Monzón to Berbegal, 21 km

Elevation gain 295

Elevation loss 38

Total distance 209 km

As we walk out of town we realise how big Monzón is with lots of low rise apartment buildings, all looking very clean and well-maintained.

After exiting the town, we are directed onto the N240 for a while. Very busy and very fast but luckily there’s a narrow track behind the crash barrier.

After a while we are directed off the road through a woodland picnic area and come across a cafe and stop for a morning drink. We then pass under the busy road into the countryside.

The way is still very flat and still with cereal crops, but the track is lined with more vegetation in the form of brambles , thistles and wild flowers.

But we are still plod plod plodding along flat flat tracks which isn’t good for your muscles because there is no variation of use.

We reach the very pretty little village of Selgua at 7.5 km and just sit in the beautiful church square admiring the storks on the church tower. There is a bar here but we don’t feel the need. There’s also a restaurant/hostal which looks very nice. This would maybe be a good place to stay rather than Monzón

We have a mixture of tracks today, nice soft sand, chunky stone gravel, a little bit of tarmac. The greater proportion of crops we see today are alfalfa and corn, with some barley thrown in for good measure. Some of the way we are walking alongside an irrigation channel but not the pristine concrete lined ones that we have known thus far, but much more natural with reeds, grasses and wildflowers lining its path

Shade has been in very short measure on this camino and today isn’t an exception. It’s very difficult to find a place out of the sun for a rest break. We finally find a well placed tamarisk shrub that gives some shelter and stop for a brief munch break at 14 km.

Our stage end has been in sight atop a massive hill since we left the last village . It’s threatening to be a bit of a challenge at the end of the day.

At 17 km, we leave the irrigation channel behind and start the long climb up to Berbegal. And the last bit really is as steep as we had imagined.

We found our way to the bar in front of the huge church and met up with Nela who runs the albergue and an apartment for rent. We ended up in the apartment because the albergue was having some work done to it. It’s very dated but large and comfortable and the charge was €10 each. We have use of a washing machine for €5 which is always a treat on camino.

Nela is an absolute delight.

The view from the terrace is incredible – overlooking the flat land down below for untold kilometres.

We’re told by Nela that the Greenwich Meridian line runs through Berbegal – there’s a thing!  See here

Important to phone during the morning to advise arrival. Albergue de Peregrinos, C. del Parque 3,  central, 673 680 647, albergueberbegal@gmail.com. €10. Open all year, only 4 beds in one room, equipped kitchen, can reserve, shop open until 14:00

Casa Rural Bergallo, C. Jaime Callén, 13, central, 673 680 647, berbegal.org, no reviews, kitchen, €14 single room, €21 double, €36 apartment

The above info, gleaned from various sources, is a bit confusing as the apartment we are staying in is at the same address as the albergue. Just be sure to ring in the morning.