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Sounds like a great time to be in Alicante!You do churches and archeological sites and ‘miradors’. I do museums and open doors. Alicante is great and I have miraculously hit ‘the week’ of a festival begun in about 1950 and emulating Valencia’s ‘falla’.
Left at 6 am and forewent brekkie to get some cool mileage in.
Flat (like Norfolk..) and well marked. Much market gardening and field workers aplenty.
Villena an ideal first cerveza and tostada. 2 good churches.
Verdict on hostal: great meal, fab mattress, air-con (control located in bedside table). But… noisy - road and autovia. Airplugs worked a treat. Quietened through the night. Maybe ask for a rear facing habitacion…
A rural left turn about 4 kms from Caudete which I nearly missed.
Delightful stylish walkway into Caudete.
Lunch in Calle Mayor - La Notaria. Not good but extraordinary! It has a ‘Eurotoque’ award!
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Left at 05.30 for Alatoz.
No access to kitchen or garden at Alpere accommodation… hottest night of my life! Slept on the sofa as it was the coolest room. (Should have manoeuvred a mattress down to the entrance hall.)
Took the road as I could follow the white lines and then went on the camino. Unexpected clouds and lightning!
A lovely hike… thyme and rosemary and scented ‘umbrella’ pines. The vines fade away… but it becomes a verdant landscape. Good birdsong and butterflies lead the way.
One fuente 9.5 kms onwards, signposted 200 mt on the main road; another some 5 kms before Alatoz.
The bar La Plaza duly notified Juan… a cerveza later he guided me to the fine Albergue. Clean sheets on wide beds. No kitchen but a microwave. Gym access available!!
No restaurant open on a Monday so a platos combinado.
37 degrees scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday - perhaps two rather short days?!
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There is currently thunder and darkening skies… rain would be so welcome. I have a mircrowave meal and no real plan for tomorrow…. watch this space!
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Hiya Filly, this is for anybody who comes after you. I stayed there in May. I went to the Ayuntamiento and a member of staff brought me to the Albergue and the old folks home, which is in the same building. One of the nursing staff did the necessary sello, payment etc. I Bought food in a supermarket, and there are bars but the Chinese run bar opens early.There is a Chinese owned Discount shop where once you are inside it just goes on forever. Suerte, Mick.It took a while to get the keys to the Albergue….
My contact (Isabel Belen on Camino de Tejido) was not answering her phone… but the bar next to the Hong Kong establishment, near the church were fab. Took me to the SECOND FLOOR old folks home diagonally opposite Ayuntamiento and hey presto! Sello/keys/7 Euros.
Very new but no sign of a kitchen. No complaints!
Called ahead to Alatoz…
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Thanks VN. Always good to get feedback! Actually if someone had told me that I would be hiking bi-anually twenty years ago, I would have said ‘impossible’. Nowadays my legs remind me to get going..Oooooo. 5.2km/hr. Enjoy the pace when you have it. (Oh to be 20 years younger.)
Beautiful pics, @filly !
Do tell. Perhaps I'l ask in a PM later when you're not busy walking. Don't want to derail this wonderful thread or distract you from where you are. Kumana Kodo? Shikoku?The Nagaseko trail still calls but I have found some other more religious ones.
Uh-oh. May it all work out at the CS, @filly !Fun ‘n games!!
That is my practice too, @filly. I particularly like it when the drivers put on their blinker to indicate they’re going out into the left lane!any car which crosses the white central line in the roadway out of respect and concern for a hiker gets a thumbs-up and a wave from me.
That was one heck of a good bakery in Alcalá del Júcar. I am not much for sweets, but there were some really delicious ones.No alarm needed as they duly fired up early so I was up by 5 am.
Glad to see you have a place to sleep!in Villarta the Hostal Los Tubos is CERRADO but have called the Ayuntamiento in my basic Spanish and secured access to the Centro Social accommodation by collecting the key from the Bar Elvar.
Oh no! For the day, temporarily, or for ever? It would break my heart if it disappeared..!Hot off the press… in Villarta the Hostal Los Tubos is CERRADO
… and thank you, dear Maggie, for your inspiration on your smashing blog, all these years. I think of you daily and the last stages are totally dedicated to you! Abrazos y mas…I well remember those paths and those buildings and enjoyed this stage. Its good to follow your journey - thanks for the memories.
Tough choice — with this heat, I’m sure the extra kms to go through Paracuellos just don’t seem worth it. Rest well!I’m hitting the road tomorrow to keep to Maggie’s target - only 27 kms this way.
I think Sandra has an emergency overflow facility. I had booked a day or so ahead, but on arrival she told me that a bicycle group had phoned and taken up the entire Rincón. She put me in a flat near the town entrance - two bedrooms, lounge/dining room, kitchen and bathroom. Very comfortable for me, and she got a full house. Everyone was happy.Tough choice — with this heat, I’m sure the extra kms to go through Paracuellos just don’t seem worth it. Rest well!
Hope there’s a spot in Rincón de Sandra when you get to Monteagudo, but I remember reading from other forum members that the library in the square serves as a place for pilgrims to stay too. You’re the master at finding the alcalde/alcaldesa/hospitaler@, so maybe you will sleep there anyway, because I think she has the key and brings the mattress.
