Madrid to Salamaca

Madrid, Sunday 23/5/15

Jane arrived in Madrid at lunchtime yesterday. The plane was in early and she was out, through the gates, in no time despite having to take the train trip between terminals 4S and 4. She was carrying her pack and so no wait for luggage.

I then proved, yet again, the depth of my skills on the transport system here by allowing us to somehow go two stops past our own. So we had to backtrack 😏. Hmm, at least we were headed in the right direction. An improvement over two previous trips last year when I headed in the wrong direction, on the right line! Yes. With certainty and determination. Sigh.

Left our things and walked from the apartment in Malaseña through the main plazas, Plaza del Sol and the Plaza Mayor. The first section of our walk was through Malaseña and she was very impressed with all the little bars and with the tables and chairs in all the different little plazas around here, the quirky shops, colourful graffiti and interesting people.

After I showed her the hotel I’d booked for when we return to Madrid she wanted to change it to somewhere nearer here. I was delighted as our booking was in the more central area, the busier CBD. Malaseña is Newtown or Fitzroy to the CBD and I very much agree with her, much better to return to this part of the city. So we have a new booking for when we return to Madrid. My current apartment isn’t available unfortunately.

Yesterday the downtown area was very busy later in the day. Thousands of people everywhere as we covered the many km we eventually walked. We walked far and wide through the edges of Chueca, the CBD, La Latina and back here to Malaseña. Passed the opera house, found some lovely houses and streets near there I’d not found before and all in all it was fun exploring with someone else.

Took her to my favourite cafe, really more a bar. I often drink chocolate there later in the day, the thick gluggy chocolate that is sooo Spain. I love it and was a little surprised she, a chocolate lover from way back, wasn’t that enthusiastic.

Salamanca

My fourth time here. Once walking through on the Via de la Plata, after that for a day or so, last October for another day or so and this time with Jane.

We caught the train from Madrid at 11.14. Walked straight to our hotel and headed out to explore Salamanca.

We started with the Plaza Mayor and lunch. As it was 3pm I finally lucked into another meal at Zuzu. Two years ago Eckhardt and I had a really nice dinner there on our last day of walking together. Since that first visit, I’ve always been around too early or too late to eat there. Yesterday our timing was ideal. Central Salamanca was very quiet so there were only a couple of customers in the restaurant when we arrived at about 3pm.

The menu del dia: salad with prawns, seafood spaghetti followed by brownies and coffee. Sounds fairly prosaic but it was far from that. The quality was excellent and, with mineral water and bread the cost was only €40 for a 3 course meal for the two of us outside on the terrace.

The central area, the plaza and the main tourist haunts near the cathedral, the house of shells and the bridge were still very quiet for a Sunday. So, I trailed along behind Jane (the photographer) who took great delight in everything, and I mean everything.

I like the gargoyles in the Shell House. Makes me wonder how many are based on people the mason didn’t like or who didn’t pay his bills on time.
  

        Seeing a Spanish town through new eyes was great. She saw the patterns, the small streets, the buildings and behaviours that I tend to expect now when in Spain. We walked here and there. Everywhere in and out and around.

I love the Roman bridge in Salamanca.  And I love the view from its other side across to the Cathedral.

By the time we arrived back near the cathedral after a walk across the bridge everything was different! The streets near it were full of well dressed spaniards ambling along in pairs, arm in arm, in small groups: generally, people were enjoying being out and around. The Plaza Mayor was also busy with people watchers, old folk sitting and watching, kids running around and people ambling through it to the streets at all corners.

The usual evening, a little busier than usual perhaps as the elections had finished and maybe people felt happier venturing out at that stage. We had noticed the police presence earlier at some voting stations, a slight and casual presence with few signs of life. But a presence nonetheless. Reminds me, Jane was very impressed with the very big gun one cop was carrying at the outer Madrid station we left from for Salamanca.

So, after a long day wandering we headed back like the many storks in the area to our perch. We are in the same hotel as I stayed in before: good location and a reasonable hotel. We will leave there about 1am Tuesday to catch the bus to our starting point for our walk, Vérin.

And now for more….

Thanks for following my blog as I’ve wandered through diverse places including walks in Spain, bike riding in Myanmar and including trips to Siem Reap. You’ve been following jac8020.wordpress.com

I’ve now posted additional pages on:

valjrob.wordpress.com

Yes:

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So far trips to rugged South West Tasmania; to Flinders Island, between Tasmania and the Australian mainland; and, later today, the early stages of a new trip to Spain. 

Hobart & southwest Tasmania

Next trip coming up very soon, a trip to Hobart and South West Tasmania.

Two more trips soon after: Flinders Island (in Bass Strait, between Tasmania and mainland Australia); and then Spain. This time in Spain I’ll be mostly in Granada, then Madrid and off with J to walk the last 170+km of the Via de la Plata camino.

Watch this space………

Madrid

Madrid
Breakfast at a cafe on Gran Via for the last time for a while today, 24 October 2014. This cafe is part of a French chain and seems expensive. (Not compared to the full breakfasts at the Paradores and not when you consider quality).

The food is great. Far removed from the white plastic bread and watered down tomato mix at many cafes in the tourist areas. Here the bread is the best and so is the coffee. And the juice. And the tomato mix. I may try to make the tomato mix at home as it seems to be tomatoes pulped after being deseeded and skinned. No obvious taste of extras such as salt even. Very nice on toast with olive oil.

And we conducted the ordering and where I’d sit in Spanish. Again. There is a tension for spanish speakers of english who interact with english speakers who like to be able to use their second language as well! And I’ve realised that few spanish who ‘speak english’ know much more than I do of spanish. Realising that was a pleasant surprise. Still, my spanish is very limited. For example, for some reason the waitress thought I said two orange juices. Easily sorted but the same happened yesterday. Hmm, what did I say?☺️

Life on a pedestrian mall
A view down the mall today, towards the Opera Metro and the opera house.

