Day 14 Carcaboso to Aldeanueva del Camino – 39km

 
An orginal Roman road 
Another long day on the Camino, but the next two days are much shorter. I’m hoping to catch my breath and give my blisters a chance to heal a bit better.

According to my Camino apps, I’ve passed the 400 km mark today—two weeks on the trail! It feels like the time has flown by. Most days, I don’t have much spare time: walking, doing chores, eating, blogging, chatting with other pilgrims, and then heading for an early night and then repeat. But I’ve noticed the gradual changes around me: shifts in the scenery, and the ebb and flow of fellow pilgrims as they come and go. Slowly but steadily, I’m making good progress.
The first part of the day was easy walking on wide tracks, though there were still some large pools of water. I made decent progress there. Then the track narrowed to single file, and I entered the realm of the bogs once again. I managed to keep my feet dry for a while, but eventually, the water made its way over the top—and then it happened multiple times! I don’t think my legs have ever been quite so caked in mud before.
Thankfully, after a couple of hours, that stretch was behind me, and the trail ahead turned pleasant. Although there were several river crossings, they had large stepping stones—mostly above the water, which was a relief. 

There was a huge section in the middle with a lot of remains of roman buildings, paved streets and a huge arch (Arco de Caparra, the Via's emblem) which, unfortunately was covered in scafolding.
Eventually, the trail merged onto a country road and then joined the N-630, which took me straight into the town of Aldeanueva del Camino. After showering and doing my washing, I went to find a restaurant, where I enjoyed a delicious meal of the day for just 13 euros. What a treat!
As for the bird update—the one that sounded a bit like a cuckoo. I was chatting with Damion about it, and he mentioned that it’s actually a hoopoe! He asked if I’d seen one yet. Apparently, there are loads of them where he lives, in the Dordogne region. 

Comments

  1. Barbara Thatcher2 April 2025 at 21:15

    Loving reading your blog Martin. 400k - way to go! Yes, we remember hoopoes from our camping holidays in France with Mike and Rosie when the kids were younger. They even named the kids’ clubs Hoopie Clubs! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MartinV3 April 2025 at 08:56

      Thank you for your encouragement Barbara, I was thinking people might find it boring.
      The Hoopoe is a beautiful looking bird but I have never seen one myself. Perhaps I'll be lucky.

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