24. Gotarrendura

Today marked the beginning of stage three of this camino for me and the first day of Keith’s Camino. As you can see, Keith was quite excited to be starting out on this adventure.

Sadly, it is also the day that Sarah leaves for the long journey home. It has been a joy to walk with her on the mountainous stretch between Toledo and Ávila. Sarah had time to accompany us to the city gate before heading back to the station at the other end of town.

As we walked to the gate, mist rolled in and enveloped Ávila.

We crossed the bridge together and then said farewell. That wasn’t so easy.

Then it was down to business - walking. There was a few kms of road walking out of Ávila but within half an hour we were on the farm tracks that have become very familiar to me on this route. This part of the way is well marked, we even found a yellow arrow on this stock grid.

Keith found his rhythm quickly, although he does have the challenge of managing everything with a broken hand - an injury from a recent cycling accident in Australia (think of packing and putting on a pack, washing and wringing out clothes, and clambering in and out of top bed bunks with one hand!)

I’m not sure how this field was marked out but the dry stone wall fence certainly has character.

We ascended gently for the first part of the stage through some picturesque country.

Then down and up through a small valley.



And finally, we entered an expansive plain across which we shall be walking for some days, I suspect. As the morning wore on storm clouds build and it looked as if we might be in for a drenching. In the end, we managed to avoid each of the storms that surrounded us, though as you can see from this photo the path had been doused and was quite muddy.

Along the way we passed eigth other people walking along our route. We wondered how this would work out at the municipal albergue, which is the only accommodation in the one horse town that marks today’s destination. Our wandering increased when we arrived at the albergue to find two other guys already there (Sarah and I had meet these guys a few days earlier - they are walking with Camino Sureste from Alicante which sometimes coincides with the Levante). As it turns out, the other eight did not turn up. Perhaps, they were picked up by some tour bus and taken to more celubrious accommodation. So, there are four of us here in this little albergue.

As it happens the only bar in town is closed on Tuesday (today) so, no cerveza for Keith on his first day of walking. In fact, no food! Thankfully, the person who holds the key for the albergue is going to come back and drive us to a nearby town to buy some food (or so we’re told!). Here’s hoping this works out, otherwise Keith might rue his decision to join me on on this venture. We’ll see what happens...

Postscript from Keith

This was an amazing day’s walk and more exquisitely inviting than I even imagined. The process of walking like this is new to me but I absolutely love everything about it. In particular travelling under the oversight of my friend Neil has been an honour. Just one day makes me realise the size of the task he has taken on. It also helps having a companion but so much of this walk Neil is walking alone and I believe that takes an inner courage and resolve I’m not sure I could muster. 

Still after a wonderful day in Ávila with Neil and Sarah I’m looking forward to the fun of walking with Neil for the next ten days. The legs are sore at present but hopefully they’ll back up tomorrow.

Buen Camino, Neil and Keith 

Addendum.

It turns out that this ‘one horse town’ is actually the birth place of Santa Teresa. The old guy who holds the key to the albergue came over and took the four of us peregrinos on a tour through the block where she was born and the five hundred year old dove coat that the family used to run. Apparently, it housed 700 doves. The things that happen on Camino!!

We’ve also been told that they are going to open the bar for us to eat, but that will not happen until 7.30 or 8.00pm - Spanish hours!