An advantage of staying in a hotel on the mall is the musos. The violinist yesterday morning, later with a guitarist, and then alone later was exquisite. And he played for hours. Early this morning (about 10am) an old guy was playing a squeeze box and an equally old woman was banging and shaking something. Impressive. They displaced the violinist who had to move further up the street. And now, after lunch on Thursday (yes, just after 4pm), an African sounding guy is punishing a guitar and singing in a falsetto voice a song about something or someone out of Africa and America. I can’t get the words. Yes they are in english and he’s on his fourth iteration of the same song. Think it’s the same verse. Maybe not as it was something to do with a woman. Oh no. Wait. Same song, he’s just sung about wanting a woman. Again. Hopefully he’ll leave soon! Only so many times you can sing and play the one song.

The other day I commented on the nightclub opposite the hotel. Here is a shot late on Wednesday of the front part of the two long lines waiting to get in.

And here is s shot of my lovely hotel, the Petit Palace Arenal Sol. My balcony is the one directly above clothes shop, to the right of the entrance. Would I stay in the Petit Palace again? Absolutely.

Spanish cities are homes to wheely bags. Especially on weekends the number wheeling their treasures is amazing. Oh to have a franchise here for wheelies. From the staff at the school, I believe many young Spaniards go home for a weekend every month, at least. Remember many have moved here from smaller towns, where there is little or no work for them. And many of the other tourists everywhere here are Spanish speakers, whether local or from other Spanish speaking places, I don’t know. But there appears to be a lot of internal movement of people, yes, all with wheelies! The exceptions, with packs, are foreigners of one or another type.

By the way, why do many people assume I’m an english speaker even before I start speaking? And I mean anytime, not just when I have a pack. At the start of our interaction they often use a few words of english. Why? My clothes? I’m taller than most local women, especially those my age? Why?

Summary
The past five and a bit weeks in Spain have been great. Three weeks of language school followed by a short walk in La Mancha and then over to Salamanca. Finally back to my starting point of Madrid. Today I’m heading off, back to Sydney, via the UK and then Dubai. So, many hours of travelling ahead. I’ll be back in a few more months for more language school and time in Spain.

Thank you for reading my blog and for your comments, online and off.

Salamanca to Madrid

Salamanca
Before I leave Salamanca I have to show you THE carved frog. I found it only by checking its location online. Yes, it is rather worn, not surprising given it dates back to the early 16th century. And yes, the frog is sitting on a skull which represents a dead son of the Catholic Royals. The frog itself represents the prince’s doctor. Why, I don’t know but the whole entrance is fascinating with its carved, small representations of significant people and images from that period.

The university is Spain’s oldest and the third oldest in the world, having been built in 1134. Yes, 1134. Really gives you a perspective on this place with its extended known history, recorded for thousands of years, and its existence for many many more thousands of years before that.

For more perspective look at this statue: it remembers a prince of Salamanca five centuries after he died. No idea why he was thought so important that this statue was placed for him relatively recently. A comment on our impermanence really. We don’t last for long and what is remembered of us, if anything much, is some idealised view and not the reality of a living person.

I’ll miss this hotel, the Eurostars Las Claras, a pleasant hotel near good cafes and restaurants but, Madrid calls.

And a common street scene from a cafe in the central area:

And look at these kids. Mixed ages, in unusual costumes walking around the main area of Salamanca on a Sunday. Why? No idea.

Before I go, look at this pigeon. Perched up high, looking down on us mere humans below its lofty perch.

Madrid
Monday 20th October and I’m back in Madrid. I leave for home in a few days, via Heathrow. Not looking forward to going via the UK. Yes, I know, it was my fault last time at Heathrow that I spent 30 minutes in the wrong line when I should have been in the transit one. I’m warned this time! Read all signs carefully.

My Madrid hotel is on a pedestrian mall, a great location as it’s very central. Reviews suggested this hotel might be noisy. Since I’m on the first floor overlooking the mall I’ll know within the next 5 or 6 hours. The guy on the desk told me I can move tomorrow if it’s too noisy. From the reviews the noise comes from people leaving a nightclub over the street in the wee hours. So far I’m only aware of the metro underneath the building. I’ve heard a deep rumble from it a few times but that’s not disturbing me. I am obviously above the tracks of a line into the busiest metro station, Vodaphone Sol. Very handy for getting to the airport on the metro. A couple of shots up either direction. Neither really shows convincingly just how many people are in this mall at all hours.

Loud people in the street after midnight may bother me. Hopefully not as I love being able to watch the world go by from my very own little balcony. Or, the other residents may be a problem. I’ve already opened the door and said shush to one very loud young miss on the phone. Lots of conversations are conducted at full voice. Phone users especially, but then, they are no different here than those in train carriages and public places anywhere. Some shout anyhow into the most sensitive microphones.

Turned on the TV a few minutes ago and got a lesson on delivering babies! A wonderful teaching manikin (a very pregnant manikin, a womanikin?) that can be used to teach people how to deliver a baby normally or when there are certain complications. In the second delivery the baby’s shoulders were stuck and it wasn’t turning. Truly a brilliant teaching manikin. I was hoping for something else, like a show I saw the other night: a guy marooned somewhere where big bears live. Think it was American but everything (almost) on TV here is American or British and dubbed into Spanish. Except, that is, for the almost continuous news and chat shows, and soapies. Anyhow it wasn’t Bear G. The new tough hero guy was a bit of a drip but another extreme story to look forwards to seeing sometime.

