Day 10 - Alcuéscar to Valdesalor – 31km

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post that when I arrived in Alcuéscar and got to my albergue, I was shown to one of the four dorms available. When the door opened, I was surprised to see Steve standing in front of me. I had last seen him in Fuente de Cantos four days ago, where he had caught a bus to Mérida. And now, I had caught up with him again! 

We had adjacent bunks, so we chatted for an hour or so before heading out to have lunch together in the town. 

Today, we were both walking to Valdesalor, and Steve had already booked accommodation in a twin room. We agreed to share the room and split the cost. He left very early, as he normally does, and I met him later at the hostel.

Once again, the guidebook warned of two river crossings early in the walk. Since it was still dark and I was on my own, I decided to take to the road instead. 

It was a beautiful, clear sky, full of stars. Right in front of me, I could see the constellation of the Plough and the Pole Star. I was walking due north—as I will be, more or less, for the entire trip. 

As the sun came up, I became very aware of the dawn chorus, starting with the cuckoo. There were lots of birds I didn’t recognize. In particular, there was a bird with a call that went “cuck, cuck, cuck, cuck”—three or four quick notes, like a cuckoo that had forgotten the “oo.” Perhaps it’s a cuckoo with a call I’ve never heard before?

When I reached Valdesalor, Steve was having breakfast in a bar, as he had arrived too early. I joined him for a hot chocolate, and then we went to the Hostal Posada de la Plata, checked in, and settled into our room.

This will probably be our last day together, as he’s catching another bus tomorrow. He has a limited schedule and needs to get further ahead to reach Santiago on time. That said, I might catch up with him again—who knows?