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| Morning visibility! Or rather lack of it! |
Well the morning started off darker than ever with rain clouds gathered about us and the water falling from the skies. I kitted myself up with waterproofs and Kaishi in her jacket and we set off into the deluge. The street lights took us to the edge of town and I crossed via the gas station. I could see a car, lights off, at one of the pumps and as I approached one of the doors opened and someone leant out while sounding the horn. I continued through the forecourt and on toward the Camino, thinking that this must have been someone thinking that I was an attendant arriving for work - and the poor chap in the car must have been wanting to fill up before heading off for work!
We followed the guidebook instructions and headed down a steep (very steep) muddy hill in the direction of one of the arrows we had located the day before. We had done this as on entering the town, all markers disappear and I wanted to be sure I was going to head the right way, especially in the early morning dark! With the rain, the slope was a little treacherous and I slipped here and there trying to find some grass to walk on rather than slick mud. Kaishi and I managed to make it and I was much relieved to be at the bottom. We continued in the direction of the track and came into a small wooded area... but where were the arrows? Not a marker in sight. I walked up and down, came out into a clearing, turned around, walked back again... read, reread an read again the guidebook and then studied the map. I really did NOT want to go back up that hill but as the time ticked on, it seemed more and more likely this would be the case. I was getting irritated and swore at the book and map - I don't mind rain and love walking in these conditions, but I don't enjoy standing around in them going nowhere!
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| The view after crossing the river bed area - the arrows are hard to find before this point and in fact I only saw them when I had turned around and was on my way back to the town. |
The guide says that the way leaves Castronuño by way of the road to Toro, first passing a cemetery. That bit was easy. It mentions that it descends - it then says "At the junction with the road coming from Bóveda, go straight on, coinciding with a GR. Go straight on, ignoring the roads branching off on both sides. On passing the large pool formed by a stream, the route passes a house on the left and takes the road to the right, following the waymarking of the GR"... Well, there was NONE of that!!!
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| The "house on the left"! |
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| The way to Villafranca Del Duero |
I never did see any GR route marking and I never found a road coming from Bóveda. There were no roads branching off (or maybe it was just too dark but even as the light started to appear, there were tracks that led into fields, certainly no roads branching off that could be called roads or specific tracks of any kind!)... and I never did find a pool! There was an area of gravel/sand that could have been a pool and which seemed to be part of a river bed, but there was no water in it and only as it got a bit lighter and I had resigned myself to the fact that I was likely to have to walk back up the steep hill did I find the yellow arrows (one rather faded and painted on a tree trunk that would have been behind me as I walked!) These took us "across" the river bed - which to me looked like it might be where the pool would be (this looked a little like a track at first but once crossing it was most definitely a river bed)... and I can only say that in heavy rain or after bad weather, you are likely to need a raft to cross as I doubt very much there would be a way to cross on foot here.
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| One of the distributor's buildings! No doubt displaying his wares |
Once on the other side the track heads uphill and past a little fountain (as in the photograph) and where there are yellow arrows. It is only at this point that you see the house on the left mentioned in the guidebook! From here the route is easy to follow and crosses rolling hills, up and down, up and down all the way to the village of Villafranca del Duero which is right on the edge of the famous River Duero. Before arriving in the village Michael met us with the lovely cake and coffee from our previous night's accommodation and a freshly peeled carrot and some cheese... mmmmm. He and the dogs had headed out towards us along the muddy tracks and they were covered from head to foot and full of joy.
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| Camino Yellow Marker Ribbon |
Even Ndzilo was to be seen, flat out at the gallop through ploughed feilds, which are hard going at the best of times! My comment just before this, when she had disappeared, was one of worry that she had been gone too long and she might have had a heart attack... as she came over the rise, legs going nineteen to the dozen (what DOES that mean??) Michael's comment was that she certainly looked like she was on her last legs (!) We walked back to where they were parked (past some very frisky cattle that I was glad were behind a fence!) and where there were some interesting cave type buildings - but instead of being houses were kind of storage/trading places. The building shown here with the meaty wares had a "mule train" sign on it which reminded me very much of the monument in Death Valley of the 20 mule strong mule train which used to carry Borax! As Michael said, it's not quite the logo one would easily fit on a business card!  |
| My newer walking shoes have some good tread! |
The guidebook had at times warned the pilgrim to look out for the marker ribbons. I had no idea to what it was referring until we got to this stretch, and from there, on a couple of other occasions on this stretch and past Toro to Zamora, I found these ribbons. They are yellow plastic tape tied onto trees and when you see one, you of course immediately know that it is what the guidebook is talking about. The ribbon guided us down into the village of Villafranca del Duero and onto the path that runs alongside it. Sadly, it is not really close enough to get many good views of the river, and the arrows again take us on a different route from that marked on the map or described in the guide. It is also very hard going and so today's 22.5km seemed much further - why - because it was once again "tar road" and as always, this is the most tiring to walk on. Even 5km seemed like 10 and I was glad of meeting up with the vehicle regularly for short breaks and some morale boosting. One thing that did lift our spirits was the amazing road in Villafranco del Duero that takes you onto the road along the river (a Camino Rural) and which has a new surface that "squeaks"... yes seriously, it is a squeaky road. I filmed it as it really made me laugh and you can get an idea of what I mean although the squeaking is far more obvious when you walk on it yourself. No doubt it was also due to the perfect conditions - the new tar, the rain on it and my new (well new ish by now) walking shoes!
