Getting there

After 22 hours of travelling starting with the 04:45 bus into the City Centre, followed by the Airport Flyer, Ryanair flight to Madrid, (met with Nina) transit bus to terminal 4, train to Chamartin station, train to Cuenca, bus to town centre.

Mo We stayed at the albergue and lovely Luis came to register us. There are two other women staying here who have been walking the Lana bit by bit and are finishing this bit in Cuenca.

Then we joined Paul and wandered out for a glass or two of wine and a bite to eat. Paul has been here for a couple of days discovering the many wonders in Cuenca.

The weather is hot and dry for the time being. Let’s see what is to come.

Stage 1

Cuenca to Villar de Domingo Garcia

After a reasonable night’s sleep we set off at seven and meet Paul on the bridge going out of town. It’s rather fresh and I’m glad to have some lightweight gloves.

There are sufficient arrows directing us, and we’re walking on quiet country roads for a long while. The few vehicles that pass give us a very wide birth. There are crop fields to either side, mostly displaying the deep red clay that we know so well. Hopefully we’ll be able to appreciate it for its rich colour rather than curse it for its sticky squelchy properties that we experienced last time.

We hear our first serenade by a nightingale and the first cuckoo of the camino, plus a far away hoopoe.

We reach the first village of Nohales at 4 km. Camino information stated there are no facilities here but we pass a large building advertising itself as bar restaurant hostel Rasil and several properties look like they have accommodation available, though I can’t imagine that any pilgrim will forego the pleasure of staying in Cuenca in order to walk an extra 4km to stay in a tiny village.

As we progress the fields are now green with barley and the land is gently rolling.

I can see the halo effect once again when I catch my shadow in a photograph against the crops. Come to think of it, it was on the Lana when I first noticed this – maybe it’s something particular to this camino 😉 But of course when I google I find it is a well known phenomenon – The halo effect observed when the low sun is behind you-often appearing around your own shadow is a well-known optical phenomenon called Heiligenschein (German for “holy light”) or a glory.

Key Characteristics

Personalized: Because the effect is centered around your own shadow (the “antisolar point”), it is personal. Another person nearby will see the halo around their shadow, not yours.

Moves with You: As you move, the shadow and the halo move with you.

Common Locations: They are often seen from airplanes (shadow of the plane on clouds), on misty mountainsides, or on wet grass early in the morning.

At 8 km we reach the small town of Chillarón where we stop at a bar and I enjoy my first cola cao. Then buy some supplies in a small shop to eat later.

Village number three is Tondos at 15.5 km – no facilities.

We finally reach a gravel track at 16 km that has us walking up and down between an assortment of trees mostly pine and some holm oak, dotted with yellow broom and rosemary.

Noheda, tiny village number five at virtually 20 km, also with no facilities, where we find a bench and eat some lunch.

About 1.5 km further we are directed onto the N320, a major road that fortunately has a reasonable shoulder to walk along.

Almost without fail the drivers have been super courteous crossing to the other side of the road where traffic permitted in order to give us a good amount of space. This is very much appreciated especially as most of the traffic hurtling past are enormous lorries.

We are on this road for 2 km before being diverted onto the track that gave us such a hard time back in 2019. What a difference a spell of dry weather makes – we are now walking along a dusty dirt track which is actually the nicest surface we’ve walked on all day. Whereas last time this terracotta clay was clinging onto our boots inches thick making them feel like lead weights.

To one side of the track lies lush green pasture and to the other is pure terracotta coloured bare earth waiting for crops to grow – the contrast is massive.

Nina and I are growing rather weary towards the end of this walk although Paul is flying ahead. It’s hard to believe that he has recently celebrated his 79th birthday. He’s a walking machine!

We arrive at our destination after 30 km and have chosen to stay in private accommodation this time -perfectly comfortable Las Callejuelas – rather overpriced at €30 per person, but we didn’t fancy a return visit to the cramped and rather damp albergue.

The N320 runs through the middle of town with huge lorries belting through every couple of minutes. It can’t be much fun for the villagers.