Day 21 - Cáceres to Cañaveral (26 miles)

At 6.45am I shouldered my rucksack, left the comfort of my room and stepped out into the cool morning silence of the Plaza Mayor. Before long I was ascending the hills behind Cáceres offering great views of the flat plain beyond and, further off, distant hills behind which the sun slowly rose and which, although I did not realise at the time, would mark the end point of my day.

Today was marked by a morning of beautiful scenery and an afternoon of frustration, changing plans and indecision. The Roman road out of Casar de Cáceres (where I breakfasted in an old time churrería on 'churros' - doughnut like strips, deep fried and perfect for dipping into coffee) provided the first: its white gravel track cut through rolling grassland dotted with smooth granite outcrops and shrubland concealing the occasional sheep. When I stopped to snack just off the route, resting in the sun against a massive boulder, surrounded by shrubs and opposite a group of collapsed and ancient Roman milestones, it felt like it was just me, nature and history in an isolated, protective landscape. Again I had that desire to stop and pass the day exactly where I was. But I was tied to other plans.

Roman milestones

Today's route took me alongside a large lake and my plan was to camp overnight somewhere near the water. Enter my frustration: the route now followed a road for some miles, faster and wider than I had expected and I was walking the hard shoulder. Luckily there was little traffic but the road was high above the level of the rocky shoreline with no chance of accessing the lake. I would now need to do more miles than planned to get to the point where I left this road and decide what to do from there.

Off the road and back in hilly countryside I was tempted to make for the next albergue at Cañaveral seven miles away. However, I was first distracted by an isolated open-sided wooden refuge, offering good views of the lake and back across the landscape of the morning, where I relaxed and initially thought of spending the night. But it was still mid afternoon so I decided to press on, again thinking of making the albergue. Then I was distracted in open fields by a group of itinerant sheep shearers with whom I chatted and shared a drink while watching them work before heading off again. Their presence initially discouraged me from camping and again my mind turned to a comfortable night in Cañaveral. But now I find myself once again surrounded by shrub enjoying the evening sun having ultimately decided to forgo the albergue for a night under the stars even though I am only a couple of miles short of the village.