Mileposts and Marshes: Alcuescar to Valdesalor

 "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
Lao Tzu

Via de la Plata Stage 12

Morning on the Camino

When we got up around 6:30 AM, we discovered that all the laundry we'd done last night was still soaking wet.  There was condensation on the windows, and everything had a distinctly damp feeling in our room.  Outside, it wasn't raining, but dark and heavy-looking clouds hung low around the edge of the valley. When we went downstairs to make breakfast in the albergue kitchen, John was already up and packing his cart, and there were several other pilgrims getting ready for their day.

Giving Buen Caminos to the other pilgrims, we were soon on our way, heading down the steep and narrow streets of the town back towards the Camino.  As we descended through the still sleepy town, we realized that it was not just our room that was damp, it was the whole valley. By the time we reconnected with the Camino, a thick fog had rolled in, shrouding everything in light and mystery.

We followed a paved road out past a sports complex whose white stucco walls were painted with colourful murals of athletes and pilgrims.  We were pleased to see that some of the paintings showed disabled athletes as well, making it a very inclusive piece of artwork.

Pilgrimage Continues

The pavement soon gave way to a dirt track, and the solid track very quickly deteriorated into thick and sticky mud.  This made for somewhat slippery going, but the landscape around us was stunningly beautiful!  Rows of olive trees disappeared into the mist on one side of the trail, and the tall grasses were adorned with millions of droplets of water that sparkled like jewels.  Everything was blanketed in an ethereal-looking white light, which made the morning feel quite magical.

On the other side of the trail, grassy fields were bordered by treed hills over which a bank of clouds was slowly pouring.  We expected that as the sun rose higher, the mist and clouds would burn off, but the soft white blanket continued to drape itself over the dark slopes, slowly slithering downwards in long white tendrils.  Perhaps this also contributed to the dampness of the morning.

Out of the fog, we again heard bells, and soon we passed a large flock of numbered sheep being carefully watched over by two very serious-looking sheep dogs and a shepherd who was squatting quietly in the shade of a small tree, looking at his phone.  Apart from the cell phone, it could have been a scene straight out of the past.  

Drovers Tracks and Stream Crossings 

Around this point, we made the first of many, many muddy stream crossings for the day.  Again, at this one, we were grateful for the granite block stepping stones, but it made us wonder how John would fare with his heavily laden hiking cart. 

While the blocks were undoubtedly helpful, they were spaced quite far apart and extended at least 2 ft above the ground, requiring pilgrims to hop across them in a rather undignified way.  While this was a challenge with a heavy pack on, it would have been worse with a cart to pull.

For the first six kilometres or so of today's stage, it was a mostly quiet walk through fields and trees.  We simply enjoyed the fog, the sunshine, and the peaceful countryside, although we were surprised by the thick swarms of flies that seemed to be hovering above the many puddles on the trail.  They seemed drawn to our faces as well, which was slightly annoying.  At least they didn't bite!

Frog Pond

A high point of the morning was coming to a tiny pond tucked into a field.  We could hear the pond long before we spotted it, as it was full of singing Iberian Green Frogs!  When we stopped to investigate, we saw there were hundreds of amphibians in the water, the males all emitting a chorus of long calls and short chirps, doing their best to out-compete each other to attract the females.

The tall grasses around the pond were alive with movement as females came from far and wide to find mates.  Romance was certainly in the air for the frogs!

Casas de Don Antonio

Soon after, the Camino took us past the tiny village of Casas de Don Antonio.  We could see the beautiful stone church perched on the hill overlooking the town, and our app suggested there might be a bar with café con leche in the town.  We were ready for a break, so we detoured into the town to take a look at the church. 

This drew the attention of several elderly gentlemen who were sitting on the benches in the square.  All too soon, we discovered that the bar was 'Cerrado Martes', and since today was Tuesday, we were out of luck.  Two ladies out for their morning walk kindly explained to us in Spanish that there would be an open café another 6 km farther down the Camino. Described by them as "only minutes away". Oh well.