Thank you! PLEASE, please gate-crash as often as possible. To know I am being followed when I am truly alone is simply wonderful. A real sense of an ethereal Community! Viva Ivar!!Hope you don´t mind me gate-crashing your thread. This is Sandra´s overflow. Her main place was full of a biker´s club when we stayed last year in May. This is the water tower at Almodovar, and the main attraction at your next stop, Fuente. No pics of Paracuellos, I´m afraid, we bypassed it too.
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Sandra told us Marisol is her mother in law, so they have a deal that she will always open up for pilgrims no matter what the hour if she is at home. Such great treatment in Monteagudo!BUT I was assured that ‘timbre’ would ensure open Sesamé. It worked. Mariasol who runs it is an estrella of great price.
@peregrina2000, what kind of trousers are you wearing????the photo of Sandra is of her showing me a photo of you with a group
I don’t understand your question… Sandra is pointing at her iphone.. I do not figure, trousers or no trousers! LOL
Omg. That is my WhatsApp avatar picture of me and one branch of my family at the Chicago Bean. I am wearing blue jeans.
Not a nice thing to have happen. Did you ask Sandra for an explanation? Just possible it was an innocent mistake but still not something to just brush off.I am sorry to report that I DO NOT RECOMMEND STAYING CHEZ SANDRA AT ANY PRICE.
At 23.30 I was rudely disturbed by a motorbiker coming in through the back entrance (which I had not locked) and claiming he was sleeping in another bedroom. This is outrageous. I am really upset and deeply disturbed… MariaSol appeared in the background… I have no idea of the logistics but it is totally unacceptable!! I feel totally violated.. and have to hike tomorrow.
My least pleasant ever experience on any Camino.
Thank you for your input. Sandra was obviously having her beauty sleep! You are correct - she should have been the one to call out my name in reassurance..Not a nice thing to have happen. Did you ask Sandra for an explanation? Just possible it was an innocent mistake but still not something to just brush off.
In Fuente the ´albergue´ is, or was, being used by the decorators doing up the lovely little chapel that the albergue is attached to as a storeroom. We shared the tiny two bunk room with various items of equipment and a vast quantity of paint. But the hot shower works. The lady in the ayuntamiento who gave us the key was lovely and kind. You should stock up in Fuente - it has several shops, as there is not much on the way next day. I would think about continuing along the road for the final stretch into Cuenca rather than following the arrows over the disused railway line. The route seems designed for a jolly good walk rather than reaching a destination and ends up in wasteland where the arrows disappear. Cuenca is really worth spending time in and Luis will almost certainly let you stay two nights as well as regaling you with a wealth of info. Good luck.
Bless Maggie! Two nights in an apartment - SOLO. Will feed at the Parador and sim to get access to the pool!Not a nice thing to have happen. Did you ask Sandra for an explanation? Just possible it was an innocent mistake but still not something to just brush off.
In Fuente the ´albergue´ is, or was, being used by the decorators doing up the lovely little chapel that the albergue is attached to as a storeroom. We shared the tiny two bunk room with various items of equipment and a vast quantity of paint. But the hot shower works. The lady in the ayuntamiento who gave us the key was lovely and kind. You should stock up in Fuente - it has several shops, as there is not much on the way next day. I would think about continuing along the road for the final stretch into Cuenca rather than following the arrows over the disused railway line. The route seems designed for a jolly good walk rather than reaching a destination and ends up in wasteland where the arrows disappear. Cuenca is really worth spending time in and Luis will almost certainly let you stay two nights as well as regaling you with a wealth of info. Good luck.
Wow, filly, that was not a good situation. I hope you managed to get back to sleep!I am sorry to report that I DO NOT RECOMMEND STAYING CHEZ SANDRA AT ANY PRICE.
At 23.30 I was rudely disturbed by a motorbiker coming in through the back entrance (which I had not locked) and claiming he was sleeping in another bedroom. This is outrageous. I am really upset and deeply disturbed… MariaSol appeared in the background… I have no idea of the logistics but it is totally unacceptable!! I feel totally violated.. and have to hike tomorrow.
My least pleasant ever experience on any Camino.
Can you clarify what you are referring to here, as "N" and "CM"?Switching from the N to CM road
@C clearly ly, is this the way we walked into Cuenca? I’m thinking that this must have something to do with that little bit of backtracking the camino takes you on after Melgosa — along the side of the highway in the wrong direction till you turn off onto the tracks?Can you clarify what you are referring to here, as "N" and "CM"?
Since I have no memory of any route detail, I have just looked at my track. There is a little backtracking in order to cross the N-420, but we didn't go anywhere near the CM-220. @filly must have walked along the N-420 instead of crossing over.is this the way we walked into Cuenca?
Ok, now you have to identify each plate. I see a croqueta and something that looks like bok choy, and something that looks like fish, but am clearly out of my league.BTW Raff’s was stunning!
… on another track.
A ‘budding’ friendship has resulted in my being castigated for ostensibly longing for the peace and quiet and thoughtfulness and mindfulness of the Camino whilst reaching out and communicating with Ivar’s web of like-minded souls. I was really shocked and put out as you lot, out there, never met, but ‘known’ and trusted ARE my support network who keep me (and others) going when one is parched/lost/in pain/foodless and blindly searching.
My friends and family can’t understand the urge to hike, and specifically in Spain and on Caminos and always NW to the field of stars.
Do I give this ‘friend’ the benefit of the doubt or is it toast? Your opinion matters to ME.
Abrazos…
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