Forests, Fields, and Faith : Santa Maria la Real de Nieva to Vileguillo

We awoke to an overcast morning that was a cool 7°C.  Unexpectedly, the restaurant we were staying above was open, so we took the opportunity to have a café con leche and a somewhat uninspired pre-packaged napolitana before heading back up the highway to the town.  It was lucky we did this, because none of the bars, cafés, or stores were open when we made our through the quiet, empty streets. 

We did make a stop at the large Gothic Church of Nuestra Señora de la Soterraña that dominates the town.  Originally it was a Church of the Dominican Monastery, and it was founded in 1393 by Enrique III and his wife, Catherine of Lancaster.  

The door was open, leading into a graceful white limestone cloister, where work was being done to restore the elaborate Romanesque-Gothic capitals on the columns supporting the arches. Sadly, I am no good at interpreting symbols, but some of the scenes carved into the columns looked very intriguing and slightly naughty. 

 

We headed out of town, stepping off the main road onto a small dirt path that led us past a small circular slate bull fighting ring.  As we headed out across the fresh, emerald green fields it began to drizzle.  We could already see the steeple of the Romanesque-Mujédar church of San Esteban in Nieva across the expanse of misty grasses.  

At the edge of this town we passed a large modern looking bodega (winery) with a small vineyard adjacent to it.  From there we skirted the tiny village of Nieva, which was a mix of brick and slate homes, their gardens enclosed by tall slate walls. 

Soon we found ourselves entering the Tierra de Pinares.  All of the English guidebooks we've read have described this as an area of dense pine forest, or endless wilderness,  intersected by sandy paths.  The white trail that wound through the trees was indeed soft and sandy like a beach, but as with many European 'forests,' the area was heavily managed.  The trees were spaced so far apart that they didn't form a continuous canopy, their lower branches had been trimmed to leave tall, straight trunks, and the ground had been rolled completely flat and cleared of all debris. To someone from North America it seemed more like a plantation than a 'wilderness.'  

This feeling was perhaps compounded by the fact that like yesterday, most of the trees were being used to harvest resin, with large swatches scraped off the trunks and small clay pots attached to catch the sap. 

Despite the absence of what I would consider wilderness, the first ten kilometers or so of walking through the pines was incredibly beautiful.  Their tall dark trunks receded into the mist, and clear raindrops hung from the long needles.  We were very impressed by the shear size of the pine cones scattered on the grassy forest floor.  It was pleasant going and the signage was easy to follow. 

As we walked we heard the soft calls and chirps of birds in the tops of the pines, but it had begun to rain in earnest, and we didn't stop to take any photos.  Otherwise it was mostly quiet, except for the occasional train zipping past on the nearby railway line, and the odd farm vehicle passing by on the sandy track.  We did pass one logging truck, the smell of pine sap from the logs in the back strong in the cold damp air.  In one stretch we also heard the sounds of vehicles in a quarry we skirted around.  Otherwise it was a peaceful and solitary walk. 

Eventually we reached the larger town of Nava de la Asunción.  This town had a more modern feel than many we've passed through so far on this Camino, and it was dominated by the huge Church of La Asuncion de Nuestra Señora, which was originally late-Mudéjar.  The Mudéjares were Muslim artists, artisans, and craftsmen who worked in Christian governed territories during the Middle Ages. 

 

Surprisingly, the route in to town was somewhat circuitous, taking us along the edges of town, then back to the main church (which was sadly closed), and then onward, seeming to miss the Plaza Mayor.  Unlike the sleepier towns we've crossed through, this one was alive with people, and we were happy to find an open tapas bar.  We ducked inside out of the rain, and sat for a while to enjoy hot cups of café con leche and warm tortilla con patatas.  As we sat there the place began to fill up with a lunchtime crowd intent on enjoying the many delicious-looking tapas, and we seemed to pique the curiosity of a growing number of people.  

Reluctantly we headed back out into the cool and rainy afternoon, making our way across town to the grocery store.  Along the way we saw some interesting street art depicting senior citizens, and we also enjoyed seeing the diversity of creative and elaborate doors, door knockers, and fastenings on the homes along the way. 

We stopped to pick up some supplies for dinner in the albergue tonight, because our guidebook suggests that many things in Villeguillo, which is our destination for today, may be closed on Tuesdays.  After the short resupply, we headed out of town, passing a cute pilgrim statue marker as we left. 

As we crossed a short band of fields around the town a cold wind really picked up, driving the rain sideways at us.  We were grateful for another stretch of trail that was sheltered by stands of pines.  In this section we passed several walled and heavily guarded farms with large though friendly seeming dogs. Eventually, our path wound out to the edge of the forest, following the top of a steep valley at the bottom which flowed the Eresma River. 