Food
Breakfast was a new experience today. By ordering coffee and orange juice I was accidentally requesting a breakfast set that included toast. This ‘toast’ was deep fried bits of bread sprinkled with sugar. A bit much for a light breakfast, ok if I was wood chopping but, no. Not the right breakfast for a ‘street walker’. Definitely prefer the wonderful toast, slices of tomato and oil I ate in Salamanca!

And now, an extended coffee break in my favourite cafe. It’s just near where I went to school, where I left my bag with my Spanish books and spare clothes. After a few minutes in the cafe my mate Rob, and his dog Louie, arrived. We’ve chatted before. He’s a Brit who’s lived in Madrid, teaching english, for a number of years. His father died last week from a pancreatic cancer and Rob’s very upset and planning on returning to the UK. He reckons the average income in Madrid is 1500€ a month for many people. If true, that’s about between A$25,000 and 30,000 a year. Louie is a middle sized black, untrained and gorgeous young pup. Loves coming to the cafe as he gets titbits. If they are not given to him he steals them off tables. Very cute, obviously learning quickly, and with a lot of manners yet to learn.

I’ve included a couple of menus from Madrid selected, I hasten to say, because I could get reasonable shots of them. It’s not that any is particularly exciting but each shows the challenges they offer. Just when I think I understand basically what’s available I realise how many types of named beans there are, for example. I have no idea what cooking something the ‘madrid way’ means. Local differences in describing how things are cooked confuse me. Heaps. Salad is easy – almost always variations on lettuce, tomatoes, onions and eggs. Most other things, including options with beans both fresh and dried, aren’t!

An added problem is the script. Some letters are written differently and take a little care when reading. Test yourself!

Noise
Last night most of the noise came from my neighbours as they entered and exited their room. No idea how many are next door but tonight promises to be similar. Between my room and the mall outside are effective double glazed doors that can be opened. This doesn’t reduce noise from the neighbours though. They are loud and I’m possibly in the room in between those of a group.

Same again the second night. About 40 people were outside the nightclub this morning at 5.30am but not noisy, not a crowd of drunks. Quiet and with individuals moving between the small groups. I heard them, woke, looked out the window, turned on the wifi radio and went back to sleep. Yes, bed around midnight and I wake and doze from about 7. Don’t get up until 9ish. Seems so lazy but it’s really just fitting in with daylight hours and general social activities.

Beggars
Opposite me as I have coffee this morning are 6 beggars getting ready for their day too. The last, a woman, arrived in her long raggedy dress, well after the five men. More men have since joined and then drifted away. The woman is loudly declaiming about something. Are they comparing outcomes (incomes) from yesterday perhaps? Distributing spots for today? Or talking about something totally different. Don’t seem to be speaking Spanish but, possible are. The photo is dreadful. I had to discretely use my mobile but the iPhone 5s has limited flexibility so you may not see much.

One man has the usual sign around his neck ready for a day’s work. You may or may not see its cardboard and on his chest. I can’t read it from here but I can guarantee it will say he has two children and lives on the street as he has no job and no home. It might also have something about medical costs. Many of the beggars are apparently gipsies. But, given that ‘gypsy’ is a disparaging term in much of Europe it might represent a general view rather than an accurate description.

At the entrance to many of the much visited churches one or two old women, bundled in blankets and covers, sit with an empty cup in hand. Younger women walk the streets with a cup in hand. Some approach people at outdoor cafes but not usually. Thankfully, as I find it hard to deal with, knowing times are very tough for many but I am not sure how it is really for the people begging. Some are clearly opportunists like the odd old man I’ve seen just doing it to pass the time. And others, such as the guy with no arms, and the woman with multiple limb deformities clearly have fewer options than the rest of us.

General comments
Police here have the strangest hats, black plastic relics from the past. According to my new friend, they were adopted 55 years ago. Not sure what type of police wear these hats but most I’ve seen usually hang around outside buildings. By contrast the ones on the street wear a practical, dark blue uniform with a fluro vest. Most men in uniform, in my experience, are happy to preen in their uniform for a camera. No difference here. Their hats must be so hot and sweaty in hot weather. Black plastic. Surely they have a liner! They look even odder in reality than the shot conveys. Truly, they look like fancy dress hats, a uniform from the long ago past.

My museum visit for the day was to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. I enjoyed seeing some works, including this winter scene of a town with skaters and hunters. My favourite art gallery remains the Prado but truthfully, I get more joy from archaeological museums. One of my favourites remains the little one hidden away in Segovia given the periods covered and the range of items on display.

Shoes- if that word thrills you, come to Madrid. Many shoe stores with many types of shoes. Yes, I’ve even been into a few Campers shops. They are almost tempting! The two examples here show a whole range of little girls’ shoes, looking like adult shoes; and the second a range of colourful shoes, possibly called espadrilles in english (yes, co opted word). Both shots are through shop windows so are a little poor with reflections.

And clothes shops are everywhere. For those interested in buying this looks like a good place to visit. For females and males alike.

Enough for now.

Salamanca

Salamanca
Being a little west of where I was walking in Spain it gets light even later here. A little after 8am. As you know by now, since I mention it so often, life here is skewed to later sunrises and sunsets.

Salamanca is really spectacular. It is like the usual old Spanish city: an old centre with a large traditional Cathedral and similar buildings and some remnants of an old stone city wall, surrounded by a new city with a modern layout, wider main streets and taller buildings.

And of course, a main plaza as well as many smaller ones. Some shots show the Plaza Mayor as rain threatened. The poor camarero was having to remove the nicely starched green tablecloths he’d not long ago put out. And the inevitable tour group, with its umbrellas, was huddled on one side of the plaza. Other shots show the Plaza Mayor during better weather, with sun and more tourists. And one some noisy school kids on a balcony overlooking the Plaza. Another shows one of the many important men whose images have been immortalised by carved representations around the edges of the Plaza. They include rulers from Roman times and seem to be more than just the local rulers. No, no women. Not even Queen Isobel made this lot as far as I could see. Maybe she was around the other side as she is one of the best known Catholic royals so it’s hard to believe she is not included. I’ll look again as well as looking for the frog on the Cathedral.

