Museo Etnografico – Walking without a donkey

Via de la Plata Camino – Day 18 (Villaneuva de Campéan to Zamora). Sunday 8 April 2018. 18 kms.

I have lost all my notes for this week and there are a lot of photos for 8th April so there are few words.

IMG_20180408_080923 (640x359) — It was early morning when I set off.

IMG_20180408_074936 (640x359) — I was not the first to leave along the Roman road.

The sun rose on my right. It lit up the lush fields on my left as if it was a different time of day there.

IMG_20180408_081127 (640x359) — This gorgeous light speaks for itself.

IMG_20180408_081737 (640x359) — Right in the middle of nowhere. Nowhere else to do a pee.

IMG_20180408_081748 (640x359) — Just look at the detail!

IMG_20180408_091149 (359x640) — Mini ant mountains all over the path.

IMG_20180408_095330 (640x359) — A traditional skyline on the Via de la Plata camino, Spain.

Calendula (marigolds) and roses in full flower in San Marcial. Red and white cycle path signs reminiscent of the Grande Randonnee in France.

IMG_20180408_104032 (359x640) — Bird foot prints in the clay. There are also dog (or wolf?) ones on all the paths although I only saw one hound running for miles unattended.

Coming into the city of Zamora (‘The pearl of the 12th century’) along the River Duero, close to the border with Portugal in north-west Spain.

IMG_20180408_120408 (640x359) — Fragrant Mimosa.

IMG_20180408_122728 (640x359) — The rainbow colours of the local rock, yesterday seen as pebbles on the path, today making up these walls.

IMG_20180408_122952 (640x359) — Puente de Piedra (Bridge of Stone).

Zamora architecture.

IMG_20180408_123605 (640x359) — The charming Plaza de San Cipriano, Zamora, Spain.

IMG_20180408_134758 (640x359) (640x359) — Zamora Castle, 11th century, Spain.

IMG_20180408_184251 (640x359) — Courtyard at the Cathedral, Zamora, Spain.

IMG_20180408_191511 (640x300) — Zamora Cathedral, Spain.

IMG_20180408_191551 (421x640) (421x640) — Iglesia de los Remedios, viewed between the columns surrounding the Cathedral, Zamora, Spain.

The albergue.

IMG_20180408_123916 (640x359) — When I arrived it was fine, sunny weather, and there was a notice on the door explaining that it would not open for 3 hours.

IMG_20180408_123847 (359x640) — The Albergue de Peregrinos is beside San Cipriano Catholic Church where we left our stuff with the nervous woman while we went off to explore.

Later there was a queue of us waiting at the allotted time and, unexpectedly, it hailed hard. There was only a tiny ledge for everyone to huddle under and not enough space for the luggage, so in five minutes the rucksacks, boots, everything was soaked.

The hospitalera was most hospitable (sorry!). She was a fountain of knowledge having worked there for a long time and she was clearly in her dream job – loving chatting and finding out where we were all from. She had great English and knew what we needed. There is a fantastic kitchen and Marie Noelle had been before us, messaging me to say that she had cooked meals for the Seuil men – one vegan for E and the other with meat for the growing lad. I was very lucky that they shared it with me – a veritable feast.