The beauty of the Via de la Plata has taken me by surprise. I was anticipating that the scenery would be like the meseta, which is to say lovely in its own way, but a bit monotonous. The first hundred kilometres of the Plata, however, have been quite dramatic. After the first day we have passed through mostly hilly terrain, with just a sprinkling of towns and villages. Near Seville the farmland was devoted mostly to oranges, but this yielded to olive groves, and then oak trees. I believe that these are cultivated to produce the acorns that are the exclusive food of the pigs that become the prized Iberico ham. There has been some road walking, but the Camino is mostly on seldom used off-road tracks, making for great walking.
Ruth and I have done most of our Caminos in the Summer or Fall, but Spring is my new favourite season to walk or cycle a Camino. The grass in the orchards and oak forests is intensely green, and the display of wildflowers is breathtaking. I am unfamiliar with most of them, but I do recognize the lavender and rosemary, both of which are growing wild in abundance. All of the other pilgrims seem to be experiencing the same sense of delight, grinning like idiots as they walk. Most prefer to walk alone to enjoy the natural environment, though there’s lots of socializing in the bars when we reach our destination for the day.
Looks beautiful. Is it safe to bike the Camino alone?
Yes very safe and you are never alone for long. It’s a community.
im confused. (nothing new) who is walking? who is cycling?
I am on bike and Gord does it all by foot.
Are you seeing any animals?
Lots of domestic animals including the black pigs that devote their lives to becoming the famous ibérico ham. (Ruth is surprised we haven’t seen any amputee pigs, as we see their legs hanging in bars). There are lots of songbirds, but other than a couple of rabbits we haven’t seen any wild mammals.
Nice blog. Also enjoying seeing pics of the landscape, etc., between Sevilla and Salamanca. And the watercolor sketches add a nice touch, something we do as well when we travel.
Watch out for trap door spiders and the elusive Iberian lynx!
Oh and I assume you know about the highly venomous vipers. Check your boots!