Roman Miliarium

Just after this unsatisfying stop, we came to another highlight of the day, although at first we were unsure about it.  At the side of the path was a small white marble block labelled 'Miliario XXVII,' which we guessed indicated one of the Roman mile markers from the original Via de la Plata.  We followed a trail of crushed grass to a tall stone pillar behind some shrubs.  The rounded stone column had been incorporated into a fieldstone wall, and otherwise didn't look extraordinary. 

As a result, we weren't sure if we were looking at a Roman marker or a modern fence post.  As it turned out, it was a Roman marker, but we were rather amused to realize how important context is when looking at historical artifacts. Seeing that an object that once defined the empire is now used to hold herds of cows at bay really puts things into perspective.

For the next few kilometres, we passed several more Roman mileposts. According to information in the guidebook and regional plaques, these miliarium stones are between 2 and 4 meters high, and were spaced some 1,481 meters apart. 

The text engraved on a miliarium could vary considerably. The simplest versions recorded nothing more than the number of miles along the road. Most, however, contained much richer information: the place of origin of the road, the name of the magistrate or emperor who had commissioned its construction or repair (including the emperor’s titles), the specific characteristics of the route, the officials responsible for its upkeep, and sometimes even the cost of the work and its source of funding.

In this way, the miliarium served a dual purpose. On the one hand, it provided practical details for travellers navigating the Roman roads. On the other hand, it functioned as a subtle yet powerful tool of propaganda, reminding all who passed of the emperor’s authority and beneficence.

A famous example was the Miliarium Aureum (“Golden Milestone”), erected by Augustus in 20 BC in the Roman Forum in Rome. This monumental column listed the names of the Empire’s principal cities and the distances separating them from Rome, symbolically reinforcing the capital as the center of the Roman world.

One of these markers also functioned as a post box in its day.  We could just make out letters and patterns in the worn and lichen-covered stone on some of the markers, and the post box looked like a large rectangular dent in the side of one of the pillars.  Presumably, this would have held some kind of box.

Some of the markers were very overgrown, and some were beginning to disappear into the tall grass.  

At this point, much of the trail was a flooded and overgrown farm track with waist-high grass, and we were getting drenched by the wet vegetation.  There were also numerous streams to be crossed, and many large puddles and muddy patches to be navigated, which made for slow and somewhat tedious going.

Aldea del Cano

Walking in our wet shoes was beginning to give us sore feet, so when the Camino passed by the village of Aldea del Cano, we decided to try our luck again at finding an open café where we could take a break.  We followed the track across a field and into town, passing a Black Kite perched atop a utility pole and the tiny albergue on the way.  In the quaint community, we took a moment to appreciate the Iglesia de San Martín, a 15th-century church. 

Here, another group of friendly locals asked us what we were looking for, and indicated that the restaurant that looked closed was in fact 'abierto.'  Yay! 

Camino Questions

We sat on the steps outside with our café con leches, again attracting a curious group of onlookers who came out of the restaurant one at a time to investigate.  While we drank our coffee and tried to dry our feet, an English pilgrim we hadn't seen in about a week came over from the albergue for a chat.  It turns out she will be finishing her walk tomorrow in Caceres as she is out of time. She asked if we were still enjoying the Camino, and indicated that she is finding it a little monotonous and uninspiring, although she intends to return in the fall to walk another section. 

The question of whether this Camino is enjoyable seems to be on everyone's mind, and I guess no one has an easy answer. After all, what makes a Camino enjoyable? Is it supposed to be enjoyable?  Beautiful? Challenging? Meaningful?  The fact that none of us seems able or inclined to give a definitive answer is likely a comment in itself.

With these thoughts on our mind, we eventually and rather reluctantly put our wet shoes back on and set off to finish the second half of today's stage.  Not too long after leaving the town, we were slogging through another wet field when we came to a stream crossing with no stepping stones. 

We tried to find a way across that would let us escape re-soaking our feet, but eventually we gave up and simply splashed through the ankle-deep water.  It wasn't like we really had that much to lose, but it made the second half of the walk a bit more painful on the feet.

