have any insights into these variations?
Sue

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Sue,
Like you, I was sometimes thrown off by the divergence of the Camino and the Vdlp. I suppose, though I am no historian, that the Vdlp is more precisely the tracking of the old Roman road (and its marking is done by the Junta with those big granite cubes). When the Camino marking sends you off the Vdlp, in my experience it usually saves you a few kilometers, so maybe the arrows are put up by people looking for the shortest distance between two points. Or maybe the difference is that where the Roman road has been paved over, the Camino takes the dirt road alternative (as from Villafranca to Torremegia), whereas the Vdlp purists would stay along the highway.

I remember that point after Monesterio where the cube and the arrows split, and those who followed the cube wound up with a longer walk into Fuente de Cantos. I don't know anyone who has walked through Medina de las Torres, though it seems to have an albergue!

But I'll bet there are some forum members with more accurate historical information. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[sulu]

Like you, I was sometimes thrown off by the divergence of the Camino and the Vdlp. I suppose, though I am no historian, that the Vdlp is more precisely the tracking of the old Roman road (and its marking is done by the Junta with those big granite cubes).

Hi Laurie,
It's true that some of the route, I'm talking Extremadura, is Via de la Plata and some droving routes. It does seem strange though that if a town was part of the Order of Santiago that it is not on the Camino. Maybe I am misunderstanding the implications of the Order of Santiago, sounds to do wih the Camino, maybe it's not.
Sue

 

[alansykes]

I'm a little disappointed that 2 days ago I went from Fuente de Cantos and didn't turn left at Calzadilla de los Barros to go to Zafra via Medina de las Torres.

I should have done the research before, so it is my fault, but it does seem a little odd that the camino doesn't go via Medina (or, at least, provide the option). It sounds a very interesting place, and the total walk for that day wouldn't be more than a km or so longer turning left at CdlB rather than going ahead - in fact it probaby would have been easier for me, as there was a flood on the arroyo just left after you cross the Rio Aturja where the camino goes alongside the RN630, 3-4km north of CdlB, and I had to take my shoes and socks off and go up to 2' deep in very cold muddy water for 10m.

Perhaps next time?