Day: 10
Date: Monday, 29 May 2023
From: Penaflor de Hornija To: Medina de Rioseco
Distance (Planned): 26km Actual (Garmin): 23.9km
Progress: 273/801km
Start Walking: 0623 End: 1154am Time: 5h30m
Ascent: 96m Descent: 93m
Terrain: Same, same as yesterday.
Weather: Clear and with a pleasant breeze all morning.
Stayed At: Albergue Santa Clara – €12.
General Comments:
- You might be wondering why there always seems to be a difference between my planned kilometres and my actual kilometres. I wonder the same thing sometimes.
- This route was planned back in 2019 to happen in May 2020 (we all know what happened that year) and when I was researching the daily distances, I found wide variation in the numbers. So what I did was pick number in between the lowest kilometres and highest kilometres and hoped that it would all average out. Yes, not real precise, I know.
- Today, there was an option to take a shortcut that would bring me direct to the albergue rather than going through town and back out again. As you can see it cut off a few kilometres and that is always a good thing in my book.
- Leaving Penaflor this morning it struck me how much it looked like an Italian village perched on top of the hill, or in this case, on top of a plateau. I have always wondered how they accessed water so high above any river system, but obviously they have the engineering all worked out.
- As well as the endless flat wheat fields, today’s other major crop was wind turbines. Wherever I looked there were wind turbines and there must have been thousands of them. At first I thought I was exaggerating those numbers, but they were endless and were as far as the eye could see.
- It reminded me why some people don’t like wind turbines, their noise was like the distant roar of an airplane taking off. That would do my head in if I had to live near something like that .
- I managed to score a coffee again this morning and have learnt over the last couple of days that rather than looking for a bar and coffee, it’s more effective to listen. The telltale sound is the volume of male voices. I am not sure why local women do not also need a good coffee to start the day, but the men certainly do and it is a real gossip or bull session. Heaven knows what they think when I walk in looking less than fresh and less than female.
Top Tips:
- If you plan to stay at the Albergue Santa Clara, I recommend you take the shortcut. You do have to walk on the edge of a road for about 2km, but it is a very quiet road and only about 5 cars passed me the whole time.
- The albergue itself is very comfortable and only a short walk into town for the supermarket etc. Unfortunately, like yesterday’s albergue, the washing machine here is broken. A walker’s definition of ‘tragedy’.
Buen Camino.
Life...one big adventure 
“Pleasant breeze” sounds good 😉. Oh yeah, I won’t say no to a shortcut. The washing machine was always the one ‘luxury’ we allowed ourselves – bummer!! Great photos.
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Ta. I have been so lucky with the weather and yesterday was just about perfect. Got the hand washing dry before a massive boom, crash, opera storm. Glad I wasn’t out in that one!
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Another great update Mel. Lol a shortcut – always. 😂 🤙🏽
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There are no medals for being a hero cum purist!😂
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Just one windmill is alright but a forest of them is always better on someone else’s hill.
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Well, you are lucky. It seems they are all in Spain! An amazing sight, but like you, I couldn’t live with them on my doorstep.
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We used to have a couple on a nearby hill when I lived in Hartlepool, Mel. I used to walk past on my way to t’ai chi and salute them.
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and I’m sure they appreciated the acknowledgement. 😁
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🤣❤️
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Whenever we drive to the state of Colorado we pass through areas of wind turbines. They always give me the creeps… can’t quite explain why.
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🙌🏽😊🌹
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💜💜💜
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Lovely village. Shame about the wind turbines! Hope you packed more undies like we told you!
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Now, Dal… How many pairs of undies can you wear at any one time? I have three and even that may be excessive! 😂😆 You really must let me help you pack for your September adventure!😜
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No chance and no way love!!!! 🤣
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C’mon, don’t you trust me? 👙👙
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Shortcuts that avoid going through town and out again are legitimate reroutings. A broken washing machine….😭😭😭
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I am glad you can feel my pain!😂
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