Day 44 Sanabria 13.05

Jay's birthday today, a very big 2 years old!!! Have a fabulous day little Jay and we will celebrate with you when we get back to Australia xxx

A pleasant night in our room with the magnificent wide windows overlooking the farmlands below. We ate some supermarket meals ('heat & eat') washed down with a local Vino Rosado. The problem with big windows and a late sunset needs no explanation. But nevertheless I dropped off to sleep 'muy rapido'!

Jenny obtained clarification on the buildings mentioned previously that were at least in part underground. These are controlled temperature, dark storage for wine. Used also for the occasional entertaining.

Another cold start. 2C again. As we see other pilgrims we are reminded of the Scott of the Antarctic pictures on our $10 note. Beanies, balaclava, gloves and puffer jackets.

There is more abundant wildflower and the aroma permeating the trail enhances its charm. It is so engaging to walk through areas of such interest and natural beauty. The trend was uphill all day and at times the pinches were steep. The track was dirt, mostly rocky.

There are numerous tiny villages dotted along this long but beautiful stage. They are quaint, quite different from those of the south. Well constructed and immaculately maintained stone houses and churches. More and more houses have gardens and magnificent and abundant flowers, particularly roses. The climbing vines provide colourful archways and decorative wall features. The villages/towns have central courts for the inhabitants to fraternise. A wonderful concept.

Some stone residences are abandoned and show the effect of lack of love to varying degrees. Some are crumbling ruins. We were told by a local man that many are estate homes, inherited but rejected by younger family members. The cost of repair and renovation is too enormous for the gain. But they are such character homes. You can imagine them in their hay day with proud owners and family that filled them with joy.

Over the never ending hills there is forest and stone walls, standing stoic, stretching endlessly. Fences, yards, retaining walls. We noticed in areas that the track was up to 2 metres below the natural ground level. This we presumed was a specific effort of the farmers in the early era when the area was settled. I imagine the hills were too steep for farmers to lug their carts across so they flattened the hills and built retaining walls to hold the earth in place. Incredible effort with the tools of the day.

The uphill continued and we came upon small streams to cross. Rock hopping is just another of the personal strengths I do not possess. Jenny on the other hand just did the dance of the sugar plum and she was across. As we proceeded, we must have crossed to the other side of the hill because the trees which were still in bud on one side were in full leaf on the other, presumably the warmer sunnier side.

We sat in the serenity of the countryside to enjoy a breakfast of long crusty bread, cheese, tomato and for me garlic sausage. The tranquility of the great outdoors was disturbed only when two fast trains hurtled by just 100 metres away. Day after day we perpetually feel isolated from civilisation but we never really are.

Throughout the day the local birds entertained us. And the soft dappling of sunlight through the trees, the fragrant aromas, the vibrancy of nature, this region has it all.

From time to time we hear cuckoos. They sound so much like the clock. Made me think though we are lucky not to have named our birds after the sound they make. The crow, the cockatoo, the galah. And the emu would have no name at all!

The last 10 km dragged. Very grateful for the dramatic drop in temperature. But by now the body had tired and the leg lost its resolve to behave. It was a hard slog to the finish line.

From a distance our destination town looked ordinary, although it crosses a number of ridge lines. As we inched closer to the town we soon realised that it has a character and persona all of its own. A large castle dominates from its perch on the peak of a hill looking down upon a wide flowing river.

We crossed the bridge of the river and climbed abruptly upwards. A few hundred metres later an entirely different part of the town emerges with restaurants/bars and quaint but crooked little streets. Something to explore later.

For now the room is warmly welcoming, comfortable and clean. A shower with perfect water pressure and hot! Brilliant! Mind you we are on the third floor of a hostel without a lift, with 16 stairs per floor, that’s 48 to our room. Everything in this country is up it seems.

A nice dinner and an early night, enthusiastic about exploring this beautiful town tomorrow.