Grimaldo to Carcaboso

Monday morning, leaving early at 5:15. Found the way out and had a nice pace of walking in those early hours. Starry sky was again fabulous.

The morning coffee and breakfast were something we were looking for so eagerly but despite the ad that was so appealing the bar in Riolobos was closed. On the other hand, we passed by their cemetery with a funny tower (shaped like a Capirote pointed hat!) enlighten with the light morning shades of red.

A bit later, we stopped in front of the church Virgen de la Argamas, took out “strategic reserves” in the form of 10 dkg of ham and had a quick snack.

The walk toward Galisteo was mostly on hard asphalt and with the sun rising and heating. A walk through a solar power plant was something that make a connection from the ancient time to nowdays.

We walked up, actually climbed to the little town of Galisteo (nice, almost “biblical” walls).

We choose one bar and finally got the breakfast (bocadillo), small Cola and coffee (although very late one) for 8.5 Euros.

This town stinks! Actually the whole surroundings as well and it seems it is because of the slow river and the valley around it. On the way down, suddenly “we were saluted” with some pop music from the loudspeakers. Weird. It was very, very hot and while walking on the road, alongside this river we were constantly looking for shade. Occasionally we would find a lonly tree under which we would shortly rest.

Then finally in the penultimate village Aldehuela del Jerte we took bottles of water and Cola for 2 Euros and found protection inside a local bus station for another short break.

Good. Another hour or so and we are sitting and drinking beer in bar Pacense in Carcaboso. Unexpected tapas (an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine): cooked eggs with a beer was offered to us as a welcome gift from the bartender.

Our accomodation was in the Albergue Senora Elena. The owner kindly suggested, that for dinner, we go to a nearby restaurant.

For diner we had red wine Vina Placentina – Etiqueta Roja from Bodegas y vinedos Angel Sanchez Redondo S.l. for 13 Euros. The owner of the bar “revealed” me the secret of bypassing the official “stupid” route while exiting the village tomorrow before dawn.

A late afternoon walk to the local grocery store.

Carcaboso to Aldanueva del Camino

Departed at 5:10. A long stage was ahead of us, the longest day! In the end, it came out much, much harder then we expected! First section was a long, hard walk in high pace, uphill in pitch dark. And like we were evoking those bulls just a day ago …it was still pitch dark when we, so suddenly walked just in between this cattle family and encountered, ended “face to face” with a bull! In one second we realized there is a cow and calf just few yards on our right and this black bull few yards on the left from us! He did few small steps in getting around and then behind us. When I turned my head with my lamp on my forehead I saw this picture of this “black devil” with those shining eyes and horns pointed directly to me… and when he accelerated (for maybe just 3-4 steps). I felt terrified and just one though passed through my mind: “God please, I don’t want to die here, don’t want to die now”. There was a tree not far away ahead, slightly on the left and the fence few more meters further but…will we be able to make it? To quickly drop the backpack and climb the tree before getting stabbed?! Somehow we continued with the same pace, we didn’t panic and maybe that was what saved us.

Then we proceeded in absolute silence as we were still shocked. We survived a potentially fatal encounter! This walking in complete quiet lasted for hours and eventually released somehow the tension.

After a nice walk, at a very good pace we approached the Arco de Caparra by 10:15. Somehow I felt like being in the valley below Gora and Ucka mountain in my native Istria (Krsan, my mothers’ birthplace). This ancient and beautiful Roman Arc in the middle of nowhere, marks the whole Via de La Plata and it is specifically the symbol of the Camino in Extremadura region. We stayed longer then one would usually stay visiting this monument but it is just the place that captures you. Also, we just had to have the seal from Arco de Caparra in our Credencials.

Some cats gained from our visit as we feed them. A worker was sleeping under a young olive tree on our way to the museum leaving his rake right in the middle of the gravel path. On the way back, he woke up and tried to pretend he is doing something.

A photo with the timer… time was quicker as my water bottle felt down. This is how we got this photo. Now we have to go on. Just one last look back on the Arc. Then another one. Ok, we have really to go on.

A bunch of black pigs bathing in mud. Charming.

Crossing the Caparra river. In springtime this would not be possible.

And then the hard part – never ending hot valley then never ending uphill and most fucked up routing. It was too much! The whole day was too much! For the first (and last time on this Camino) we had to pull out sleeping bags and take a nap under a tree! It was late afternoon, around 6 PM. After this so much needed rest we continued and again it was like a never ending story. God knows how many kilometers we marched today? Probably close to fifty! All in all… the hardest day of this Camino! And a beautiful one in the same time.

Even the tap water offered from the association to pilgrims was… shitty!

Finally, at the end of Aldanueva del Camino a good rest in the motorway like motel Hostal Montesol. For diner we had wine Soldepenas – Tempranillo Garancha from Felix Solis. Hotel room was 15 Euros and dinner 10 Euros. Champions Leage result: Galatasaray – Real Madrid 1:6.

*Natural stress. That encounter with that bull, that life threat caused stress. Later, when thinking about that word it was obvious how different is here in nature and there in office. How primordial, natural and would say healthy this one is in confront of the other! Amazing! Is this ok because here we have a real threat and a physical aggressor. Aggressor is actually not aggressor, he is just protecting his entity. Is it that we humans “produce” this illusion of a life threat?

*Elements of the Camino: animals, type of paths, accommodations, bars, flora, people (“hota majuscola”…).