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| The Roman road as it appears just before entering Toro |
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| Akina admiring the Duero |
The way is easy to follow, although the map shows the path crossing the land part of an oxbow between the two points that make the top of the bow, but in fact the path (which is on the map) is one that more follows the oxbow of the river itself. This makes the journey a bit longer too and it is quite hard gravel. The drizzle was constant but not unpleasant and the river appeared from time to time.
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| Kaishi checking out "which" arrow we follow - notice the one on the pylon behind! |
At one point, there was an amazing weir with an electricity generating station (you could tell the power of the river here) and as we neared the town of Toro I admit I was starting to flag. However, as you get closer (and again just before the town there are yellow arrows heading in two different directions which is a bit confusing but I stayed next to the river) you find yourself once again walking on large Roman road flags. It is an amazing feeling and each time I walk along them I always feel that joy of connecting with the past - it never fails. The road at one point had been concreted over and then later tarred over and much to my amusement, these were crumbling away, only to reveal "perfect" Roman road beneath - bravely resisting time and making itself known 2000 years after it was originally laid.
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| Roman milestone marker |
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| Roman road standing the test of time against the modern tar and concrete layers |
The road heads into Toro via the restored Roman bridge and what a sight this is. It is magnificent and the perfect way to end the day's journey. It is stunning and awe inspiring. The views from Toro itself, looking down onto the Duero and the bridge are the famous ones, but it is well worth crossing the bridge as the way into the town and you can imagine pilgrims having done this for hundreds of years. The town posesses many historic buildings and we had decided that this would be another good place to be tourists for an extra day before our last walk and journey home. Wow, home, I could not believe that we were nearing the end of this section of the Camino. Almost 18 days away had seemed daunting at the beginning, yet step by step we had arrived - and in one piece, feet still going strong!
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| The sugar factory - you can't miss it |
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| Hostal Estación - 18 Euros per night |
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| Arriving in Toro on the Medieval cobbled road |
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| My room in the hostal Estación |
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| The Roman bridge from the viewing point at the top of the town |
The road that leads to the town is also old and still with its original cobbles! The place is amazing and even with modern vehicles driving over them, they are wearing well!
Wikipedia's History and information on Toro:
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| Kaishi crossing the old Roman bridge into Toro |
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| The Roman bridge from the Toro side - it has been well restored but it now only a walking bridge |
Toro is an ancient town, possibly the Arbukala of the Vaccai tribe which was conquered by Hannibal in 220 BC but survived to trouble the Romans. The Roman town was called Albucella. The modern name may derive from the bull totem of that Celtiberian people. In the 8th century it was conquered by the Moors. After the Muslims had been partially rolled back, Alfonso III repopulated the town in about 910.
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| Arch that takes you to a picnic area and viewing place to see the bridge |
Ferninand III was crowned King of León in Toro in 1230 and his wife Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen (Beatriz) died here.Enrique II, first of the Trastámara line, summoned his first Cortes here in 1369. Juan II of Castile was born here in 1404, but the town was to have greater significance for his daughter Isabella I of Castile.
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| The clock tower as you enter the main part of town toward the ayuntamiento |
Alfonso invaded Castile in May 1475, backed by a number of dissident Castilian nobles. Isabella made Tordesillas her headquarters, while Ferdinand moved to secure the loyalty of Salamanca, Toro, and Zamora. Alfonso reached Arévalo in July and both Zamora and Toro went over to him, a serious blow for the young monarchs.
Intrigue seethed as troops marched. Zamora swung back to Isabella's cause. The Portuguese crown prince arrived with reinforcements and in March 1, 1476 the rival armies met at Peleagonzalo, a few kilometres southwest of Toro. Ferdinand was victorious in this battle decided by light cavalry.The Portuguese under Alfonso broke and the king took refuge in Castronuño. However the result was uncertain [1][2] since the forces under the Portuguese crown prince defeated the Castilian right wing and remained in possession of the battle field - and thus both sides claimed victory. But the fortress of Zamora surrendered to Ferdinand soon thereafter (Mars 19, 1476) while Toro remained in Portuguese hands during more than half a year (until September 19, 1476). After that Alfonso gave up the fight and la Beltraneja retired to a Lisbon convent where she died in 1530, aged sixty-eight. |
| The main church worth visiting |
1500 to present[edit]
When in 1520 the towns of Castile, the Comuneros, rose against her son Charles I, who had succeeded his Spanish grandfather in 1516, Toro sided with them. Charles defeated the Comuneros at Villalar de los Comuneros, east of Toro, the next year.
