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24 kilometers, 5 hours. Through Morille and vast, open farmlands.
Not much to see on that short day of trekking. Still, it was a very pretty day with many wide-open views. With a plan to stop in Salamanca, only twenty-four kilometers away and with no real climbing, I decided on a late start that morning. I slept in for a while and then had breakfast with Eugene from Ireland/Denmark, back in the Bar El Claveles. Our other companions—the German woman, the Frenchman, and the Italian man—had left earlier.
The previous day, my Belgian friend, Eric, walked into a small village called Morille a few kilometers further on. That was over fifty kilometers for him! When I met Eric, he indicated that he planned to average twenty kilometers per day. Maybe he will someday.
The relatively short distance covered as I walked to Salamanca was mostly on dirt track and gravel roads. The route passed over rolling hills of beautiful grasslands and trees and beyond freshly tilled fields. Many mountain bikers were out for some exercise on that network of gravel roads, evidence of the large city in the distance, just beyond some low-lying hills.
For slideshow, click on imagine.
As I neared Salamanca, the path made a short climb on rugged, rocky trail to a crest with a yellow cross on top and a view of the city. The multinational threesome, who had stayed at the albergue (hostel) where I had the previous night, sat on rocks eating snacks and taking in the view. We said our hellos the best we could and walked into the city together, separating before the Roman bridge at the hotel where I had previously made a reservation using Booking.com. I planned to stay two nights in Salamanca to rest and see the sights.
Since I was early on arrival in Salamanca, I walked through the new cathedral (constructed between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries) and found something to eat on the Plaza Mayor. The big plaza. There were lots of people—and higher prices.
Costs: €57 for the hotel room, €2.50 for breakfast, and €23.50 for dinner.