Jodar-Quesada (Peal de Becerro)

My Dear Friends,
Today was the worst day of this whole dad-blasted walk. I traipsed into the
centre of Jodar to find a chemists. Most places are closed because it's a
'puente' this weekend. That's when public holidays fall so that people can
take a long weekend.
People stream out of Madrid in hundreds of thousands and spend the whole
weekend snarled up in traffic jams. It's exactly the same as a bank holiday
weekend in the U.K.
After the traditional walk through several rubbish dumps, I found the GR7
signs and set out. The landscape round here s low rolling hills covered
with a tree with which I have become all too familiar. There wrte clouds
inthe sky and I thought it was going to be a cool day. Ha! It was hotter
and more humid than ever. I now had a blister on top of a blister, whoch I
can tell you is agony. I struggled on to Hornos de Peal over the most
boring route imaginable - kms of bright black tarmac reflecting the heat
back at me. My foot was hurting so much that I even committed the ultimate
fashion crime (you know what I mean). By the time I got to the half way
point, a small village with everything closed, my water had run out and
most of it seemed to be in the blister. I decided to get to Peal instead
of Quesada. An aged woman told me to hitch on the main road and someone
would stop for me. This is the regular way of getting about, she implied.
Ha! I had to walk 8 km to Peal, with no water, under the burning sun. I
stopped at the side of the road to pierce the blister with my handy
multi-purpose knife. About 15 pints of liquid came out. I felt a lot better
after that. (Note to the squeamish: sorry).
I arrived in Peal about 7:30pm. I was directed to a nearby bar. Ha! There
were four bars in the square - all of them closed. In the centre of town I
looked for a taxi to take me to Quesada. No taxi. No space in the hotel.
The barman told me to ask the local police where I could find a taxi. No
police! I started to walk out of town, thinking to hitch to Quesada,when
lo! another hostal appeared, and they had a room. So the worst became the
best.
More about hotel tomorrow.
Distance today 32km all walking. Haven't followed GR7 exactly but never
mind. Total distance so far 601km. That means I'm at least 3/4 done.
The picture is of me in the slough of despond.
___
A wayfarer in Spain