Puente de Reina to Lorca We 11 Sep

Larry's come down with the flu; he started feeling quite weak during the last climb into Puenta la Reina.  So today we took it very easy and were prepared to stop anywhere.  We ended up in Lorca (pop 450), a little over 13 km from Puente la Reina and are staying in a small 14-bed Albergue, .  We were very happy they still had a bed for us and overjoyed when he showed us where we'd be sleeping -- in our own room! And a nice view overlooking the valley.  Only 14 Euros for both of us.  Larry spent most of the day lying down in our room and came down to the restaurant a couple times to chat.

Our sunny, yellow Albergue, run by Jose Ramon:

View from our window:

Laurie, Vicky, Ms X, Aussie looking on from the bar, Jan.  The three women at the table were drinking Tinto verano -- red summer (wine ) a kind of simple sangria consisting of red wine and lemon ade.

Back to how the day went:

Leaving Puenta la Reina through the gate leading to the bridge the town's named after.

Medieval bridge we crossed, leaving town:

Another day of beautiful countryside.  Red soil reminds us of PEI.  It seems common to have the fields raised up somewhat, with brick or stone walls for support.

A narrow path surrounded by farmer's fields:

In the distance, Ciraqui, which the map says has a cafe.  Perfect place for a rest stop:

One last climb till coffee time!

Just a few people decided to take a break here.

Nice work of art on the side of a building.  The scallop shell is the symbol of the Camino.  Many pilgrims wear scallop shells on their packs.

More climbing to exit the town.  We got talking to the fellow on the right, and ended up walking together all the way to Lorca, over an hour away.  He was curious about our pack weights and it turns out his pack weighs more than our two combined!  We are so grateful for light packs.

Downhill towards Lorca:

A good chunk of our walk today was on Roman roads -- not the easiest to walk on:

Tunnel just before the last climb into Lorca:

At the top of the hill in Lorca.  Seemed like a good place for a break.

Back at the albergue, Jan showing how far we've come on the map of the Camino.  We've walked over 100 kms and have 650+ km to get to Santiago, then another 100 km or so to Finesterre on the Atlantic coast: