Day 10. Thursday, 01/06/2023. Torrefresneda to Mérida

 



26 km.   5:30h.   Plus pauses: 55, 40 and 20 min, plus the occasional stop just standing still, thus giving my feet a rest

After a first stop in San Pedro de Mérida at 9.8 km on top of the only hill where we had a delicious gigantic churro now a second stop (another 6.7km) in Tujillanos, drinks only, no food here. An amazing church with a group of storks - they are nesting on every protruding part and there is one nest on top of the steeple - the chief stork???



The landscape continues the same. The camino is road all day long, not black asphalt, but pebbly concrete, I think. See photo. And this road goes parallel, more or less distant, to the motorway all the way to Mérida. We have another 10 km to go. End of pause…..

Made it! To go back to the end of pause, see above, after coming out of Tujillanos we did not have to go back to the road going along the motorway, but came to a nice sandy track through the fields and olive groves all the way to Mérida. However the fatigue of this day made itself felt and after one hour we had another short pause under a tree to give my feet a rest.

As we were coming into the town we came across a young man who seemed to be dressed up as a Roman. Later a couple similarly dressed, later again an old “Roman” couple, the lady walking with a stick, and finally in the city center many Romans walking about and having lunch on the restaurant terraces.

Andrea is treating us to a night in the Mérida parador. What a change from last night in the albergue de peregrinos in Torrefresneda - see photos.









        Huge churros - these look like sausages
                         Shop in Tujillano
                             Second pause 


The pebbly surface of the road, not asphalt, but what? Concrete? Very hard, but different on the feet from asphalt... 
              Sandy track through the fields
         Hands free umbrella against the sun

                      Romans in Mérida
During our walkabout after the rain we found the town was packed with Romans of all ages! 


                             The theatre 

                                 The arena

Here are some photos to give you an idea of how far we have come up accommodation wise since last night. First the albergue in Torresfresneda:


Now the Mérida parador:


                                 Made it! 

           And our final meal this evening... 





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