otherwise titled – Bobs worst day of his life.
Bob and I went for a 24 kilometre walk today. Tinkerbelle came too, but she was carried part of the way.
This all came as a bit of a suprise.
Yesterday in the bakery, the lady baker and another lady (who is Hemma’s mother) were telling us about a Paseo, around the Campillo of Llerena. The paseo would be ‘dos hora’ – two hours. Well, paseo is strole, and campillo is the country side – so a two hour strole round countryside. I picked up ‘minibus’ however thought that that meant that a minibus was going from Villagarcia. The plan was to meet in the plaza in llerena at 8 o’clock in the morning (there was I suppose a clue there) and we were told to bring drink and food.
So, 2 hour country walk and picnic breakfast. great. We’d be back home by 11.
We arrive in Llerena which was teaming with people – at before 8 in the morning. Unusual to say the least. In the plaza there were tables signing people in. We met Hemma (although thinking about it her name is probably Jemma), who said that she was suprised that we were taking Basil on a 22kilometre walk. So were we, but for different reasons.
Ian took Basil home and left me with bob and tinks. I signed in and I was number 1039. There were more than 1000 already signed in for the walk! We waited for quite a while for Ian, but then headed off. That was the last we saw of Ian until much later, when he couldn’t find us he returned home, I think with a certain amount of relief.
We started the walk out of Llernena to the roman remains, up to the roman castle and then into the campo.
At the time I thought I was going to die, red mists decended as the hills ascended and when I wasn’t going to die I thought I would vomit. I knew though that when I finished the walk I would have a sense of achievement and would look back fondly. I knew this even though I was developing blisters on blisters, I was carrying not only tinks, but ians water, sandwiches and both of our dictionarys.
The walk through the campo was amazing, I can honestly say I have never seen a sight like it (no, of course I did not take my camera). I’ve said before about the flowers, however today we looked down on a valley which was competely packed with flowers. Large white ones, poppies, blossom etc. The smells were amazing too, blossom and also eucilyptus. Luckily it gave me the opportunity for a short descando (rest) to take in the view. This isn’t a public footpath and is only open once a year.
I had also assumed that the walk was circular. it wasn’t and we ended up at a church which was a sight in its own right, painted throughout including the ceiling with a gold alter. There was a little chapel dedicated to sick children which has a wardrobe in there with childrens clothes. In days gone by you would bring an item of clothes into the chapel for the saint to bless.
There was a huge shaded area where people were picnicing and generally enjoying the end of the walk. So was I until I asked jemma how far we were from llerena and she replied 22 kilometres. As I recovered from my near faint, she said we got taken back by minibus – but had to walk another 2 kilometres. it is a good job that Bob can’t speak spanish. That last 2kilometres were a killer.
So we arrived back eventually in Llerena and as Ian had not made it on the walk, I got a lift home to find that Ian had headed in to Llerena to find me….
So the interesting things:-
The roman remains have marble columns still in place, the ones that have fallen down are tucked neatly away at the back. The remains are open to the public, free of charge and it is not manned, yet no one had turned up in a transit (for instance) to remove these roman columns. Amazing.
There was not an item of gortex in sight
The spanish are a healthy bunch – today there were people of all ages, shapes and sizes doing the walk. It was only me that was blithering and staggering up the hills.
I was told off a few times for having the dogs in the heat. I was suprised as the spanish don’t always seem to worry about their animals as much as we do. I ensured that Bob and Tinks had plenty of water, and Tinks can drink out of a bottle of water, which I think horrified many Spanish.
It is true, what people say about us queuing. It was mayhem when people were waiting for the coach, every0ne thought that they were first when the coach arrived and there was much thumping of foreheads (a Spanish insult). We waited for the next as it was too much of a scrum getting onto the first one.
Ian says he is disappointed not to have joined us. Hmmm.
Bob, Tinks and myself will sleep well tonight…!