San Pedro to Salamanca

Later start for the short walk to Salamanca ... breakfast and a photo from Elena, then on the road at 8 ... and having ignored Rafael's advice to add a couple of kilometres for the better route via Morille, discover the long, straight tarmac road, showing no signs of Roman heritage or indeed hand painted yellow arrows ... just the occasional new official route post, though not needed since the city is visible all the way ... a miserly soft shoulder serves the walkers, Sunday sporty cyclists pass in packs, with plenty of "Buen Camino" encouragement ... mind exploring options for coming rain and even snow ... most radical involves retreating to Tavira to rest, await the return of Sun and maybe see Joaquim to sort the teeth, including two fillings removed by almond chocolate bar in Almaden ... no interest in testing wet weather gear for the whole week, and whilst Tavira also has rain forecast, at least it will be warmer rain and there will be shelter and a kitchen to cook vegetarian food for a while ... a retreat for the hard working and uncomplaining stomach ... which is wondering what happened to sweet potatoes, cabbage, sourdough bread, porridge ...

At 5km before the city a village offers coffee and a fine cycle and walking path, segregated from the cars and very popular with Sunday strollers all the way into the city ... they find tarmac congenial, though surfaces with more life are occasionally available ... N630 and big brother arrive from the east ... on their own way since the pass of Bajar and leaving pilgrims peaceful, if short of options for refreshment and beds ...

Historic centre very impressive and bustling with tourists. .. tourist info kindly dispenses maps and a free guide to the Via de la Plata ... worth a read on the bus, though whether the weight is worth the effort after the rain break, we'll see ... clear directions to the bus station are completely beyond the capability of this country boy, who spends the next few hours engaging locals in conversation to find it ... good practice in Spanish and a fair wander in the sun, until it is located, along with a cafe operated by Chinese folks ... much easier than negotiating meat free options and all the hidden bits of ham, chicken stock and so on ... not to mention the over processed bread ... number 84 it is then (stir fried vegetables), plus boiled rice ... fresh orange juice and a coffee complete lunch for €8 ... wifi shows nearby Hostal for €25 and regular buses to Seville ... 7.45 in the morning is favourite, arriving in plenty of time for a connection to Tavira ... well, that's the plan ... time for some more sightseeing without the pack ... and a ticket to Seville ...