Well that’s another day nobody can take away from me.
The good folk of Gallur were, unusually for Spain, early to bed, but equally early to rise. The bars were busy at 0700 and I managed a couple of coffees and a kilo, or thereabouts, of excellent fresh tortilla. In the finest traditions of Spanish trabajadores my companions, largely refuse collectors, were starting the day with a large glass of brandy before a shift of operating unguarded heavy machinery.
The food at El Colono was excellent - but only open at (Spanish) lunchtime yesterday. Best check before relying on it. In fact I saw nowhere in Gallur with food in the evening apart from an itinerant churros van.
This was always going to be a marathon day.
The route continues to largely avoid the river and instead follows the Canal Imperial - where the towpath is easier walking than tarmac.
Mallen is large enough to be open 7/7 and is another peaceful small town with a nice church either extended repeatedly or designed by an indecisive architect, but I didn’t have time to investigate.
At Cortes (Km 12’ish) I decided to stick with the canal through to Ribaforada. The official route looked to be another dead-straight tarmac road, although my choice probably added a couple of Km. The canal finishes near Fontellas where it joins the river. I forgot to take a photo, but I’ve got an earlier and later one to try to add. ( I’ve never got the hang of ‘thumbnails’ so hopefully one of the mods will sort that out).
Ribaforada was also open for business. I just stopped for a couple of scoops then ploughed on.
It’s been warming up all day and at 27c it was getting a bit oppressive. A short shower of rain cleared the air and wasn’t enough to put a jacket on for. Too hot anyway.
The last stretch into Tudela follows the railway line, which must be the safest bit of Spanish infrastructure ever as I’ve barely seen it in use.
Tudela seems huge and busy. As it’s Sunday the cathedral was closed (!) as was the turismo. The joy was rapidly disappearing from the day at this point. There are many intermediate stops on this route, there’s really no need for long days, I’m just making the most of a short opportunity.
After nearly 44Km, damp, dusty and smelling like a polecat I staggered into tonight’s lodgings, the Hotel Remegio. The smart young recepcionistas finger was hovering over the Guarda Civil speed-dial until I produced a functioning credit card. I really need to give some thought to my appearance whilst walking (I do change into something passably decent for the evening)
I seem to have picked up a fair crop of mosquito bites yesterday near the river. If the flora doesn’t get you the fauna will. A particularly tenacious insect seems to have bypassed my Lycra shorts (there’s also a loose outer-short so as to not get me arrested) and had its fill. That’s not a part of my anatomy many would volunteer to get close to after todays walk, I assure you.
I haven’t done that distance with a rucksack since I was in the pay of her late Majesty many years ago and single-handedly staring-down the might of the Warsaw pact across the East German plains; and I’m not in a hurry to repeat it. A long shower and some precautionary ibuprofen has me feeling more human and I’ll see what delights Tudela has to offer.
The photos (assuming I succeed) in no particular order include the confluence of the Rios Ebro and Arba in Gallur, a previous river view somewhere near Cabanas de Ebro and the door of the Cathedral in Tudela with an extensive ‘Day of Judgement’. I’ve just focussed on the interesting side with the usual devils attending to the sinners. They could have dispensed with all that rectally-inserted ironmongery and just made the sinners have a nice sit-down on the local plants, the effect’s similar.
The Remigio is a bit smart, but not unreasonably expensive, and does promise breakfast from 0700. The room’s small but spotless. I can barely move for notices setting out their environmental credencials - but have they got a plug in the tiny designer sink? Of course not.
For those who complain of heat, crowds, bed races and menu peregrinos my view is you’re walking the wrong route at the wrong time of year. This one (like many of the less frequented routes) is superb. Speaking a bit of Spanish is close to a necessity though - even though I look like a cartoon Brit on holiday, nobody has ventured English to me; not a word.
An update on catering follows in due course, but I’m not planning to go far.
If I do see the earlier offending plant again I’ll get a photo from a safe distance.