It’s COVID of course, but you won’t hear it mentioned on the Camino unless you are talking to me. I am recovering from COVID, and yes I know it was COVID, because I took a rapid test when I was first ill and those two red bars on the test popped up right away....
The King: Honey I’ve lost my sense of smell, I must have Covid! The Queen: No you’ve lost your nose. If you have to be ill anywhere in the world, Spain is a good place to be. Our hosts have been checking in with us, and offering to get a doctor or anything else that...
It was only 1 degree Celsius when we set off this morning. The first rest in the sun is important A few days ago we made the left turn off the historical Via de la Plata onto the variant known as the Camino Sanabres. As we move towards the mountains of...
Leaving Montemarta It's raining cats dogs and elephants at the moment, and I’m stalling. Gord and Denys headed out about an hour ago and I’m hoping for a little break to start my ride. It’s always easier to start the ride when it’s not raining, even if it pours later....
Zamora is a beautiful town that deserved a longer visit than we gave it. Although it has somehow avoided UNESCO designation, Zamora has 24 Romanesque churches, the largest number of any city in Europe. There is also a dramatically situated castle with an impressive...
Gordon: We arrived in the city of Salamanca on Saturday afternoon, the day before Easter. All of the cities in this region have special activities during Semana Santa, and we hoped to have the opportunity to observe some of them in...
Total Distance walked by Gordon: 439 kms Total Distance cycled by Ruth: 468 kms When I am planning to travel on a Camino I admit to doing minimal preparation. I check the average weather in the area, buy the plane tickets and a guidebook, pack a 45 litre...
I love cycle touring and Spain would be a perfect place for it. This trip, however, is not a bike tour but rather a Camino with my bike and trailer. I see other cyclists almost every day, but only once. They are moving much faster than I am, especially if they are...
A medieval pilgrim ( and I worry about proportion)! Gordon: Last night we stayed in the latest jewel in the UNESCO chain that we are following up the Via de la Plata: Cáceres. There are layers of history in Cáceres, starting with the oldest known...
Enrique helping me with my tire. I have travelled on several long trips without a single flat tire, but on this trip I am honing my skills at puncture repair. Perhaps this route is called the Via de la Plata, not for the silver mined or the relatively flat terrain,...
Gordon: It was a cold, wet, windy but mercifully short (15 kms) slog into Mérida today. Southern Spain is having it’s coolest April in decades, so we have had a series of very brisk days. Several mornings it was only 3 or 4 degrees,...
Zafra Spain Gordon’s Total Distance Walking: 150 kms Ruth’s Total Distance Cycling: 167 Number of paintings or sketches: 7 Art teachers sometimes encourage their students to just fill their sketchbooks, insisting that every page is mileage in learning to make art....