In Salamanca many buildings in the central area are a similar style, rectangular stone buildings with narrow balconies, similar types of doorways etc. They are usually in good condition and with little graffiti (tags), compared to Madrid. Clearly there is longstanding recognition of the value to Salamanca of its distinctive types of buildings, in their lighter stone. And clearly there has been considerable effort put into maintaining this wonderful old city.

The height of buildings appears to be generally regulated in the Spanish cities I’ve visited to date. The exceptions are the 4 tall buildings near Chamartin Station in Madrid, the northern connecting train station. One of the 4 is labelled PWC and I assume these 4 help decentralise Madrid. In Salamanca the limit seems to be 4 or 5 stories, certainly in the older areas.

So in Salamanca cathedrals dominate the skyline. The old city is up on a rise, as you expect with places that have been lived in for a known few thousand of years. Obviously easier to see your enemies and to defend your ‘pile’ in centuries past. Now, just picturesque with a river wending its way around the foot of the hill. This river, Rio Tormes, has a few bridges including the lovely Roman bridge that I photographed last year, probably both times I was here as it’s so impressive.

The following shots should give you some sense of the streets, often curved, and with the stone walls and buildings. Also, some of the very typical balconies are evident.

Lunch
Whoops. I had to beat a hasty retreat from lunch. Lunch was at one of the many restaurants around this area: gazpacho, mixed salad (lettuce, tomato, egg, onion and the ubiquitous tuna. I kid you not. Tuna is almost integral to salad wherever you go in Spain), a roll and water (agua con gas). Cost 12.80€ which is not bad.

So, why the hasty retreat? Well, um, there wasn’t enough space on my table for the dishes and the lovely little blue water bottle. Perhaps if I had an iPhone 6plus rather than an iPad mini I’d have managed the space better. The blue bottle jumped off (yup!) and smashed on the hard cobblestones. The woman at the next table told me not to try and clean it up and that she’d tell the grumpy camarera. Meanwhile, I’d left a little tip, a monetary one as well as this😊, and clearly I’ll need to speak to Apple about an iPhone 6plus. Pity the new iPad mini 3 is relatively unchanged. Would that the newspaper apps were usable on the iPhone 6plus! A curse on your intransigence Fairfax and Murdoch. Heaven knows I’ve alerted you to this problem Fairfax. No sign of change!

Anyhow…. opportunism aside:

I’d stopped earlier for coffee, on the other side of the Plaza Mayor and had the best, and I mean the best, tortilla espanola. That is really a potato frittata, commonly used as a pinchos. For 2€ I had a nice coffee and a slice of tortilla. Yes, you’ve probably guessed where I’m going again tomorrow. Gives me an excuse to walk through the myriad of small, tortuous streets in this old part of town. I know I can find that cafe again as I marked it on my GPS as it’s in an ‘along one, turn left at the first and then right at the second…..’ type of location that is hard to find. Given my skills in finding where I live usually, it would take me considerably more days of walking the city to be able to get back to such a place without a map. Who cares. I have Gaia, a GPS app 😉

Carvings
I’ve included a few shots of some of the features of the Cathedral, the new and old sections. You can guess the carvings are new, given the subject matter of at least one. I still have to find the frog carving, a feature of some of the tourist stuff, green frogs (rianas). Maybe tomorrow. And the doors, especially of churches and cathedrals, so heavy and large with carvings above and around them.

Note especially the spaceman, the monster eating an ice cream, and the well hung young boy. The double dogs eating something is an accident, too difficult to correct when using the mobile version of WordPress. Trust me, it’s very clunky and redoing that bit is not easy: take it as a bonus. Dogs are!

I’ll put the frog in tomorrow as I’ve now discovered why I’ve not found it on the Cathedral – yes, it’s on a University building, the cathedral.

Madrid
Leave tomorrow for Madrid. Catching the train. People here disparage RENFE but I don’t know why. Sure, there are some minor glitches I’ve encountered but there are many trains, clean, in a decent condition, and they are generally fast and comparatively frequent. Perhaps trying certain state rail systems in Australia could bring some perspective! Or, perhaps it’s an equivalent national sport to routines complaints we make about various administrative systems.

Reminds me:

would you guess pedestrians are generally compliant with traffic lights or not in Spain? They are. Astoundingly so. I’ve been surprised. Maybe it’s just with a large population this affords a mutual support system of drivers and pedestrians in places like here and Madrid. No, I don’t believe that either. But they wait most times, even in the apparent absence of oncoming traffic.

Smokers:

too many here. Tobacconists are common and I don’t know what cigarettes cost but think they are quite cheap. People of all ages smoke. Smoking is permitted outside, at cafe tables.

Tickets for the ‘fat one’, the big lottery are for sale. This one is for Xmas. I guess they gave a few throughout the year as there are many sellers of lottery tickets, in small kiosks and who walk around.

Ebola:

except for the hysterical parts of the press here, not an obvious local topic of conversation. I think the dog was put down. Yes? But, guess what forms JP and I had to complete on arrival in Cambodia nearly two months ago, yes, a health statement that explicitly asked about contact with Ebola and if we’d been in certain places. We were surprised then and I still find it hard to believe they were so far ahead of the game. I’m expecting something similar on the way home late next week as I’m going via Heathrow and, obviously, coming from Spain.

San Clemente to Salamanca

Moving on
Today I most certainly am a very happy camper.

