A journey of a thousand miles/2

begins with a single step. Almost as soon as I stepped on to the beach (after a photo-opportunity outside the Matadero) I was lost in the dunes and marshes of Tarifa. Observed closely by a group of twitchers, I stumbled around looking for the way to the road to Facinas. After wading across rivers that weren't supposed to be there, and skirting round an extraordinarily large bull, I managed to get across the main road to Cadiz, and started up the road to 'El Santuario de Nuestra Senora de la Luz'. The sun beat down mercilessly from a clear blue sky. No breath of air provided relief. I got hot.
The variety of flowers.
Lunch in the Santuario. I lit a candle for my family and friends, and for my walk. The road was hard, and the sun was hotter. I passed some cows. Some sheep. Some pigs. No people at all. And this only ten miles from Tarifa. What's it going to be like inland ¿
A wayfarer in Spain

Tarifa

I've arrived in TARIFA. Six months of preparation and I feel totally
unprepared. Sitting in a cafe with a glass of beer watching. It's a strange
mix of people. Not really a tourist destination at this time of year, but
there are plenty of out-of-towners. A lot of down-at-heel aging hippies
with families. Most are speaking Spanish, but there are some foreign folk
as well. Tomorrow I plan to go on the boat to Tangiers to acclimatise. Then
I must start walking. Fortunately I have a plentiful supply of potatoes to
keep me going. Some friends told me that they're a good source of energy
when eaten raw, so I've brought a couple of kilos out with me.
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A wayfarer in Spain

An overview of the walk - the thick black line is the GR7 path