Today's stage to Estépar follows the motorway entirely. We are still following the route of Charles V, and he clearly preferred flat roads through the valleys. Understandable, considering he came all the way from Brussels, he probably wanted to make some progress to reach the monastery in Yuste and spend his last years, or rather his last little 20 months, in his modest palace next to the monastery in peace. On September 21, 1558, he died there from malaria. Obviously there was no motorway back then, and it was much quieter here without motorized traffic. Nevertheless, we have carefully reconsidered the route and chosen for an alternative that stays further away from the busy roads, hoping that it turns out well.
From our hotel next to the motorway, we walk back to the Arlazón River, a beautiful naturally meandering river with many riparian plants such as reeds and willows. Farmers pump water from it to irrigate the fields, and here at the bridge, a fire truck is filling its tank with river water.
The water is quite murky and doesn't really invite swimming, but it is being used usefully. On the other side of the bridge, we turn left onto an unpaved road. That's quick; over the past few days, we've had to walk several kilometers along roads before reaching a path like this. We walk through the river valley and not much further, the hills begin. A layer of mist hangs against the slopes, and on the other side of the valley, where windmills stand on the hills, clouds hang in front of the windmills. Only the blades stick out. The sun is already shining brightly, which, combined with the rising moisture, creates a dreamy landscape. Better apply sunscreen right away. Especially Mark, who burns quickly in the bright Spanish sun. When the sun shines from the front, he puts on a cap and always wears a long-sleeved shirt; that's even better than sunscreen. But even that doesn't always prevent the sun from shining a bit too long on a nose or arm. But regarding that as well: safety first!
Even today, on Sunday morning, many farmers are already working in the fields. They wave kindly from a distance. A farmer, well wrapped in rain gear, has the refreshing task of checking the irrigation system that is supplying the field with water. It doesn't seem to bother him, as he cheerfully greets us as we walk by. Soon we walk right alongside the hills. To our right, slopes full of beautiful flowers with occasional clumps of oak trees, to the left, the flat fields, still mainly grains. Here, all colors of flowers mix and mingle: white, yellow, red, blue, and purple flowers are reflecting in the sun. Especially the large blue irises stand out. Less conspicuous but still special are the small green shrubs with green-white flowers of the savory plant, a member of the composite family (which also includes dandelions). It smells and tastes very much like olives, so it's nice to use it in salads. On the path lies a small snake, probably a slowworm, sunbathing. It startles when we approach, and even though it has no legs, it literally jumps a few centimeters in the air and then quickly flees into the bushes. That was funny to see!
We walk towards the small village of Villaverde-Mogina. At the edge, we pass a farm where a large herd of sheep is leaving, heading through the village towards the fields. At least five herding and guard dogs make sure the animals go in the right direction. They growl a bit as we pass by, but soon they pay no more attention to us. It's a beautiful sight, the herd of sheep between the houses with dust clouds behind them. From the buildings, we head back towards the river to follow a path on the other side. We arrive at another, even smaller village in the middle of the fields. But they are thoughtful about the residents' physical activity. In a fenced area of about five by five meters, near an old dilapidated barn, a few fitness machines stand on green rubber tiles . A little further, at the edge of rusty old agricultural vehicles, forgotten storage of wooden poles and other items, there is a concrete slab with a bench and an ornate lamppost next to it. It looks beautifully out of place, but it's also a bit characteristic of the rural villages in Spain. Everything is available, and everything is as it should be, but it often feels a bit misplaced in these villages. A little further, we enter a completely different village. It's barely 2.5 kilometers further, but this is really a mountain village. The river flows underneath, close to the hills, and all the houses are built against the slopes. A large church stands at the top of the village, halfway up the slope. Flowerpots adorn the streets and facades, and there are fountains with drinking water. A very different feeling from the previous village. Again we walk close to the hills on unpaved roads. A little further, we pass another collection of houses, a church, and a real 13th-century castle. It looks like a village, but as we walk past it, we see that it is private property and that we're not allowed to walk in that direction. It's a whole settlement in private hands, quite intriguing. We would have liked to look around for a bit, but we decide to walk the other way. We have a view of the river valley and the hills, far away from the hustle and bustle of the roads and the roar of the motorway all day long. Unexpectedly, we are back in "vulture land"; five griffon vultures sit against the slope, probably having found a snack. As we approach, they fly up, glide right past us, and circle close by for minutes. They remain magical animals! It's wonderful walking along the slopes and valleys like this. From the village Villavieja de Muñó, we head back towards the motorway because that's where the hotels are, but we've had another fantastic stage in the middle of nature, farmlands, and villages. We arrive at the highway hotel at a quarter to four and can hardly believe that we've walked over 26 kilometers. Fortunately, choosing our own path has paid off! It was a beautiful day.