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| Ayuntamiento |
During the Peninsular War, in the bitter cold of December 1808, Sir John Moore began his famous retreat from Toro in the face of superior French forces. The ghastly ordeal ended in Moore's death before La Coruña (Galicia) in January. In May 1813, 100,000 British troops gathered in Toro under Wellington's command and from here Wellington launched the final campaign which expelled Napoleon's armies from Spanish soil after five terrible years.
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| Perfect day for sight seeing - the skies and light were lovely |
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| Across the plains where we walked - from the viewpoint above the town and outside the main church |
The town of Toro is built in the shape of a fan, in whose center stands the Collegiate church of Santa María la Mayor, dating to the 12th century. Outstanding on the outside is the polychrome western door, called ; and on the inside, the famous Flemish painting La Virgen de la Mosca ("Virgin of the Fly") and an unusual pregnant Virgin.
Next to the collegiate church is the Espolón viewing point, which offers views of a fertile plain known as the "oasis of Castile." |
| Saint's Bones - the ones at the front were the most delicious! |
It is not hard to find places to sample the wines of the region. It is famous for its wine and the ones we tried were certainly some of the best we have had since our arrival in Spain. We also went to a bodega where they had a cellar with the history of their wine and a video running telling its story. We also had some delicious tapas but for our supper we had the "worst" meal of the entire trip - cold in the middle and microwaved! Such a shame, but it was one of those weekends where very little was open. The best place (although we didn't get to try it) seemed to be the Hotel V Centenario - a lovely old building that also offered accommodation - a double room being 40 Euros. It is central and opposite the ayuntamiento and, as I said, in a lovely old building. There were many of these old timber framed buildings in Toro and we enjoyed time just wandering around looking at them. There were also some delicious cake shops and we did treat ourselves to some naughties - one of these were the irresistibly named "Saint's bones"... the most garish of these being the ones with a kind of jam like blood! Well, we were heading toward Halloween I suppose! |
| As most of the stonework appears today |
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| Chruch entrance - in all the original glory! |
Inside the bodega museum they had a photo of the polychrome door of the church which has the most amazing colours and is how many of the churches would have been painted years ago. We think they are just stone colour but actually they would often have been very bright. Inside there are also some polychrome tombs and statues and here there is a picture of some what is mostly just stone around one of the doors, but with bits of colour peeking out giving a glimpse of what it would once have been. As an aside, outside this door a Spanish many captured us to earn a few coins - a bit of a "con" game but he recited a poem, and did it beautifully!
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| Monasterio Sancti Spiritus |
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| What we think is the accommodation block - wish I had stayed here! |
Here in Toro is a working convent - still making the traditional sweets as part of their upkeep. It is the most beautiful and peaceful place, with a wonderful history and a guided tour well worth taking. Here pilgrims can also stay for the night and on visiting I soooooo wished that I had planned this as my "monastery" stop as opposed to Nava del Rey and it would for sure have been a lot more peaceful! For anyone walking this way - do take the opportunity to stay at the Monasterio Sancti Spiritus. Within the cloister stands a 1000 year old olive and I have to say that it is one of the most beautiful and peaceful cloisters I have ever visited. It made me want to stay. There is a blog and website for them and also one for their sweets - do take a look and in particular if you want to see photos of the inside (we could not take pictures) and also how large it is from an aerial photograph - check out the "history" page on the blog site. There is an option to translate to English if you go via Google although it is a tad quirky so if you can read it in Spanish, that's your best bet!
www.monasteriosanctispiritus-toro.blogspot.com.es/
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| The way to the bodega cellar museum |
www.dulcessanctispiritus.com
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| Outside the Monasterio |
Do visit the bar near the ayuntamiento for some tapas or a breakfast - it was the best and most friendly we found - Noche y Día and with naughty but wonderful fresh bread and delicious coffee, good tapas and wines of Toro.
It was hard to believe that after our day of being tourists we now had only one day of walking left to do! We headed from Toro to the Hostal Aurelia nearer Zamora as it is pet friendly and I had made the decision to book that for us rather than to stay another night where I was as it was a tad chilly and of course very noisy! The Aurelia is large and commercial but lovely and warm! We would take a drive back to Toro the next day in order to start from there on the last part of this leg of our Camino.
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