The first day is always a challenge, trying to unearth the muscle memory, along with the camino routines of where items go in your pack, planning the day etc. And as with departing any large urban area on foot, the ‘wow’ factor is conspicuously absent. There was a choice of routes initially: the dusty litter-strewn farmland near the river, or the dusty not quite so litter-strewn road. I took the latter as I needed to try to coerce some money from a bank machine. In the end I tried every account option at four different banks with no success, so I had to resort to a cash advance on a visa. At least I can now indulge in coffee, cerveca and other such camino necessities.
The two paths rejoin near Italica, the first Roman town established on the Iberian peninsula. I felt morally obliged to write that in italics. Emperors Hadrian and Trajan were born in the town, and there are extensive ruins etc. which one can visit if you are not preoccupied about another 10km of walking in low 30s heat
As always, the last 5km were the hardest, although with other peregrinos on the trail, a certain camaraderie is already developing so you know you are not alone out there. I’ve met more fellow pilgrims in one day than I did on the previous two years and 1,100km of walking!
Guillena doesn’t have a whole lot to recommend it, other than it being a small town along the way which serves the farming community. Watching said farming community harvest watermelons beside the trail was an exercise in frustration! Fortunately the town had one of those stores that defies categorization, and I was able not only to get some cheapo sunglasses to replace the ones that mysteriously snapped, but also procure some super glue to facilitate an attempted repair. Tomorrow’s noonday sun will be the acid test of my fixit job.
2saunter 