- Time of past OR future Camino
- Except the Francés
I first set off on the Vía de la Plata on All Saints, 2010. Since then it, and its offshoot the Sanabrés, has been a greater or lesser part of all of my caminos, other than last year and when I reached Santiago vía the Norte/Mar/Inglés. But somehow I have never walked from Benavente to Astorga - although I came south from Benavente to join the Zamorano-Portugués once.
That is the current plan, to get to Astorga on Saturday or Sunday, and see the Becerra.
So yesterday at shortly before 7am, to take advantage of Salamanca's street lights for a few km, I set off. A few hours later and I was in Calzada de Valdunciel, walking twice around its fuente. A neighbour, assuming I was a bit dim, came out of her house to show me how to get water from a tap. I explained that I was looking for the falangist symbol I remembered decorating the fuente. "Oh, that went long ago", she said. "Mucho mejor", I answered, although she seemed less sure. But the sinister bunch of arrows still decorates the war memorial under the church porch - I suspect churches have an exemption from the historical memory law.
The two days between Salamamca and Zamora are dull. The main excitement is the dozen or so km with the high watch tower of Topas prison slowly getting nearer and then receeding again.
There is a short patch of dehesa to break up the monotony of the prairie, where I met more of my beautiful grey fan-tailed friends.
Otherwise not a lot, other than crossing the border into Zamora province. Not as bad as between Zafra and Mérida, where I twice caught the cafard. Come to think of it, I once got frost bite on my hands on the approach to Zamora, which is probably worse.
That is the current plan, to get to Astorga on Saturday or Sunday, and see the Becerra.
So yesterday at shortly before 7am, to take advantage of Salamanca's street lights for a few km, I set off. A few hours later and I was in Calzada de Valdunciel, walking twice around its fuente. A neighbour, assuming I was a bit dim, came out of her house to show me how to get water from a tap. I explained that I was looking for the falangist symbol I remembered decorating the fuente. "Oh, that went long ago", she said. "Mucho mejor", I answered, although she seemed less sure. But the sinister bunch of arrows still decorates the war memorial under the church porch - I suspect churches have an exemption from the historical memory law.
From summer to winter in less than a month. Plus fascist drinking water
More romanesque churches than you could get round in a week in Zamora, Civil War reminders north of Salamanca and a castle which Napoleon disliked. Alan Sykes strides on towards Santiago de Compostela
The two days between Salamamca and Zamora are dull. The main excitement is the dozen or so km with the high watch tower of Topas prison slowly getting nearer and then receeding again.
There is a short patch of dehesa to break up the monotony of the prairie, where I met more of my beautiful grey fan-tailed friends.
Otherwise not a lot, other than crossing the border into Zamora province. Not as bad as between Zafra and Mérida, where I twice caught the cafard. Come to think of it, I once got frost bite on my hands on the approach to Zamora, which is probably worse.