Day 1 - To Aljucen

As we begin a new walk, I (Mike) will be doing most of the writing.  Our first day was a short one.  Just under 10 miles through beautiful ranchland.  Leaving Merida the Camino passes an incredible Roman era aquiduct, and an hour or so later the lake that was built to feed the aquiduct (see pictures below). 

We were able to relax in replica Roman baths in Aljucen.  There is a discount for pilgrims, and massages are also available.  There are three large, candlelit baths with cool, warm, and hot water.  All three are yours, in complete privacy for up to 90 minutes! Seemed like a little too much luxury for our first afternoon on the trail.

Weather: Low 42F High 68F  Windy for most of the day, sunny.
Tip for pilgrims: About 2.5 km past the lake, there is turn off onto a very nice dirt path. The turn is not well marked, but if you find yourself walking east for any distance you have probably missed it.
Line from RA's journal: Wildflowers painted the hillsides in their varied hues, some vibrant, some muted, all beautiful.

Roman Aquiduct

Proserpina Lake

The countryside

Termas Aqua Libera

Albergue Rio Aljucen. Wonderful.

Anticipation

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think.  Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called." A. A. Milne in Winnie-the-Pooh

We will begin our walk shorty.  Our journey might not seem much like Eating Honey, but I find the anticipation thrilling.

What will the weather bring?

Who will we meet?

What memorable conversations will take place?

How often will acts of charity be given? Received?

Will our bodies endure?

When will we come across sights which will impress?

So many more questions.  We celebrate the past, live in the moment, and anticipate the future.

The trip over here was good.  We plan to start walking tomorrow after visiting the Seville cathedral on Tuesday and the Roman ruins in Merida on Wednesday. We actually put on several miles finding and touring these sights. Great weather so far. Low 50F High 72, Dry.

Best food of the travel days: TGB Max at the The Good Burger on Martin Villa Street near the Seville cathedral.
Most Difficult:  Didn't take our boots off during the overnight flight, must remember this next time.
Line from R.A.'s journal:  The orange trees around the cathedral had both ripe fruit and blossoms, smelled amazing.

Arrival

The largest altar piece ever made

Painting of St. James from early 1600s

Ampitheater for gladiator "games"

Built by/for Agrippa in 15-16 B.C.

The Via De La Plata

Someone has said "You walk the Camino Frances to meet others, you walk the Via de la Plata to meet yourself."

We've been to Spain twice in the fall, and we look forward experiencing it in the spring.  We are eager to see the young lambs and calves, the storks nesting on the church towers, the wildflowers in bloom, the green fields of grain, and so much more.

The most common name of the path we are walking this year is the Via de la Plata.

There are several walking paths that lead to the town of Santiago de Compostela.  Our previous walks in Spain were from east to west, along the Camino Frances. This walk with be from south to north.  The Via de la Plata is a path that dates back to at least Roman times.  A western fork now leads to Santiago.  Several sections of our walk will be on stone roads built by the Romans.  These paths have seen the fall of that empire, followed by several centuries of Muslim society, and then the gradual transition to a Christian culture.  We plan to start in Merida, which dates to Roman times, pass through several towns with names that originated within the Islamic tradition, and visit some of the most spectacular Christian cathedrals in Europe.  This unique blend of history is sure to be fascinating.

The Via de la Plata is one of the lesser traveled paths in Spain. It is likely to seem lonely at times, with longer distances between towns.

We look forward to whatever the road has in store for us, and would love to have you follow along.  You are welcome to post comments, we really enjoyed hearing from family and friends on our preious walk.

A map of the Via de la Plata, with our starting point, Merida, highlighted.

The last 16 months

We've been absent on the blog for many months, but very active in our real lives.  We still walk/hike regularly. Our new friends Jim and Jeanette invited us to join a Tuesday morning hiking group which we have enjoyed.  Along with the two of them and 8 others, we walked a 115 mile pilgrimage to Chimayo, New Mexico in September 2015. Our family has added a 4th grandchild, and we continue to be active in our hobbies of gardening, fishing, and other outdoor activities. The commitment we have to our church has been rewarding as we share the Gospel with each other and our community.  You are welcome to join us as we reactivate the blog and share our Via de la Plata plans and experiences.

                            This is our group in front of the church in Chimayo, Sept. 27, 2015

Wesley