Vía de la Plata – Day 6

I had a very restful sleep. The earplugs helped me a lot in this regard, because the two pilgrims sharing the room with me orchestrated some high-level snoring during the night.

I got up at around 8:00 because having a good long sleep was a priority after yesterday’s long stage. I was excited for the unknown since I was told that one of the albergues in Villafranca de los Barros was closed; the other was fully booked.

The Camino trail followed open fields today, farmlands, olive groves, and vineyards. The vineyards reminded me of Trier; I am sure Petrisberg will turn green by the time I arrive back home.

I met a German woman from Berlin along the way taking photos of wild orchids, and later an older Dutch pilgrim who was looking for the German woman. The woman had found some kind of accommodation in Villafranca, so her stay was secured.

I left them behind and marched to Villafranca, hoping to find a solution to sleep somewhere. In a bar terrace I met pilgrims from yesterday’s dinner: a young and an older man from the Netherlands and the Finnish pilgrim I was talking to yesterday. They had some beers; I joined for a refreshing lemonade and some tapas to ease my hunger. It was around 13:00.

There were no miracles; also, the Finnish and the Dutch pilgrims were searching for a place to stay. They even called the next village, Torremejía, but the albergue there was also full. Some pilgrims were thinking of taking a bus to Merida; others thought of sleeping outside somewhere. Torremejía is 27 km away: that should be my next stop.

I hesitated about what to do, but finally I started looking for hotels in between Villafranca and Mérida. Mérida was already fully booked for Easter weekend, and though the albergue is much bigger, it’s possible I could stay there, though I don’t want to skip a stage and take the bus. There was a four-star hotel in Almendralejo, which is not too far from the Camino route, that offered room for €100. Seeking other options on Google, I was able to book a room there for €86. After this short break, I continued my journey for another 19 km.

Leaving Villafranca, I have lost the track and had to do an extra km. Come on, today should be an easy rest day, and it turns out to be almost 40 km again!

The trail led through farmlands. No shade at all, but at least, no climbs either. The part of this trail was very monotonous: vineyards, olive trees, and arable lands. The best time to contemplate and stay alone with my thoughts and feelings. I met nobody, only some farmers driving by and waving happily.

I was quite tired when I arrived in Almendralejo, which turned out to be quite a big city. The hotel was at the other end, so I had to walk through the whole town. At 17:30 I arrived at the hotel.

For me, it will be a tradition to sleep in a fancy hotel on the Camino. During the last summer, without having other options, we stayed in a hotel in A Armentira and also in 2024 in Burgos and in León I booked hotels. It’s a strange feeling arriving sweaty and dirty to a hotel reception, but they also handle this odd experience well. I have the feeling I am not the first pilgrim staying at this hotel.

Fortunately, the hotel offered half-pension for €86, so I won’t spend extras on dinner today, and I don’t need to think about which restaurant to go to. After a refreshing shower, I felt inclined to take a nap; however, I had other tasks that required my attention today.

Today is laundry day. I washed my clothes by hand in Almadén de la Plata, so it was time to do proper laundry by washing machine. I found a ‘lavanderia’ near the hotel and washed all my clothes. Once, I encountered a problem with the tumble dryer because the technical shirts I use can melt if the temperature is too high. On the other hand, the socks and underpants only dry properly if I turn up the heat. This means I need to stay next to the dryer and, after 10 minutes, take out the T-shirts and continue on high temperature with the rest. Anyhow, today is a day of solitude, without fellow pilgrims, so I am not missing out on anything.

The dinner was good, and the quantity was sufficient. I had fresh salad with tuna. Since I skipped lunch, more or less, this was my main meal.