Vía de la Plata – Day 14

I left the hostel at 09:00. The restaurant was still closed, so I left without coffee and breakfast again.

The 11 km to Aldeanueva del Camino was eventless: farms, cows, a lot of water on the trail. It’s a bit unlucky that my shoes got dirty and muddy on the day of my travel. In the village I had churros for breakfast. From Aldeanueva, I go back home, and someday I will continue the Vía de la Plata.

During these 14 days I have walked 411 km, which is 570,407 steps. Not bad. Only two weeks. My trip was fun and interesting: I met new people, usually for a short time, and I visited historical cities of Spain that were unknown to me before. Furthermore, I learned new things about the Vía de la Plata:

1. The weather can be really hot, even in springtime. Sun protection and hydration are essentials.
2. There are not many albergues; the stages are long, often without rest stops with service. It’s advisable to book ahead in the peak months (March, April, October).
3. You will find the familiar signs, but in some stages these are not that obvious. It’s useful to have some app on the phone just in case.
4. The terrain is similar to the French and Portuguese way: a lot of dirt roads, rare forest trails, and some asphalt. Trail running shoes with absorption were a good choice.
5. The first 400 km of the trail is mostly flat. I only experienced one or two steeper climbs, although there were some stages with hills around.

From Aldeanueva del Camino I have taken the ALSA bus to Salamanca, a taxi to the train station (because I only had 20 minutes) and a train to Madrid. I arrived at 17:15 in Madrid, walked an hour and took the metro to the airport. I have a morning flight tomorrow; therefore, I booked a hostel close to the airport.

It’s always a bit depressing for me to leave the Camino. It reminds me of the many sad departures I had. Mostly, of course, from Santiago, but today from Madrid. Last summer I left Santiago with happiness in my heart, but even this feels too heavy now, when I think back.

After two or three weeks of walking, life feels utterly different: not moving, but still too busy and rushing. Maybe that’s why I come back so often to recharge; maybe that’s why my life became so real on the Camino, while the rest of the days – not being on the way – are just an intermezzo. Apparently I am always between Caminos. With these thoughts I close this journal, and I wish all of you a ‘Buen Camino’.