Spring

As I walk today, it was spring everywhere. I passed many herds of sheep, many sheep 300-400. There were babies all around. The sheep dogs were friendly and came to greet me.

One mama sheep had three little ones, that may have been borned in the last couple of days. Their legs skinny, wobbly, their wool quite dirty from dried out placenta. I stayed closed to them, watching them take turns nursing, as I ate cheese and bread.

Today the path was a bit confusing by a detour of a new train line. My intuition was taking me on the direction that I needed to go, but the yellow arrows, that guide the Camino, in the oposite direction.I wondered what to do and as hard as it was, finally I followed the arrows (instead of my intuition) which in the end was the right way.

From here to Salamanca, is a stretch that the guide books recommend to plan the distances and villages right, as there are many places with no villages or places to sleep. Walking 10 or 20 km by mistake, would mean sleeping somewhere with the cows with the big horns...!! Also because there are so few piligrims in the VDLP, you don't have the piligrim support to decide where to go, when you feel a bit lost.

I continued walking and walking. Most of the VDLP has been on dirt paths, but today I had at keast 10 km of walking in the pavement of the road. This is also the Camino, as it is in the everyday life. Grassy fields, dirt soft paths, pavement....I crossed two very large bridges one over the Tajo river. The bridge was at least 700m long and very high. This was one of the reasons that the Camino took us over to the road, otherwise crossing the rivers would have been impossible.

Arriving at the albergue of Cañaveral was a relief. A beautiful albergue,  all new with white clean sheets and duvets. Last night was the first night that I slept in real sheets and not in my sleeping bag. A treat !! Especially because I could have my feet not covered by the sheets (which is how I like to sleep) and very difficult to do, sleeping inside a sleeping bag.

A great dinner, great breakfast and very cozy bed.