Tabara to Santa Croya de tera 23 km

Set off early today after breakfast picnic of sweet cakes and pineapple and soya juice in our room. I am so sick of sweet things and would love a vegemite and toast breakfast for a change. No coffee today. Karen and Andy set off so Karen can avoid the hottest part of the day and get a head start. The road is being changed by the new and uncompleted EVA( fast train) railway. Since the GFC a lot of infrastructure development has stopped so their are unfinished fancy bridges, half completed roads seeming to be going nowhere as well as housing developments that have stalled. The impact for us today is that we completed a huge sweeping bend over a fancy bridge full of stones and then crossed the current main road into a lane that paralleled the road. We could have just walked out of town on the main road and then turned left! It would have saved a half to 3/4 hour walking.  Any way we have enjoyed a delightful up hill walk today with lovely vistas of rock roses and lavender and broom with mountains in the background. We stopped at La Mona a little bar where the owner is working overtime to build a pilgrim business.  I decided I needed a bocadilla and coffee, not a sweet cold drink.  He was so pleasant and gave us some little souvenir  torches. His property was really lovely and quality. Karen is walking well but she is in discomfort and as the heat rises she gets overheated. I give her my kerchief with ice blocks from her drink rolled into it and she concedes it makes a difference. I moderate my pace to keep her company and that is easier on my feet too. We get to  Santa Croya de Tera and the young hospitalaria seems very efficient. We take the group room with the Aussies and book lunch for 3:00 pm. Almutt returns from getting her visa for Mongolia or China in Madrid. She has had some extraordinary adventures trying to catch the others. She got lost and was rescued by a bicycling pilgrim who drove her to Zamora and a young woman called Esta Santiago who found her on the incorrect road about 8:00 pm and then put her up for the night. She then drove her to Tabara because she was so worried she might get lost! The Camino angels are around and Almuth conceded you can't ignore Santiago.
The Albergue Casa Anita is very nice with a garden that has lawn and beautiful peonies. We all eat together at lunch time and share our lives.

 It is a good feeling. While the others nap Andy and I go to visit the local Romanesque church which is one of the most original in all Zamora region.  We join a tour in Spanish of which I catch about one word in ten. It has some unique architectural features and became a monastery for pilgrims in about 900 AD. I am really tired but 7:30 is too early to sleep! I feel like I am on the home stretch now. It is good motivation but still one day at a time.

Lavender strewn over the steps for when we left this morning.