Asturianos is another small village so within minutes of leaving the albergue this morning I was back out in the countryside. It was to be a day of two distinct landscapes, the first was mostly woodland but instead of the wider gravel paths of yesterday, today I was following thin grassy tracks which left me with a sense of being enclosed by the surroundings through which I walked, a greater sense of intimacy with nature. Initially I could see the purple outline of hills in the distance, rolls of cloud clinging to small areas of the ridge line, but before long I was immersed in the heart of woods on those narrow tracks with only a carpet of dried leaves beneath my feet and more spindly and lichen encrusted trees around me. From the fallen leaves through which I walked they seemed to be some sort of oak but their stunted appearance and thinnesses was nothing like the majestic trees I was used to seeing back home.
The back half of the walk saw a different landscape, one of rolling moorland with its yellow gorse and purple heathers and with the backdrop of the hills now much closer. The track was now road but it was narrow and empty of cars and the beauty and colour of the surroundings provided distraction. My route took me under the nearby motorway as I worked my way round a small valley and an hour later I had reached its head and looped back through the moorland landscape to cross the motorway once again but this time over a bridge which gave a good view down a long valley to Puebla del Sanabria some two miles away. It was nestled at the base of the valley slopes and the old town and its castle sitting atop a small hill were clearly visible.
Today was a short walk so I had plenty of time to explore what is billed as one of Spain's most beautiful villages. A trip to the health centre, to translate for André the Frenchman who needed to check a blister, followed by coffee and Tapas were the prelude to an exploration of the old town. After crossing the river that winds around the base of the hill it was a steep ascent up steps to the top and into old Sanabria. It certainly is beautiful and, much like Cáceres, the old town appears untouched by modernity with its old cobbled streets and wooden balconied stone houses. The day was rounded off by making use of the albergue kitchen to prepare a dinner of salad and pasta which we enjoyed with a bottle of local wine before resting in readiness for a longer day tomorrow.
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