Always Look Back : Segovia to Santa Maria la Real de Nieva

Today was a long and beautiful walk through the countryside, which was punctuated with visits to many small rural villages along the way.  

It began with a delicious breakfast of café con leches and croissants in our favourite panaderia in Segovia.  Feeling optimistic, we threaded our way through the winding, narrow streets of the old city, dodging the morning commuters and an army of delivery vans making their way into the center of town to resupply the restaurants, cafés, and bars.  

We passed under the warm yellow stone and red brick arches of the Puerta de Santiago and descended rapidly into the narrow curving streets at the foot of the wall. In front of us we had a fabulous view of the castle lit against the clear blue sky.  

We crossed a paved road that was busy with rush hour traffic, followed a forested path down to a parking lot, and then crossed the Eresma River on a small bridge beside a weir. A delicate mist was rising from the still, dark waters of the river, and several ducks were leaving long wakes as they slowly paddled below the overhanging branches of trees, disturbing the colourful reflections. 

We left the peaceful and beautiful scene behind, and began climbing up to the town of Zamarramala on a paved sidewalk.  A short distance up the hill we came to the Iglesia de Vera Cruz.  This distinctive 12-sided stone church was purportedly founded by the Knights Templar in 1204-08 on the site of a former Roman Temple.  The design of the building was based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. 

As we continued up the hill in the bright sunshine we watched many cottontail rabbits bounding through the fields beside us, and we heard the sound of a rooster crowing below us, which is a something we associate strongly with the Camino Frances.  When we turned around, the view of Segovia set against the snow covered mountains behind us was stunning! 

 

 

At the outskirts of Zamarramala we stopped at the small white Chapel of San Roque, patron Saint of Pilgrims.  We have come to believe that Saint Roch has been looking out for us on our walks in various parts of the world, and so we took a moment to give very heartfelt thanks. 

It took only a few minutes to cross the small town and then we walked below a curved metal underpass and abruptly found ourselves out in the countryside.  The winding white gravel path of the Camino stretched out before us, bisecting a patchwork of emerald green, light brown, and golden yellow fields.

The minimalist landscape of green fields, clear blue sky, red barns, and bright white path accompanied us for most of the day.  Its simplicity was calming, giving us a reassuring sense of direction and purpose.  In that first stretch we were passed by several cyclists, a handful of cars, and several farmers on tractors, and we received several cheerful 'Buen Caminos!' After that we were mostly alone in the peaceful, quiet landscape. 

Not long after leaving Segovia we came to a fork in the road with the option to walk towards Los Huertos or to take the official route to Valseca.  Not remembering the advice in our guidebook, which suggested taking the more direct and shorter route to Los Huertos, we took the official route to Valseca. At the split we looked back and were treated to another fantastic view of Segovia.  At the same time we spotted a lone deer grazing in the field behind us! 

We passed a farm with two lovely dogs, and soon afterwards crested a hill to see the tiny town of Valseca hidden in a dip below us.  Our first view was of a red brick water tower and the tall stone church.  As we approached we could hear the noisy and busy chatter of House Sparrows in the roof of the church, the clicking calls of swallows wheeling and diving overhead, and the distinctive hoo-HOO-hoo of Rock Doves in the town below. It felt like the community had its own sound, which was one of nature rather than traffic and industry. 

In the small town of Valseca we came across a geology museum (closed), and several signs describing the unique geology of the region.  Apparently the Castilian region was once covered by tropical seas, and later covered in sand brought in by huge rivers.  It is rich in minerals and has been mined for centuries.  As we continued out of town we could see evidence of the mining in the terraced ridges and fields beside us, and of the unique geology of the region in the golden yellow colour of the soil. 

After climbing back up out of the Valseca we again continued along the bright white track to the community of Los Huertos.  We had been hoping to find a bar with a cold refreshing zumo to cool us off after the long exposed walk under the hot sun, but nothing was open.  We took a break at one of the picnic tables in the grassy little park on the banks of a small stream.  It was a welcome rest in the shade!

At the far edge of Los Hueros we passed the small, squat, and heavily buttressed Ermita de Nuestra Señora.  At the far end there was a deep portico with stone benches that provided shelter from the rain and hot sun.  The church wasn't open, but we were able to peek inside through a small double grate.  Looking through the tunnel made the statue of Nuestra Señora on the shadowy alter within look like a vision. 

