Caminos Teresianos - Day 4

31 October 2023

Mancera de Abajo to Alba de Tormes - 31 kms

Today we completed our Caminos Teresianos. We have walked the Ruta Teresiana, de la Cuna el Sepulcro - the Path of St Teresa, from the Cradle to the Grave - 108 kilometres from Ávila to Alba de Tormes. 

We were up and away early and had a fantastic day's walking, made so much easier than yesterday's as there wasn't any wind. Once again we walked through vast open spaces with views forever. Crops long harvested apart from fields of maize we walked past later this afternoon. 

Dotted throughout the vast cropping fields were piggeries and sheds which housed cows - the effluent from both is spread on the fields so some areas we walked through were quite fragrant. 

We passed through two villages, Macrotera, where we stopped at a bar for a hot chocolate and tostada y mermelada - toasted baguette and jam, and Tordillos which had no services. 

We were looking forward to reaching Garcihernández - the only town on the whole camino - as we were interested to see the shops and supermarkets, only it wasn't what we expected. We did find a shop calling itself a supermarket but it wasn't much more than a corner store. We bought bananas, tomatoes and baguettes which we had for a picnic lunch. 

Most of the towns and villages we walked through on this camino route were like ghost towns. Many of the houses were obviously not lived in and we saw very few of the occupants of those that were. We did notice that the bar, and usually there was only one, was the meeting place. Locals seemed to gather there from early morning for their coffees and chats. 

After Garcihernández it was on to Alba de Tormes, just another 8.5 kilometres. Most of today's walk was on grit-covered dirt roads, as we've had every day, but as we neared Alba de Tormes we were on farm tracks, very muddy in places making walking very slow.

The Caminos Teresianos markers we have followed all the way from Ávila took us right into the city and ended at the Plaza de Santa Teresa where we were able to get our last stamp in our credentials and receive our andariegas, our completion certificates, at Teresiana Museum. 

We didn't spend any time at the museum as it was late by then so we checked in at our accommodation. We'll visit the museum tomorrow as well as St Teresa's church and tomb. 

A pamplet given to us at the Museo Teresiana states: From the day she died in Alba de Tormes, on 4th October, 1582, the echo of steps of St Teresa of Jesus, the travelling saint, mystic and a woman of letters, founder of convents and reformer of her religious order, have not stopped for a minute. In fact, there is an ever increasing number of pilgrims tirelessly coming every year. 

Leaving Mancera de Abajo 

Mancera de Abajo in the background. Our beanies made their first appearances today as the morning was cool but we didn't wear them for long.

And once again we were walking endless roads.

One of the piggeries we passed.

A very poor photo - the pigs were a breed we hadn't seen before  

At the bar in Macotera where we had our late breakfast. This chap spoke good English. 

A Caminos Teresianos marker. 

Walking through Tordillos.

A church in Garcihernández

At the corner store in Garcihernández, grandly called a supermarket. 

We saw very few irrigators - or any other type of irrigating systems. 

Just 5 kilometres to go.

We were very close to Alba de Tormes by now but we couldn't see any sign of the city.

Extremely close to Alba de Tormes! 

Finally in Alba de Tormes. We were amused at the narrowness of the footpath. 

On a mission to find the Museo Teresiana...

...and there it is.

Our andariegas, our completion certificates. 

Our credentials. 

Caminos Teresianos - Day 3

30 October 2023

Fontiveros to Mancera de Abajo - 28 kms

We were up early after an interesting sleep in our massive albergue room - interesting as camp beds without any sort of mattresses are very hard, also the cold seeps up from the floor! Understandably, it wasn't any hardship to get up and get on our way early. 

We had to drop the albergue keys in the mailbox at the city hall. Walking out of town we passed the Church of San Juan de la Cruz, St John of the Cross, and a monument for him. It was too wet, and dark, to go exploring last night. Of course, the church was locked.

Today was different again from the first two days of this camino. In parts we walked through the vast open cropping areas of the meseta like yesterday, but at other times the route took us through tree covered country. Overall the land was more rolling country's with long inclines and descents. Some of the tress were pines but overall holm oaks dominated. There were high hills in the distance most of the day.

We walked past large stock stations, some had cows but others were sheep stations with massive dogs guarding the sheep.  Fortunately for us, they were behind fences as they took their roles very seriously. 

The day was our coolest yet and we had either a side-on or head-on wind for most of the day - and it was strong. Towards the end of our day's walk a sudden rainstorm passed over causing us to scramble for our ponchos. Putting them on in the wind wasn't easy, and not long later the rain moved on.

We had to pick up the albergue key from the local bar so we had hot drinks and some food before going on to the albergue. 

Locking up this morning. 

The monument to San Juan de la Cruz 

...and his church. 

Leaving Fontiveros 

We walked past a massive area of solar panels. This is only a small part of this solar farm. We've seen several of these in Spain. 

Rivilla de Barajas coming into view. There were no services. 

The church in Rivilla de Barajas.

It rained extremely heavily in the early hours of this morning and, as well as puddles, drains and streams were running high.

Jeff crossed first...

...and I followed. The water was fast flowing. 

The first picnic area on this camino but it was too cold to stop. We're wearing our rainpants for warmth and I wore my possum merino gloves for the first time. 

The remains of the church of Castronuevo. Maybe St Teresa visited this church. 

Approaching Castillo de Castronuevo, a 15th century castle. It was sold to the Duke of Alba in 1490 and it and the estate lands surrounding it are still owned by House of Alba.

This may look like flatland, and it is, but it's also a high plateau reaching 1050m at this point. 

Coming into Narros del Castillo 

We had an early lunch stop here in Narrillos del Castillo.

There is a albergue here but it was too early in the day for us to stop. Accommodation is unevenly spaced on this camino. 

This chap was picking acorns off the holm oak in the plaza of Norros del Castillo. Using Google Translate we asked him what he was doing and he explained that he feeds them to his pigs and, patting his rump, he said it makes good jamón, ham.

Ancient holm oaks dominated. In some areas these oaks were planted in rows as the acorns are a staple diet of pigs - we smelt several piggeries today. The pigs were housed in long farm buildings. 

This is what windswept hair looks like - a mess!

The Convent of Duruelo at Blascomillán, about 7 kilometres from, Mancera de Abajo, our destination for the day.

We walked up the lane to the small chapel, not sure if it was open to the public or not, and we thrilled to find that it was.

St Teresa on one side of the main altar 

...and St John the Cross on the other.

The main altar. It was a beautiful wee chapel where daily Mass is held. 

One of the plantations of holm oaks. 

About 3 kilometres from Mancera de Abajo the short sharp downpour hit us. 

St John the Cross on the roadside. 

Walking into Mancera de Abajo. 

The Town Hall. We arrived ten minutes too late to get our credential stamped, it closed at 3pm and we arrived at ten past. We had to get it stamped at the bar instead. 

On our way to the albergue after our quick bar meal - just pinchos as they don't have a menu.

On the albergue walls...

The albergue in Mancera de Abajo. Very basic. A big dormitory bunkroom, quite old. No kitchen but fantastic hot water, once Jeff turned it on. It's a donativo albergue, the same as we had last night. We'll leave a donation in the box where we have to leave the keys in the morning. Once again, we're the only ones here. We haven't seen any other pilgrims on this route.