Pat and her friend were right behind us at this point and also ended up wading across.  We pushed on ahead, and strangely didn't see them again for the rest of the afternoon, which was mostly a flat walk through quiet, peaceful, rain-soaked fields.  For the second part of the stage, we were essentially following the highway, but as a pleasant surprise, it was only a subtle presence in the background for most of the walk.

Airfields of Sheep

About halfway through the second part of the stage, we came to perhaps one of the strangest places I've visited on any Camino. The dirt trail brought us out onto a tiny airfield.  It was lined with hangers for small airplanes, and in one of them, two gentlemen were rebuilding a Cessna. 

The part that made the scene somewhat surreal was a huge herd of several hundred newly sheared sheep hanging out on the airstrip.  They filled almost the entire space, milling about, baa-ing occasionally, and congregating in small gangs.  There was even one tiny newborn lamb walking around on wobbly and too-too-big legs.  Our path went right through the middle of the herd and the runway, which caused quite a stir.

After the airstrip, the landscape changed again.  The track was light and sandy once more, and it was bordered on both sides by tall feathery broom, which was blooming with tiny yellow flowers. 

I'm not sure why, but it felt like we were heading to a beach and would crest the sand dunes at any moment.  As it was, we were ready to arrive in Valdesalor and get out of our sodden footwear.

Valdesalor Spain 

Finally, we rounded a curve in the trail, and across the fields we could see the town ahead.  The white band of our path meandered off ahead, bordered on both sides by colourful yellow, white, and purple flowers, and in the distance, the dark shape of mountains and hills rose up. Overhead, we once again saw the silhouettes of a dozen or more raptors circling in and above the clouds.

At the edge of town, we crossed an old Roman bridge, the stones now worn and uneven.  Interestingly, at one end was what appeared to be a birding blind.  Soon we came to the tiny albergue at the edge of town, where quite a few of the pilgrims we've met over the past weeks but rarely seen hiking were already hanging their laundry out to dry.  Unsurprisingly, it was already listed as 'completo.'

We continued on to the bar, stopping for a cold drink before finding lodgings.  The bar had a large mural of a pilgrim outside, but perhaps due to a language barrier, seemed reluctant to serve pilgrims pints of beer.  Instead, Sean was handed two stubbies, the smallest bottles of beer (200 ml) we'd ever encountered.  For the same price, the locals were enjoying pints without any trouble, but the pilgrims in the establishment were each handed a tiny bottle.  Regardless, we were grateful for a break in the shade and a chance to escape our sodden shoes, even if it was a strange welcome.

After our short stop during which we made reservations, we checked into a nearby hostel, which seemed to be very clean and quiet.  The owner spoke English and was very kind, explaining that we could hang our laundry on the rack in the kids' park across the street.  I don't think I've ever hung my underwear in a public playground before, but the sun was strong, everything dried nicely, and nothing was taken, so the system seems to work fine.

Camino Spirit and Pilgrim Prices

After showering and doing laundry, we went in search of groceries.  There was a very nice-looking shop which sold all the essentials, and seemed to have a small restaurant offering pizza and bocadillos in the front.  However, when we enquired, we were told the kitchen was closed and wouldn't be reopening today.  Since there was no one else in the shop, and the frozen pizzas would have only required 2 minutes in a microwave, the refusal to make an easy sale seemed a little offside.  Instead, the shop owner suggested we head back to the bar, where a pilgrim's menu would be offered at 9:30 PM tonight. Which was a bit late for us.  

So, we bought some bread, cheese, tomatoes, and olives and ended up paying a whopping 27 Euros - which is a great deal more than what we usually pay at the Dia for the same thing. 

While this town certainly seemed to have a strong Camino spirit, it also carried what many frustratingly call “pilgrim prices.” In some places along the Way, such as here, it becomes abundantly clear that pilgrims are seen less as spiritual seekers and more as transient tourists. The monetization of the Camino is hardly new, but it is something we noticed more frequently while walking the Camino Portuguese Coastal route and the Variante Espiritual.

In any event, we had everything we needed – a clean, quiet and comfortable room and the chance to dry out our shoes. By 7 PM, we retired for an evening of writing and photo editing, grateful for another interesting day on the Camino, which had left us with many things to think about.

See you on the Way!