 

 

After leaving the Ermita we found ourselves walking on a long stretch of straight rail trail bordered by a poplar plantation.  At one end of the stand of trees the foliage was golden, reminding us of autumn, while at the other end the delicate foliage was light spring green.  The bird song coming from the trees was loud and varied, and it was clear that nesting season is here!

Even though we were passed by several cyclists and locals out for their daily walk, we had another exciting wildlife encounter in this section.  A beautiful snake covered with light spots surrounded by dark rings was sunning itself on the trail bed! We took a moment to watch until it grew nervous and elegantly glided away to safety. 

After about two kilometers of rail trail we were diverted up and over a paved road, crossed a bridge over a small river, and then picked up another dirt track.  It was a beautiful but largely uneventful walk until we came to the small community of Añe. At the edge of town we stopped outside the white stucco Ermita de Santo Cristo de los Afligidos to rest on a bench in the shade of a few trees. 

Sadly the Ermita was also closed, so after a short break we stepped back into the bright sunshine and continued into town on a brand-new looking raised brick sidewalk.  We walked through the tiny community on white concrete streets, passing the tidy stucco homes with their closed shutters and curtains pulled across their doors.  Coming from Canada, it feels like the Spanish are a very private people, living colourful lives behind enclosed courtyards, barred windows, and closed shutters.  It is often impossible to tell if there is anyone home in the villages we pass through, as we see no people or cars on the streets.  

At the far end of Añe the road descended into a deep river valley and we crossed a small bridge.  As we approached the water we could hear the unmistakable sound of frogs calling, and we were surprised to see a flock of White Storks grazing calmly in the wet meadow.  There was also a group of stork nests in the row of trees behind them. 

As the afternoon progressed we began to find it very warm on the exposed country tracks.  As we were making our way parallel to the road we spotted a farmer ploughing his field, sending up a rich earthy smell into the warm air. We were delighted to see a flock of twenty storks following behind the plough, studiously searching the freshly turned earth for grubs, worms, and other tasty morsels.  In Canada we most often see gulls behaving this way! 

By the time we had covered the next 6 km to the tiny village of Pinilla-Ambroz we were very hot, so it seemed fortuitous to find not one but two fountains, each of which provided ice cold water.  There was not much else in the village, which was little more than a small collection of houses, but we were very grateful for the refreshment! 

From there we headed back our into the fields for the final 5 km to Santa Maria la Real de Nieva.  We were still following the hard packed white sandy track through the fields, and eventually we could see the highway beside us.  The albergue in the town was closed, and the only accommodations we could find were in the Hostal Avanto, which was about 1 km before the town. We had been hoping there was a shortcut across the fields, but to our dismay there was a high speed railway line running between the path we were on and the highway, which prevented us from crossing over.  In the end we had to walk all the way into town and then backtrack down the shoulder of the very busy, hot highway.  

 

 

When we reached the restaurant and hostel we immediately had a cold drink at the bar, even before heading upstairs to our room, which was incredibly clean and very nice.  We cooled off, took showers, and did our laundry. We then took the tiny elevator, which gave an alarming thump every time we stepped into it, back downstairs and headed back down the highway to town to see if anything was open. 

Santa Maria la Real de Nieva is an old city dominated by the gigantic Gothic Church of Nuestra Señora de la Soterraña.  We walked around the outside, but there seemed to be a Mass just finishing, so we left our visit until tomorrow.  

We walked around the arcaded central plaza, which was full of seniors out for their walk, and we followed the arrows through town.  There were several bars, cafés, and restaurants, as well as a grocery store, but sadly they were all closed.  This left us with the option of buying dinner in the gas station along the highway, which sold chips and wine.  Perhaps not the most nutritious or filling fare, but with little choice we made the best of it. 

Today was a long, hot day in the sunshine.  We very much enjoyed seeing the birds, snakes, lizards and fresh spring colours in the countryside, and visiting all the small towns in between.  Again , it felt like a privilege to be back out on the Camino!

Distance: 33.9 km
Accommodations: Hostal Avanto