Alcuescar to Caceres, 25.78 miles 

Yes, I nearly had another marathon day, though that was not my intention. A wrong turn caused by a bad placement of a sign I think was to blame. Yes, I have missed some signs and markers, but this was definitely not my fault even though I am Wrong Way Ted.

I started my day a little behind again, and was the last of the three to leave about 7:30 AM. Apparently I didn’t read the rules and check out was at 7:00 AM! I hadn’t wanted to leave early again as I had not really walked the town and I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to follow the Camino out of town in the dark. To be safe, I just sat on the bench there and had a quick breakfast of yogurt and a pastry until it started to get lighter.

This is such a different Camino as nothing is open until after eight or nine in the morning. On the Camino Francis you could always find a bar open at six or seven, and there were always hot items to take with to go.

The Camino here ran right in front of the monastery and began as a paved road that turned to a wide dirt road. After about one mile it turned to a narrow path with deep ruts and a rough rocky surface at times. It wasn’t too bad, but at times it would be easier with a backpack. 

It was nice because I was basically alone, with maybe Juan in front of me but he’d left a hour earlier. 

As the Camino started to parallel the frontage road, the trail turned to long matted grass which added resistance to pulling the Wheelie. I moved back onto the road’s shoulder and walk there much of the time as I could see the Camino trail paralleling the road.

I caught up with Juan and we stopped to have a snack at an old Roman bridge. It was used for the roads connecting the cities hundreds of years ago. It is amazing to see them in the middle of nowhere and they are still standing and in good condition. 

I walked ahead of Juan but we met two other times at little bars just as I was leaving and he was coming in. It’s actual nice to at least see someone else on the same track. 

My day looked to be good weather wise, but I have to be realistic as everyday has been, as another pilgrim put it, brutal. It was very cool most mornings and I had hoped it would for once stay that way. 

The day had actually gone well, especially since it was much cooler. It never got over 87 degrees and there was a slight breeze all day. The temperature makes such a huge difference in my energy level. 

I was about six miles from Caceres and started up a long, but gradual, steep incline. I had moved onto the road as I knew the Camino would cross it in several places, and I could see it most of the time. Nearly at the top of the hill, I saw a big Camino sign right on the road pointing to an asphalt road exit. I crossed the road and continued down the exit road for about a hundred yards when I clearly saw a big Camino Via de la Plata sign facing me as I approached it. There it was, but this is where the bad signage comes into play! I continued on and walked well over another mile without seeing a yellow directional arrow. No way could I have missed another turnoff, but n arrow? I turned around and walked all the way back to where I had seen the Camino Via de la Plata sign, and there across the street, facing me, was another Camino de la Plata sign. What?!

I walked all the way back to the main road and saw another arrow on the turnoff road, but it was pointing down to a dirt trail. Over a hour and miles later, I was back on the right Camino. By then it was after four.

By the time I got to Caceres, close to six, I was very tired. The temperature was still 85 degrees. I had no idea where I’d find a place to sleep and just followed the many well placed Camino signs through town. It seemed like a very long town and I wanted to get a place to sleep. I could see that it was leading me to what looked like the highest place in town, probably the typical church or old town center. The Camino was on a well travel road and then suddenly directed me across the street and up a very, very, narrow steep cobbled street. It was so steep that I could barely get my carbide trekking pole tips to stick into the cobbles. I don’t see how a car could even go up the hill. I thought this was a mistake! It was such a steep and obscure looking narrow street. As I got closer to the top I noticed lots of people staring and pointing at me. I am sure they were thinking I must be a nut to be pulling that thing behind me up that hill. 

When I reached the top, the cross street was actually a wood walkway. It had steps for the transition instead of a ramp, so I had to pull the Wheelie up the steps! Someone on the Friends of the Camino group should consider a better route! Wow, that was steep!

At the top I found myself in the middle of the huge city square, in front of the old cathedral and surrounded by restaurants and stores. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people walking around. Not really a place I wanted to be pulling the Wheelie and trying to figure where I am and looking for a place to stay. It is the weekend and there is a music festival here, which draws the crowds.

I tried using the free wifi in the city center and then tried my own phone for the Internet to find a place to stay, but I couldn’t get the Internet to connect. I was so tired I couldn’t think and just decided to walk downhill out of the center. I walked a few block and went into a store to get a drink and asked the nice lady behind the counter if there was a hotel nearby. She took me outside and pointed down the street and said, “albergue.” Wow, what fortune! 

It was a municipal albergue but I was so tired I didn’t care where I was going to sleep. Because of the music festival, most the hotels were booked, and this albergue even raised their price to a whopping 15€ ($18.30). 

It’s a strange place because it has a long hallway, like a large hospital. There are twenty-four rooms and they don’t look full. My room has six beds but I am the only one here. Great! 

I took a long twenty minute bath. I am so tired that I don’t feel like going to eat or shop for my usual groceries for tomorrow. To make the distance to the next town I would have to leave very early and would have to have all my food. I think I need to sleep in tomorrow and get some extra rest. 

There is one small town about nine miles from here, and not the distance I usually prefer, but it might be what I need tomorrow.

Heading off to a deep sleep.
Best wishes,

Ted 

Heading out on the Camino early in the morning

The little town about an hour outside Alcuescar. Old Roman bridge 

Crossing the old Roman bridge where Juan and I stopped for a break

Ruins of an old castle

Old castle but still being used today

The Camino 

Approaching Caceres in the distance

The municiple albergue

Albergue hallway

My room. Not bad.

City Center (plaza)

City Center in the morning