And all it took was a short walk, a bus, and two trains and I’m in Salamanca, a few hundred km away. Very happily ensconced in a nice hotel near a Salamanca Cathedral, San Esteban, I’ve liked this city since my first visit in 2014. Yes, I’ve moved on from the Camino Levante. Put my papers for stamps for peregrinos aside.

I had a disturbed night’s sleep in San Clemente, in one of the least prepossessing rooms I’ve ever stayed in. Anywhere. At any time. The room was clean, and in that regard heaps better than a room I memorably shared with Ajr in Mexico or one I shared with a junkie and a rat in India many years ago. (No, it was a junkie and a rat, not a rat junkie or a junkie rat). Saying my room in San Clemente was tired and jerry-built understates its qualities. The light switches were creative, the degree of luminosity from the one remaining working light in the room technically astounding, the maintenance of ‘hot’ water temperature just on tepid perfect, . Etc.

Thanks to those who proffered advice. I agree, leaving the Camino Levante was the best solution for me. Small towns in a large flat, windswept, area, little infrastructure for walkers. Clearly not what I’d expected. Perhaps I should have. I just hadn’t realised what it would be like.

Having the Via de la Plata as my first camino in Spain has clearly ruined me for the rest. It passes through a great range of places, through visibly romanised areas with the moorish effects also evident. And it has many smaller towns that have stayed unchanged for long periods and that are used to walkers coming through. Towns that have accommodation and where people are used to foreigners. Yes, there are many fewer accommodation options than on the Camino Frances and similarly fewer bars and restaurants. All in all, I was so lucky to go on the best of the Caminos I know, first.

Leaving San Clemente Tuesday 14 October
At 8am I woke with a start, didn’t know what I was going to do but knew I had to go. Quickly, as it happened as I also knew the bus for Madrid left at 8.30am. Packed quickly. Very quickly. Understood most of the instructions the locals gave me for getting to the bus station and arrived in time to get coffee to take with me. Take away is not the industry here it is in many places but, you can get it.

Still not sure what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. Not Toledo nor Córdoba now. Salamanca called. I considered Merida and Caceres too but there is more I want to see here. First.

So, as the bus proceeded north, towards south Madrid, I organised a train booking and accommodation in Salamanca. (How did we manage prior to the internet?) Got a reasonable deal for the next 6 nights in a hotel near the Salamanca Cathedral. Big room, a door on the room with the bidet and toilet and, a bath. Yes, a full bath. And an entrance hall. All in all, a nice room and I asked that it overlooks the street, a quiet backwater on the eastern side of the Cathedral. (Still unsure how to use a bidet!)

While here I plan to walk around the area. After a day’s rest and touristing. I want to go south, back along the Via de la Plata to a battlefield where the English and French fought. I passed there quickly last time with Eckhard, headed for the Salamanca Paradore. And then north of here. I remember only it was difficult to find where to turn left in one section. May not pursue that as there is also a considerable distance through the northern part of the town to get out to there. South is a better option.

In the meantime, breakfast. 7€ if I organise it through the hotel, in the adjacent restaurant. A very good one at that price with fruit, cereals, meats, cheeses, breads, tomato, olive oil, hot dishes I didn’t check, pastries etc. Heaps of variety and types of foods.

The only drawback is the noisy American who smacks his lips as he eats. Ugh. Of all the vacant seats and he had to take one just over from me. This seems to be a foreigners’ hotel with Germans, Americans and, next to me on the other side, some Brits who possibly live in Australia given their accents. Ugh. He is still going. Smack. Smack. Strange noise. I distracted myself by paying a tax bill. And it worked! Well, the distraction. I’ve deferred the tax payment until the eve of the day it’s due of course. No, he is still smacking. Ugh. Too much.

Next day I decided I’d eat breakfast outside the hotel. A nice little place not far along the street. I like it and the guy who runs it.

Nocturnal visitors
On my first night, at 11pm, there was a knock on my door. A couple of times. No peephole so I called out and got a lovely soft lilting Irish reply: ‘Oh Jesus, Mary I am so sorry’. Delivered in such a beautiful, lilting Irish voice. That alone made it worth getting up to hear. And no, she’s not at breakfast. I would have moved tables to listen to that voice again.

On my second night an insistent knocking again. I eventually moved and answered and got no response. So I looked out the door and saw a guy down the passage walking away, trailing a case. Speaking of which I should get some food. The lip smacking guy is now also sniffing. Ugh.

No, no subsequent nocturnal visitors. Place seems to have many groups but, luckily, not on this floor. So there is less coming and going of new people daily. I see them in the lobby or, getting on the bus outside.

Yes, I’m happy in Salamanca. I’ll write about the city in the next blog. Rest assured, moving here was the right thing to do. I emailed Eckhard, with whom I’d walked a little while on the Via de la Plata, a few days ago and he said he’d heard from others that the Camino Levante is ‘not the best option’. He walked the Camino del Norte earlier this year.

So, some shots of the Cathedral and surrounds:

La Roda to San Clemente

Reflections of an over tired walker
I want out of here. I’m exhausted. My step counter says I took something over 54,000 steps. The distance was supposed to be 34 or 35km. Even with the extra distance I walked getting out of La Roda, I don’t believe I did nearly 60km, as the apple GPS exercise app says. However I know I did more than the 34 or 35km I’d expected to do.

How could I walk extra distance (get lost) with a GPS? I left at 7.30, in the dark. Fine but, the GPS wasn’t updating. And I had no idea for quite a while as I crossed the little streets on the town’s outskirts. This suggests there were few, at times no, overhead satellites as the map app had been brilliant in Madrid. But out in the countryside it was well behind. Still, that can have added only a km or so. After that I relied more on Google maps as it updates faster. It was still off its game too. Considerably, compared to 30sec to 30sec updating in Madrid.

