In October 2019, my partner Nedjo and I headed to Spain for two months. The main draw for our time was walking and our route was one of Spain's many pilgrimage routes, caminos de Santiago, that lead to Santiago de Compostela . Our chosen route, the Via de la Plata, starts in Sevilla and heads north for more than 1000 kilometres. We originally planned on two weeks of walking but then decided we’d like to try to go further than we had on Portugal's Rota Vicentina, so our goal was three weeks. In the end, we were loving our time so much that we walked for close to four weeks finishing our camino in Salamanca and knowing that having done just over 500 kilometres we’re well placed to return another year to finish.
Below is a detailed day by day trip journal. When I’m travelling is my favourite time to write and I enjoy the routine of jotting down details as they happen, but these journal entries were posted once we returned to Canada. For shorter entries please see the photo essays, which were posted as we travelled.
Day 16, Rest day Cáceres, Nov 5
Rest day started with the best breakfast of the trip, a buffet with lots to choose from: fruit, juice, muesli, yogurt, toast, cheese, cakes and pastry and with excellent coffee.
Day 17, Cáceres to Casar de Cáceres, Nov 6
We enjoyed a second wonderful breakfast and then Nedjo went shopping for new insoles hoping that would help his feet/boot problem.
Day 18, Casar de Cáceres to Embalse de Alcántara, Nov 7
For us it was an early departure but we were still the last to leave the albergue at 8:00, dropping the keys in the locked mailbox.
Day 19, Embalse de Alcántara to Grimaldo, Nov 8
This was an absolutely delightful day of walking. We crossed back over the highway on leaving the albergue and climbed up steeply, giving us wonderful views back to the embalse.
Day 20, Grimaldo to Galisteo, Nov 9
We were getting a not too late start when just after we’d pulled the door locked behind us, I realized that I’d left my walking poles behind.
Day 21, Galisteo to Carcabosa, Nov 10
We went into town after leaving the pension and enjoyed exploring by daylight and then climbed up the wall which you can walk along. Quite an experience.
Day 22, Carcabosa to Oliva de Plasencia, Nov 11
It was a very cold night. I bundled up just the same before crawling into bed—leggings, merino long sleeve top, fleece jacket, wool socks, wool toque and gloves.
Day 23, Oliva de Plasencia to Aldeanueva del Camino, Nov 12
The highlight of the day was the arch of Cáparra and its connected ruins. The arch itself is the iconic symbol of much of the Vía de la Plata and so we had been following it pictorially since we left Mérida.
Day 24, Aldeanueva del Camino to La Calzada de Béjar, Nov 13
Rain hadn’t felt like an issue earlier in the trip, but with dropping temperatures we weren’t sure how we’d fare.
Day 25, La Calzada de Béjar to Fuenterroble de Salvatierra, Nov 14
There was only a light bit of rain as we headed out but a lot of mud. There was a fair bit of slipping but nobody fell into it!
Day 26, Fuenterroble de Salvatierra to San Pedro de Rozados, Nov 15
The hour by hour forecast seemed good and so we decided to stick with our plan but knowing that we’d have to assess as we went. There was heavy frost on all the roofs and a bitter wind as we headed out.
Day 27, San Pedro de Rozados to Salamanca, Nov 16
We set out at 7:55. A record for our final day. The little town was eerily quiet and so white with thick frost and dense fog.