It's all too much: an early night!

Ghost villages on the edge of town. Bricked up windows and plots with little more than a suggestion homes were going to be built here. A lady sweeps outside her gate and a dog barks at me passing the final empty abode before Val de Santo Domingo. Must stop as my guts are rotten.

***

The sun is shining and it's suddenly away from the asphalt on a true grass track where there are puddles to negotiate and there is the accompaniment of bird song. Stopping for a little Tapas in Maquenta rescued me and now I'm in a more pleasant environment as I think Castilla-La Mancha is tappering out. 

Coming down a shandy track I reached a brook and a ford which was too deep to wade through so I removed boots and socks and gave my feet a pleasant. Back up the path I heard, then saw, some hunters out gathering up their dogs, about to head away with their trophies, loading their vehicles. I stopped round about there to clean off my feet and restore socks and boots: it was roughly half way between Maqueda and Escalona.

Coming to end of the day's walking I passed a lot of construction litter and prickly pear very close to the route through, then it was back onto asphalt, over a bridge crossing the Alberche, up a fairly steep stairway reaching and passing through the walls around Escalona into the main plaza and, luckily, I spotted a yellow arrow in the window of a cafeteria where inside a brief conversation led me to tonight's albergue. Really by three I was absolutely exhausted - not with the distance just my forgetting I'm not in Spain to drink heavily! Walking day after day requires plenty of rest and peace away from the weekend fiesta.

***

I managed to nod off for a couple of hours. Part one of recovering from this journey so far. Something light to eat and that's it. Tomorrow is Sunday and the distance to the next stop isn't so far, although it is up to the pass between the mountains ahead.

I'm tired ... Really tired. Tomorrow is Sunday and I intend to lay in. It's a short day so I don't see any reason for being up at six. I'm definitely not interested in alcohol. Just a bowl of soup which I hope isn't too meaty! 

***

Fantastic and simple garlic bread soup with egg and a little jamón, but not overwhelming, known at Sopa Castellana which is a traditional peasants meal made with stale bread. They wanted me to have a second bowl, however I'm just too tired and one large bowl was sufficient: Arco's a family restaurante. They told me it's going to rain around here so I think it's time to change these clothes for fresh ones and perhaps have my gators at the ready?