By early afternoon we found ourselves approaching the town of Coca in the pouring rain.  We had really been hoping to stay in Coca for the night because there is a lot to explore in this town, but unfortunately the albergue was closed, and the hotel didn't have any rooms available.  The town claims to be the birthplace of Emperor Theodosius I, although this honour is also claimed by an Andalusian town.  

Today, it's main claim to fame is its extraordinary 15th century Gothic-Mudéjar red-brick castle, which has elaborate, fairy-tale like crenellated towers and turrets arranged symmetrically around double square walls.  This castle was built by Moors on the orders of Bishop Alonso de Fonseca, and looks quiet stunning.  Unfortunately, from the official Camino route we didn't catch even a glimpse of this interesting piece of history. 

As we soon discovered, the marked route skims the edge of town, passing by the albergue, but missing most of the downtown.  In the driving rain we followed the arrows to the main square, where we took shelter in the large roofed gazebo outside the church.

The Gothic church of Santa Maria Mayor was an impressive stone and brick building. It features a statue of Santiago Peregrino with staff, gourd, and scallops, as well as a stylized version of the sword of the Order of Santiago above the retablo mayor.  Sadly, the church was closed so we were unable to visit, or to get a stamp for our credentials, which is something we've been finding it a little challenging to do along this route. 

As we sat in the gazebo, hoping the rain would abate we again became the object of local curiosity, with several people walking across the square to pass within a few feet of us, two or three circling around several times, and one lady even rolling down her car window to take photos of us.  Even now I am unsure what caused such interest. 

 

While sheltering from the pouring rain we decided to call the albergue in Coca to double check if it was indeed temporarily closed, as our App suggested.  It was.  Eventually we resigned ourselves to the fact that it wasn't going to stop raining, and we reluctantly left the shelter and continued onward.  The downtown looked very beautiful, with tree-lined streets and colourful houses.  Apparently, some of the medieval walls and the Arco de la Villa can still be seen around Coca, although our route did not take us past them.  We did however pass the Mudéjar Torre de San Nicolas. This tower is all that remains of the Church Of San Nicolas, and is a representative example of Gothic-Mudejar architecture.  Some of its history has been lost, but there are records of the tower dating from 1247.  It has served as a clock tower and a dovecote in its time, and it is now considered a point of cultural interest. 

As we left town we descended steeply on a winding red gravel road under very picturesque pines.  At the bottom of the tall hill we crossed a yet another bridge over the Eresma River, and climbed steeply back up to the top of the ridge, where we again followed the river through a peaceful, fresh smelling pine forest for about 7 km. 

Finally, relatively wet and quite cold from the wind, we emerged from the trees onto a farm track which took us through strong smelling onion fields. The farmer was out ploughing, which added a rich earthy smell to the damp air.  He gave us a friendly wave as we trudged down the muddy track, heading towards the welcome sight of the steeple of the Church of San Pedro Apostol in Vileguillo. 

Here we had no choice but to take a leap of faith.  We called the number for the albergue yesterday to make sure it was open, but most of the instructions we received we didn't understand because they were in Spanish.  Our guidebook had warned that the bar where we could pick up the keys to the albergue was closed on Tuesdays, so we were heading to 24 Calle Real, which was the alternative suggested by the guidebook (it seems to be wrong). 

As we made our way down the street a very kind lady came out of her home and began speaking to us in Spanish. When she realized we didn't understand, but were looking for the albergue, she kindly pointed us to 8 Calle Real, where we could pick up the keys.  She asked where we were from, and when we said Canada, she asked if we spoke French, and told us in French that her son and grandchildren live in Ottawa!  She was very kind, and offered us any help we needed with anything at all.  The couple who are in charge of the albergue were also extremely kind and patient, showing us everything and making sure we were okay. 

The albergue is very clean, well equipped, and beautifully done up.  It had ten beds, two washrooms, a fridge, stove, lots of dishes, and a large kitchen area.  We were very grateful to be inside and out of the rain, and for all the kindness we had received.  As we sat at the table making a dinner of baguettes, cheese, and warm coffee the sounds of laughter, Spanish music, and clapping came through the kitchen door.  There was a lively dance class going on in the community center portion of the building beside us!  

Villeguillo is the last town we will visit in the autonomous community of Segovia.  It is very small and quiet, consisting of little more than a collection of homes with a church, a single bar, and a town hall clustered in the midst of fields.  It is a quiet spot to rest and take a break without distractions.  Although today was rather wet and cold, it was a beautiful day of walking, and it had a wonderful ending full of Camino spirit. 

Distance: 28.4 km
Accommodations: Albergue de Peregrinos in Vileguillo