April 3rd
Kilometer 847,5
This morning we start our stage in Coripe. Long before our era, from the 6th century BC onwards, this was a thriving place. There was a reliable supply of water through the rivers we walked along yesterday. This allowed a village to develop and the location of the slopes in the river valleys made it possible to grow good quality grapes to make wine, which in turn served as a commodity for the goods of various cultures that crossed here on the roads to and from major cities. Meanwhile centuries, even millennia later, things are a lot less bustling in Coripe. Spain's history in the last century has made life here a lot harder. Sources of income, other than agriculture, are hard to find. Many people work in hotels on the coast and on the Spanish islands in summer. Between the holiday seasons, they return home. At least this ensures that the white houses remain inhabited, but the vibrancy it once had centuries ago, is now hard to find. Last night, but certainly this Monday morning, the streets are empty. We set off around 8 o'clock towards the north-east. We walk again to the Via Serrana, not the old railway line, but the pilgrimage route that we'll follow all the way to Seville.
Once out of the village, we walk on white dirt roads. Occasionally we pass a farm, but mostly we walk past olive groves, grassland with cows and mules, and grain fields. Amazing how high the grain is this early in April. It's still green, but the ears are already on it. It won't be very long before it can be harvested. We are still hiking among the hills, but on the edge of the sierra. We can already see into the plain towards Seville. Slowly we have moved from the area of cork oaks, to the area of olive trees. We pass one grove after another. Under some olive trees, dozens of pigs walk. Big grey animals scurry in search of food or run after each other through the fresh grass and yellow rapeseed flowers. Ah well, if you have to be a pig... ;-)
Halfway up the final slope to the plain, we walk through Montellano. When entering the village from the hills, with its dirt roads, shuttered houses and old cars along the road, it looks like pictures of Romania in the 1990s. But it soon turns out to be a beautiful place after all, and the houses here are also painted perfectly white. With about 7.000 inhabitants, it's a small town and a lot livelier than Coripe, where we came from. In the centre is a large castle, a beautifully maintained church and there are shops that are open. A bakery and a small supermarket are enough to do some shopping for our lunch break. In the middle of town we see a magnificent building with large stained-glass windows, pink and green marble steps and columns. It's a large complex surrounded by a lush, once beautifully landscaped garden. It turns out to be a 90-year-old retirement home for the elderly, which, despite the rather high density of rollators in the streets, appears to be closed. But the elderly seem to have found a good replacement in the bars, restaurants and parks, it looks really cosy. More often, people wave as we pass and shout "Bon Camino!" We don't really feel the need to tell them that we have another destination than Santiago de Compostela.
Outside the built-up area, we take a break in the hillside. It's quite hot today, so we seek the shade of trees. In the places where the sun shines all day, the ground is cork dry. The grass is already starting to turn yellow and there are mostly thistles and plants with spikes growing, which have stood up to the drought. Looking at the weather forecast for the next 2 weeks, the colour of the grass will only turn more yellow. It predicts temperatures of over 30 degrees and not a drop of rain. That will be toil next week!
In the hills this morning, we heard the cuckoo and the hoopoe. Now we hear the soft twittering of the bee-eater. Once you've heard the whistle, it's a very recognisable sound. A swarm of about 20 come flying over, performing capers in the air. Of course, the colourful birds fly way too fast for a picture, but we just keep on trying 'till we catch one one day!
After the break, we walk quickly into the plain. The feel of the landscape is immediately completely different. Slightly rolling fields and little forest. There are also a lot fewer paths and dirt roads here, forcing us to walk on a major two-lane road for a long stretch. It's a through road, so cars and trucks race by. Fortunately, where possible they take us into account by driving on the other lane, but several times we are startled when a car overtakes from behind us. After walking on the road for 4.5 kilometers, we can fortunately turn into a smaller road. It's now only 4 kilometers to El Coronil, where we spend the night. Around 5 o'clock, we arrive at a large, stately building in the village with a small sign with the name of our hotel. When we knock, a large door opens, we walk into a magnificent antique hall. And after a tour of the beautiful building, we finally arrive at our room. After almost 30 kilometers, we are happy with any room and bed, but this one exceeds our expectations. A beautifully, classically decorated room with high ceilings, secretaire and gorgeous tiles. Backpack off and legs high, time to rest in style. What a wonderful place to end such a beautiful stage. From hills to countryside...
