Day eight Puenta la Reina to Lorca

Happiness is a yellow painted arrow….

Pointing ‘The Way’ …….

Some easy to spot; others take some time to find, they are by no means uniform…..

The markers are set at random heights, it’s just a case of getting ‘ones eye in’

It’s been bright and sunny today, but very cold when the sun clouded over., coat on, coat off, sunglasses on, gloves off etc etc

The terrain is changing, I walked through fir tree forests, vin yards and olive orchards…

By this time I had passed 5 pilgrims, four picnicking by the side of the track and a fifth laden with a heavy rucksack and a black garbage bag in each hand, I couldn’t understand why he was carrying so much, added to this he was muttering away to himself in Spanish. I wished him a good Camino and then I took a rather wide berth and scampered on ahead, he seemed a tad scary. I later learned that he spent his Camino picking up rubbish left by unthoughtful Pilgrims, I wished I had given him more of my time…..

At Maneru I sat a while in the village square beneath these wonderful trees and talked to a young mother who I came across, she was singing to her two little boys, she reminded me of my daughter-in-law, Holly who has endless love and patience for my grandchild Eva, it warms my heart to think of them both……

Walking out of the village, I was quite please to see this padlock, so they weren’t expecting me today then…..

The next village Cirauqui boasted of the millers tale….

I am just so glad that I didn’t bring a horse – imagine the paperwork!

And here is the said bridge……

Soon after Cirauqui, I was directed onto a Roman road, the vision of the British Great North Road with it’s smooth even tarmac brought joy to my weary feet. But alas the maintenance on this stretch of road left something to be desired, I could almost hear the Roman legions cursing as their flimsy Roman sandals allowed toes to be torn and bruised. And it must have been maintenance hell for the chariot mechanics……..

Talking of blisters I crossed a bridge as I neared Lorca and who should be sitting there, resting his blistered toe than my fellow pilgrim Roland……

We chatted for a while, then we walked up to Lorca together, which was the end of my walk today, but he continued onwards and, by the look of it, upwards, I shall be tracing his steps tomorrow…….

I had some very good pasta with a delicious tomato sauce at the only cafe in the village, the owner who spoke excellent English, told me that it was his first day open for the season – lucky me, then to my great joy the rubbish collecting Pilgrim appeared and I was, through the help of the owner, able to tell him how much I both admired and appreciated what he was doing, his face glowed, he doesn’t do it for praise of course, he does it because it is a worthy and right thing to do…..

Love Susan x