To Valverde de Valelacasa

I was the last out of the albergue again. I have to work on my night before organization! The weather was clearly and cold. I had a great view down the street of the snow covered hills in the distance. The trail was mostly on the road to Baños de Montemayor. There are thermal baths there - very tempting! I settled for some porras (Spanish slang for a policeman's baton ) but here a fat churro! Fuel for the camino!

Baños - 569km to go

We climbed out of  town on a section of Roman road to the border between Extremadura and Castilla-León. 

The walk was downhill after that and very pleasant. It wound through cattle farms along the Camino Real - a carriageway built in the 17th century which parallels the Roman road. 

About one I arrived at the village where I'd though to stay, but it seemed deserted so I carried on, on a ruler straight way. This again was the Roman road - now a stockroute. After 29kms I was in a funny little village called Valverde de Valdelacasa. I stayed the night there - and got a single room! A great night's sleep!

Today was a long day - a short hop to one village: Fuenteroble de Salvatierra, but I was there by 11am, so I decided to carry on - the downside was there is nowhere to stay for another 26km. But it was a wonderful sunny spring day so off I went! The trail entered a large shallow basin, perhaps 10km across. Again it was very straight - following the Roman Road. There were many milestones dotting the way - so many I gave up stopping to gaze at them! 

Granite Fence Posts!

The trail climbed eventually to the highest point on this Camino: 1250 odd metres. I had lunch up top - ruined somewhat by the noise of wind generators behind me. I still couldn't see my destination. 

Santiago and cross at Pico de La Dueña

That took another couple of hours of slog past pig farms, and fields sown with bright yellow flowered plants (rapeseed?)

Eventually I staggered into San Pedro de Rozados. And again I have a single room! And the kind lady is washing my dirty clothes. I've had a feed (great soup, average steak and flan with canned whipped cream) and now I need my beauty sleep. 503kms to Santiago! Tomorrow: Salamanca.