21. Alcarlacejos to Hinojosa del Duque

topiary

ˈtəʊpɪəri

noun

the art or practice of clipping shrubs or trees into ornamental shapes. 

shrubs or trees clipped into ornamental shapes. 

There are many things that can be done with olives but topiary is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind! Nevertheless, it’s not the first time I’ve seen it in Spain. This example, in the main square of Alcaracejos, put me in mind of the old 60s cartoon series, The Jetsons. Those that live in the ACT might also be reminded of the artistic installation at the entrance of Canberra Airport. Anyway, in the presence of this painstaking piece of clipping last evening, Karsten, Esther, Antoine and I enjoyed a very relaxed hour of conversation. By then the temperature had cooled and we were all feeling more hydrated and comfortable.

Today’s stage was short and manageable in comparison with yesterday. The path was mostly on soft dirt road and relatively flat. 

The sights, sounds, and smells were gently rural, and it was milder, due to a cooling tailwind and some cloud cover.

The way took me through two little towns (literally straight through the middle!), both of which were very Camino conscious.

My first stork sighting - with the photo perfectly timed to miss his/her(?) head!!

I passed many old beautifully shaped oak trees today as well - a delight to the eyes.

I spend a lot of time trying not to tread on ants crossing the path and luckily I missed this little fella too. 

The albergue here in Hinojosa is pretty ‘industrial’ - one room filled with bunk beds with squeaky springs and saggy mattresses. To add to the challenge, at least four other pilgrims have mysteriously materialised, one with a sleep apnea machine! I have no sense of how loud these are at night but I’m about to find out!!

Tomorrow’s stage is longer - 32.5kms, and the day after is almost marathon length - 39kms. These will test the legs. I hope  I have attained ‘match’ fitness from three weeks of walking. I’ll find that out as well!!

Buen Camino 

Neil 🧡👣

PS. I found a board in one of the cupboards in the albergue and slipped it under my mattress so ilm hoping it’s a little less saggy in the middle! Full report tomorrow.

PPS. I’ve just found out that those extra pilgrims took a bus for yesterday’s stage and stayed in a hotel in Alcaracejos. They are bussing on across these next big stages to save time and finish in Mérida by the end of the weekend so things may quieten down again. 💤💤💤