CVdlP, Day 9, Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Fuente de Cantos to Zafra, 16 miles

I was feeling much better and finally had a rhythm going yesterday, and decided to start fairly early every morning. Unfortunately leaving before 7:45 AM means it will still be dark until eight.

It was still dark when I left and I began walking with the Frenchman, Guy, and his Dutch wife, Annaka. Before we were out of town we where already lost because it was so dark that we could not see the Camino yellow arrows. After asking a few people on the street we got on the right track. I ended up walking with them and another Dutch couple on and off most of the day.

Today was going to be a fairly short day to Zafra and the elevation wasn’t going to be steep. The terrain was mostly small rolling hills and flat open fields. The fields are dry and brown because they have already been harvested and it’s the end of summer.

There is s mixture of crop fields, and rows of olive trees and grape vines. The grapes haven’t been picked yet and they looked very temping hanging on the vines. Ok, we had a few. What the heck there used for wine but very sweet and delicious.

It’s a wonderful sight and smell to see the farmers spreading the pig manure on the fields, which must be a constant thing throughout the year.

The weather always seems the same, cool in the morning and hot in the afternoon, and it seems to get hotter until around four. That’s why most of the businesses in Spain are traditionally closed from noon until four or five.

The day was uneventful until I came to a steam or pond that had completely flood the trail. There was no way around it and the brush on both sides was too thick, and beyond that there was a fence. I could not see anyway to cross it other than walking in the water and mud near the edge where it was the most shallow. It looked pretty deep and I wasn’t sure I could keep the water from pouring into the tops of my shoes. It just skipped across it like the cartoons but it didn’t work. I had a hard time keeping the Wheelie from tipping over as it sunk into the deeper part of the water. I tried to level it out by lifting one side and the strap holding the left handle to the waist band snapped. That caused the Wheelie to tip into the water. Fortunately I was able to catch the handle fast enough to keep it from tipping in completely.

I have two extra straps but for a quick fix I just replaced it with a adjustable strap.

My shoes were muddy and it felt as though some water might have gotten into my right shoe.

We found a fig tree in the middle of nowhere and we picked as many as we could eat.

I ended up in Safra before any other pilgrims and went into the first albergue at the end of town. I was clean but set up in big open rooms and not what I really wanted. I went to find he other but couldn’t find it and came back to the first one. By then one of the Dutch couples there and they had the address to the other albergue. We all went there together and were the first ones there. It always helps getting that good room.

I asked for a private room, but there were only two with two beds and they were reserved. She said she had a community room with one bed but doesn’t usually let anyone stay there as it is also the tv room. I asked again with a sad look, and she said yes but only if no one wanted to go in. Well, I’ll take care of that!

My Italian friend, Frank, showed up and we went to the local market. He says he speaks Spanish but I notice he never gets the right directions. He stops at every corner and asks another person the same direction. With my broken Spanish I seemed to get better direction than he does.

We were all hungry, and as usual, nothing opens until 8:30-9:00 PM. The Dutch couple, Paul and Sue, Frank, and I went to a nice restaurant across from the albergue. We had a wonderful meal, and for me it was a chance to speak my rusty Dutch, but it’s coming back with all the Dutch on the Camino this time.

We went back to the albergue and the owner’s husband was watching the big soccer game on the flat screen in My Room! How dare he?! Well, he was kind enough to turn it off even though I told him it was fine with me.

Tomorrow will bring the same weather, so I will have to decide on a short or long day. I’ll see how it feels by noon.

Best wishes,

Ted

I have had late days and not very good wifi so I have not been sending the blogs out every day. I do write them at night and will send them out soon.

Leaving early in the morning through the plaza