Sunday, February 13, 2011

DAY 20: OCT 25 EL CUBO DE LA TIERRA DEL VINO TO ZAMORA (33 KM) 43,744 STEPS

Upon leaving it was a cool but comfortable 0 degrees C and it warmed up nicely as the morning passed in a gentle blur.

With the exception of about 1 kilometer the whole walk was on flat and boring country trails. Still, it was better than the previous day mostly along the very busy highway, N360.

As the Via de la Plata has become more popular, likely as a result of the hordes on the Camino Frances, local governments seem to be investing in more and upgraded facilities and markers. Here are some examples from this portion of the walk.

On the outskirts of Villanueva de Campean

Approaching Zamora. Note the symbols
of the Camino, the staff and the gourd.

Zamora is a small city on the Rio Duero. It was strategically located to control the river and was once enclosed by seven walls. The walls that remain have been well-preserved.

The cathedral and the imposing old city walls from across
 the river Duero


The old bridge and modern building cranes



The albergue had just recently been opened. It had the best facilities that I have ever seen on the Camino. Unfortunately it was so new that there were no utensils or pots and pans in the kitchen. Later a young lady from Germany joined me at the albergue.


The "empty" kitchen


The lounge


The main entrance

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