I pondered taking a rest day in Merida, but the town, despite all the history, didn’t appeal as a place to relax for an extra day. And the albergue was quite basic, which made the decision easier! And anyway, a 16 km day is almost a rest day.
My usual 0700 start was ideal, as street lighting and smooth roads make walking easier. There was the added benefit of seeing the aqueduct lit up, as it’s not as compelling by daylight. After that it was a gentle uphill mostly using cycle paths to the Proserpina reservoir, created by the Romans to provide water to Merida using the aforementioned aqueduct.
The reservoir is a popular weekend outing for Meridians, but not popular enough to have a cafe open at 0800 on a Sunday morning. There were lots of fishing folks free camping on the shoreline who would probably be interested in coffee once the sun blasted them from their slumbers.
The final stint was through more dehesa land, which is hard to tire of, plus a few vineyards to add variety. I was the first to arrive at the albergue, and as it was open with no instructions, I put my stuff in a room and crammed my entire wardrobe in the washing machine. When the hostel lady later showed up I got told off, as I was supposed to register at the tienda first. Oops! Luckily she didn’t notice my laundry going around (although me wandering around in nothing more than a pack towel might have been a giveaway). Later when I donned my clean (but damp) clothes and paid my rent and bought some provisions, she was all smiles, so hopefully an international incident was avoided.
2saunter 