Calzada de Valduncial

The landscape has completly changed since I left Salamanca. From the old oak trees with grazing pigs, cows with the big horns and horses, to fields of wheat, canola and other greens. 

There is an incredible difference from the land that is being irrigated, to the fields that are not. The non irrigated earth is reddish and even though it is spring, it is looking very sad.

The municipal albergue in Calzada a very nice older house with wooden bunk beds that sleeps 8 people. The walls are very thick stone, ceilings wooden timber frame. The small kitchen perfect, with everything you need to prepare a meal. Calzada has a romanic church, a store, pharmacy, medical center and a bar.

The villages that I am crossing are very small, similar to Calzada, ranging from 200-400 habitants. Often I don't see anyone in the streets when I arrive, this is partially because I have been walking from 08-14h, covering 25 kms in the 6 hours. From 2 to 4 pm is lunch time in Spain and people are home, stores closed.

The weather also has changed again and walking after 1 pm very hot. Today I walked always in the sun and finding a tree to have a rest close to the trail, difficult.

There are only two of us in the albergue tonight and for dinner I made some rice soup with potatos and carrots, for this new piligrim and myself. He just started in Salamanca. This is his 3rd stage in walking VDLP as many Spanish do, sometimes over the years.

His 1st stage was Sevilla to Merida, 2nd Merida to Salamanca and 3rd Salamanca to Santiago. Dividing the Camino this way, they can walk a little every year on their vacation time.

This morning I left Calzada with the idea of walking to El Cubo del Vino, but when I arrived there, decided to continue for another 13 km more, to Villanueva de Campean, a total of 29 km.

Tomorrow will be a shorter day walking into Zamora (20km) giving me lots of time to get lost in the history of this city, that I have never been before.