So, I walked from 7.30 until 4.30 with only a few short rests but the best case scenario would have been, say, 4.8km/hr over that time. Maybe 4.5km/hr. So that would make about 40+km. I believe it. My toes are sure that calculation is right. My last 9km were hard work, the sort of walking where you just do step by step, don’t look ahead and definitely check the GPS infrequently! And focus on how lucky you are to be doing it, to be able to have the time here and to be mobile and wanting to walk. So, a hard day and now I’m uncertain what to do. I’m not really interested in the types of little towns I’m finding on this camino. Small, generally modern and with limited accommodation.

The other thing I’ve noticed in La Mancha is the unfriendliness of many people. Like in bars. Go in for a coffee and you may as well have come from Mars the way they gawp. Yes, more to moan about yet….

San Clemente
Tonight’s hotel (Hostal Milan) is the second worst I’ve stayed in. Absolutely the worst in Spain. Not just because of the cool (hot?) water nor the toilet that’s seen the end of many users over the many many years of its service. Nor the light that barely lights the room and leaves it too dull to read in or to cut fingernails. The one over the bed doesn’t work. Nor does the wifi up here despite what the advertisement for the place says – no, it worked well eventually.

What’s worst is I chose this hotel yesterday. I didn’t check the reviews carefully enough. Had I realised, I could have stayed in a Paradores, 20km back. Agghgghh. Or in one of two other places in this town that have to be better. I think I’m the only hotel guest again, like last night. So, I’m tired, unhappy with my choice of hotel etc. Now, the day.

La Roda to San Clemente
At 7.30am the moon had a halo around it. While not dressed for rain I had my jacket, umbrella and pack cover ready to go if needed. The outskirts of La Roba was ugly, an extended industrial sprawl, very different from La Gineta yesterday with its infrastructure developed but no industry using the area allocated. Very like poorer areas in the Extremadura I noticed last year. The area there was generally paid for by the EU. Lots of subdivided industrial areas lying idle. Same with this one.

The big claim for this area is Don Quijote. There is a camino focussed on his travels and various monuments representing his image.

A number of small, semicircular or circular, stone buildings exist in paddocks or are part of a few stone fences along the way. They are shepherds huts, chozos. Obviously not used for that now as the land is cultivated extensively and stock no longer roam freely. They are beautifully built, a careful, specialist job. I hope some are looked after into the future as they are pretty impressive and probably couldn’t be rebuilt now. I suspect the expertise probably doesn’t exist any more.

A national guard waved and tooted his car as he passed me. He was very friendly. I thought I might see him on a return back but no such luck.

The ants were behaving very differently today. I had seen so few by 10.30 that I was sure it was going to rain. It did, a bit. Later in the day a few more were around but not as many as yesterday. Large rainbows a couple of times. Huge ones. Black clouds most of the day and I think the forecast for tomorrow is for rain.

Most of the towns are sad things here. The first one I arrived in, Minaya, I made a beeline for coffee. The bar was in an out of way street but the local I asked included a couple of words I understood and I found it easily. Full of about 30 middle aged, to old, men. Many were playing a game of some sort at one table. They looked at me as they might a Martian. One was kind and when I was looking at how to get into the loo passed me the key. Why would they lock the womens loo, not the men’s? Anyhow. The woman I’d asked behind the bar hadn’t told me there was a key. No, I didn’t stay for long. Gulped a coffee and left. Funnily, it was similar in the next little town. And the next. Unfriendly. Seemingly unused to foreigners and happy to show it. And not willing to help me out if my Spanish was deficient.

And, let me describe checking out of the hotel this morning. I went downstairs at about 7.10, when I knew the bar would be open. Then had to pay. No credit card option so I handed over a 100€ note. This was checked very carefully. Held up the the light and I think its numbers were checked against a list the camarero had. A guy drinking coffee also looked at the note carefully and agreed it was ok. By this time I was very relieved, finished my coffee and happily collected my change. So I guess they have few foreigners and few walkers in particular who usually prefer to leave about 7 or 7.30. The hotel desk opens at 8.30!

You might be getting a sense I don’t like this area a lot. Flattish, stoney and heavily cultivated with few crops currently growing. Sure, winter is coming but it’s not a prepossessing, visibly fertile area. Very few olives, some grapes but not many, some almond trees. Not a lot else. The ground is so stoney. I couldn’t believe one area. It was sufficiently extensive that I don’t think it was just the site of an old, very large building. Just a very very stoney area.

I’ve included a few shots: the curious goats; a very heavily fruited young olive tree; a sign seemingly indicating dogs (? greyhounds) train in that area; and a vehicle for transporting live animals that was beautifully painted; a street shot from a little town, a church and a paddock full of solar power arrays. First I’ve seen in this area of Spain. Common in the west of the country.

Next few days
Can’t decide what to do. I’m not enjoying walking here much and face some more long days. The accommodation in upcoming towns is either nonexistent or, not compelling. I’d love to go to a town I like, such as Córdoba or Toledo. I want to walk more but not where it’s flat, windy and with minimal accommodations. So, undecided at present. Yes, I’ll sleep on it. Might move to a nice hotel in this town, spend the day here and keep walking. Or, head off in the early morning bus somewhere. I don’t know. My feet have full voting rights this time.

Albacete to La Roda

Albacete to La Roda

From Hotel San Jose In Albacete I travelled in a taxi to La Gineta. Thankfully, as I knew I’d not make 40km on my first day walking after a few relatively sedentary weeks. Phew. I was right. The 30€ taxi ride was worth it.

Thanks so much to the wonderful Ramon at Hotel San Jose. He was such a kind, pleasant and thoughtful man. The taxi driver was also helpful, survived my murdering his language and left me at a cafe, the closest place in La Gineta to the camino. And sure enough, just over the road a sign I was looking for.

