Camino Mozarabe

I'm hitting the road again. Heading to the outskirts of Cordoba to find Loma de los Escalones - the start of Camino Mozarabe to Merida where I'll join Camino Via de la Plata to Santiago. I'll also be popping in to Carrefore for some new socks and a sleeping bag.

Cordoba has been very good to me. A beautiful, and very safe little city. Made good money. No problem from policia local. Friendly people. Nothing to complain about other than some well dodgy, piss-taking cafe. I can forget that.

The Mezquita is outrageously ornate and magical. Literally like stepping through a door way into another time and another land. Easy to forget such elaborate and exotic religious buildings exist in Europe.

Nice little city, just a little to conservative for my liking.

Lots of good information about the caminos here. There´s a Society of Friends of the Camino de Santiago. The guy in the bookshop where I was going to buy a map is very knowledgable about the routes also. Apparently, it is very clearly marked. I don´t need a map. At each village/town I have to find the police station and ask for a key to the pilgrims sleeping place. Could be a church house, a farm outbuilding, a shed... anything. You make a small donation if you can.

I have a carrier bag half full of coins to take to a bank and donate to a local charity. I have enough cash to gat me to Merida. I'm told I may have problems with policia local there. I'm not doing anything illegal, but I may enquire about permission at the town hall on arrival.

I've dumped my stick of olive already. Instead I carry a roll of paper and an artists portfolio. The portfolio doubles as a sleeping mat, the roll of paper is an adequate walking stick. Instead of carving a stick I am filling a small, hand made, leather bound sketch pad en-route. I will auction it for charity on ebay when I return to Granada.

Looks like a long, tough and lonely hike to Merida. I expect to arrive at my destination in 15 - 20 days time. I don't expect to find much internet until I get there.

¡Adios!