Camino Via de la Plata, VdlP: May 3 Fuenterroble to San Pedro de Rozados (Stage 19)

Half way point

We had to leave our American house at the albergue in Fuenterroble to start one of the most challenging walks to the top of Pico de la Duena. The hospitalero got up at 5:30 to make breakfast for everyone. Only Stu and I Were there but we had a great breakfast. We had little sleep because a mouse was in our room trying to and succeeding to eat my cookies. I kept turning on the light and throwing things at my pack. We started out in the rain and went down a dirt road with sheep on one side and cows on the other. We walked by several pig farms and then horse farms and fields of green. We passed a small refuge called Antonio probably for a pilgrim to get out of the rain. We then started climbing and reached Pico de la Duena at 1140 meters. It is the highest point on the route. It was raining and cloudy but the views were spectacular. There is an iron cross at the top and several wooden crosses as you climb up to the top. They will continue to put crosses up until they have 14 for the stations of the cross. We then went down and finally on flat land. We passed a big pig farm and for the next 13 k we went up and down slight hills until finally we reached San Pedro de Rozados. Tired and wet we stumbled into H C Carrera bar and Casa rural. We sat and had beer and talked to a woman from Switzerland who we met along the Way a few days back. The albergue is not very good here so this place filled up quickly. We had a great lunch with white bean soup with chorizo. Our second plate was pork chops and tomatoes. We had bread and wine with gaseosa water and ice cream for desert. Our laundry will be done shortly. San Pedro is the half way point. Tomorrow will be the completion of our third week. It seems a very long time ago that we began in Sevilla.