Always strange for me to remember that all these people I encounter are parts of very extended chains that have continued in parallel with mine. Us all unknown to the other and us each encountering our life as central, or believing our life is central. As indeed it is. To us! And then our paths cross in a passing moment.

La Gineta to La Roda
I started walking in La Gineta at about 8.30am and arrived in La Roda approximately 4 hours later. Just as the rain started. All morning I’d noticed ants busily crossing to and fro on the track. Many have nests in the middle of the track, the highest point. It had rained overnight and they were busy but I couldn’t tell if more were moving higher as it would rain some more or moving equally in and out, conducting their normal business. Hmm, I now suspect they were preparing for rain and the prospects for more are high according to the forecast.

Soon after I got onto the track two guys in a car towing a little dog van passed me. When I came upon them later they had 3 greyhounds with strapping on their legs that they must have been training. I didn’t hang about to see how but had seen quite a few rabbits by that point. So, who knows.

The countryside is fairly flat, mostly cultivated. Very stoney. The only crop, except for some mature stone fruit trees, a few olive trees and some grape vines, was some mature corn or maize. Quite a few large square bales of hay stacked, ready for the oncoming winter. I wouldn’t want to walk through this type of country in cold weather. I could easily imagine driving sleet and snow across the region and did wonder what I’d do if a storm started as there were relatively few trees.

No stock roaming, as expected in an area with no fencing. Some cows were visible inside one set of sheds and other enclosed buildings possibly housed pigs or sheep. I couldn’t tell.

The GPS points I have for the updated track were very helpful as were the details in the guidebook. Thanks to the guys in Valencia.

The hotel I’d booked in La Roda was on the outskirts, on the other side of a major highway. I didn’t fancy walking back that way and so cancelled it and found one in the main area. There are no photos of La Roda for a good reason: there is little to recommend it! An old town but I couldn’t find the second point of fame, the old family shields on houses somewhere. Most of what I’ve seen is modern the old houses seemingly long replaced and even the Plaza Mayor is uninteresting. And yet, this is an old region, long traversed by all invaders and then by the reconquistadors. The main point of fame now is the Cathedral. It looks interesting on the outside but was firmly locked.

Wait! The real point of fame is the small cakes filled with a nice creamy custard, Miguelitos. These seem to originate in a nearby shop that is so so busy. The range of types of little and big cakes they had was surprising. The Miguelitos in particular were selling like hot cakes and are in the few nearby shops too. I bought four and have eaten only one. It was nice so I hope they last until tomorrow. Will make a nice breakfast with black bread.

The supermarket was shut. It’s Sunday and usual in small towns. One shop near this hotel was prepared to sell me some cheese. Another wasn’t, unless I bought a huge chunk, a quarter of a round. In fact I didn’t like that shopkeeper at all. He obviously didn’t like foreigners or non Spaniards. Or both.

Lunch
Lunch was the usual arrangement: menu del dia. For 11€ I had a scrambled egg mixture (with something like asparagus and, ham) that is common in Spain, fish (deep fried as usual) with a bit of lettuce and tomato, chocolate cake, coffee, bread and a small bottle of mineral water. Not bad as I need the calories when I’m walking.

A little more
And now, I’m knackered. A mere 20km and I’m truly knackered. Tomorrow to San Clemente is a bit over 34km. If I’m too knackered and its a nice town or raining too much I’ll consider staying there an extra day. I hope all goes well as I’d rather more time in Toledor or Madrid at the end.

No albergues down this part of the Camino Levante. No signs or sightings of any other walkers but now is the time of year I might see some. Fingers crossed any I meet are patient Spanish speakers not wanting to practise english.

Wish me goodnight, a dry day tomorrow and a good sleep. Oh, and a cup of coffee before I head off for a night of Spanish tv and reading. I want to leave early tomorrow. 7.30 is possibly the best case scenario given how late light arrives, closer to 8am.

Madrid to Albacete

Madrid to Albacete

Leaving Madrid today. I’m in Atocha RENFE, the big station where the metro joins the RENFE trains that go to the more southern parts of Spain. If you come in from the madrid airport you will probably pass through here.

Getting to this station was easy. Two changes, one on the metro and one to RENFE and no travelling in the wrong direction. Last time I was here I was trying to change from the very fast RENFE train from Toledo to the metro to the airport. Not knowing the system made it a little difficult but now, easy! Plus I have considerably more Spanish when I need to know something.

The man sitting opposite me while I was waiting to board was clearly off walking too, with his pack and sticks. He is over 50 😊, and is reading a local paper. And no, he wasn’t heading my way.

With luck I’m not the only person walking from Albacete to Toledo, starting tomorrow. It’s not a well known route so I may be. Best case scenario: a nice, patient, person who speaks only Spanish is going my way, at my pace, if only for a few days to consolidate what I’ve learnt during the past 3 weeks. Irrespective, I have pages of notes and my well thumbed book of Spanish verbs. Plus I’ve written a few little stories and have transcribed the corrected versions so I can remind myself of what I’ve learnt. I’m sure to get many opportunities to practise as, while english is taught in schools now, it wasn’t until relatively recently. So finding someone who speaks English better than I do Spanish gets harder the further out you get from a big city. So, all good.

Train to Albacete
The southern outskirts of Madrid are like those of most big cities I’ve visited, ugly and interminable. We left on time and are now travelling through dry, flat plains. Intermittent signs of industry, look like feed lots or similar. Now, a few low hills and some olive trees and wind generators in the background. Dry. Very dry here. In the background In the train a movie, obviously American but in Spanish and with Spanish subtitles. The updated version of cowboys and Indians, America army against baddies from the Middle East, wearing headdresses of one or another type. Same. Same. Just the protagonists and their weapons change.

Now, slightly higher hills and many more trees. Scattered trees and some pine that looks to be being grown commercially. Now, other types of trees mixed with small pines of some type.

Changing to some vineyards and olive groves among the low hills visible from the train. We are 15 to 20 minutes from Albacete so I guess the area I’m walking through will look much like this: low hills or flat and dry. More crops now, of maize or corn, dried and ready for harvest.

Albacete
A relatively flat town, many newer buildings but it must be old. Must be! And judging from one beautiful building I found, it is. I found a statue I liked of one of the royals described as the ‘Catholic royals’, Isobel (Elizabeth). Clearly Albacete ‘adopted’ her as their own as she was a Portugese princess.

Easy to find the hotel and the guy behind the desk was so helpful. He rang the next town and confirmed it had no accommodation. So that decides it: a taxi to La Gineta, 20 km along the camino, and I’ll walk the 20km, or so, from there to the next town, La Roda. I’ve booked accommodation there already as I thought that was the case.

The man on the front desk was so good. I don’t know how much English he has as he managed with my Spanish quite easily. Yes, I’m chuffed! Especially chuffed because our interactions included a discussion of what there is to see in Albacete, whether La Gineta had accommodation or not, and him understanding that I’d need a taxi tomorrow morning and him explaining that is no problem. Finding out when breakfast was on was easy.

I am so pleased I started learning Spanish. Learning French at secondary school was never real. I knew no one who spoke 2 languages and certainly no one who spoke just French. We had no foreign language movies of any sort in the scrub, in the backwater of the very small farming area where I grew up in Tasmania, a backwater of Australia! I had no basis for assessing the possible value to me of another language. And then, when travelling in the 1970s, I met people like Klaus, a German whose english was so good native speakers were fooled and his French was apparently even better. Learning German at that time, in Germany, was one of the best things I did. It taught me how much fun learning another language can be and I very much enjoyed it. Now? I’ve long forgotten most of my German and have no doubt that Spanish is the language for me to learn now. It will facilitate my travelling in Spain, helping me enjoy walking distances while I’m fit and able and in a country well set up to do it. I guess I’ll travel in South America later. Not a high priority yet but it will be and again, having some Spanish will help.

I’m sitting in a cafe. Not just for coffee but also to listen in to try and hear whatever the person near me is talking about. Dammit, I’m a little too far from anyone now. Oh no! It’s just to practise listening. Nothing more.

2pm
I’ve just been to a wedding in the most beautiful cathedral. Not big but a high ceiling and with frescos covering the walls of the Albacete Cathedral. The walls are amazing, as are the orangey pink coloured arched sections of the ceiling. You can see both in the following photos, in the background behind the bride and the direct photos of some of the frescos and a part of the ceiling.

The wedding party included 3 kids, 2 boys and a girl. The kids were so cute. All under 5 I suspect and very active, up the front with the bride, her father, the groom and a woman standing beside him. The bride’s dress was white and she had a train that extended for a considerable distance behind her. Took her two assistants quite a while to arrange her so proceedings could start. The groom wore tails. He was the only man I could see wearing them so clearly it’s the ‘uniform’ for grooms here.

The knife museum next door was interesting. The claim to fame of this area is, as for Toledo, knives. Knives of all shapes and sizes from cute miniature pocket knives to large, lethal looking daggers and similar types of weapons.

The museum includes some blades, without handles, that are over two thousand years old. Most are considerably more recent. Knives are known to have been manufactured in this area as early as the 16th century, and they subsequently became a regional specialty. The museum also included a section on scissors. The earliest seem to have had a very different shape, not the long, offset, blades we have now but one set in a semi-circular piece of metal and that this type was used BC for cutting hair. When the modern design was developed is apparently not known but given issues with metals, and their design, I expect many people called for change as their hair was cut and half pulled out with the original design. The quality of metals available a few thousand years ago limited design possibilities and early blades didn’t stay sharp. More recent manufacturers have had more options with a better range of metals with the requisite properties.

The town is full of cervezerias, restaurants that sell beer, wines etc and tapas. A couple of smaller streets are shut off and members of other wedding parties (one in a registry office, another in a different church) were mingling at different places with others walking around.

The Spanish all seem to go away on a weekend. You could do an album of people and their cases as they pull them, push them and hurry to catch transport. And then there was the little white dog in its wheeled cage in Atocha RENFE station. Barked its head off while imprisoned. I saw it later, out of its cage being given a drink. It was clearly more interested in its surroundings than in drinking and had stopped it’s hysterical barking. I didn’t wait to see it being re-imprisoned.

Lunch: after 2pm, a menu of the day for 12€. I had two first courses, soup and a bean mixture they make here with white beans, tomato and chorizo. Lunch included bread, mineral water, a coffee and a desert, a very different style of cheese cake.

So, back to the hotel for a rest and I’ll decide where to go later. Most shops have shut already so I’ll likely walk in the park. I’m knackered as I slept only a couple of hours last night. I was so wired. Not sure why. Perhaps the excitement of starting another walk, maybe a consequence of my brain overload earlier in the day when I lost the ability to do conjugate verbs while telling a story based on some picture cards. And added excitement with the evening’s cultural lecture on Granada. Wow. What a city, named after the persimmons that grow everywhere with the Alhambra named for its red walls. The talk was excellent, meaning I understood most of it and enjoyed it.

Ephemera
The missing cheese: I can’t find the sliced sheep’s cheese I bought yesterday in Madrid. I have the packet but no cheese! Most odd. Can’t find it in my pack. Must have fallen out in my Madrid room. Can’t think how it could have. Disappointing. Bread and water is not the same as bread and cheese and water.

Do owners look like their pet or, vice versa: two shots from madrid, a few days ago.