Camino de Santiago – Day 4
Walked from: Zariquiegui
Walked to: Villatuerta
Distance: 30.6km

I’m staying at a place called La Casa Magica tonight. It really does feel magic – for a start it had beds for me and my walking buddies from today (Darko, the Croatian I already mentioned, Florian, German, and, as we approached the hostel in Villatuera, Daria, from South Korea) which the town I’d planned to stay in (Lorca – four km less walk away than what I ended up doing) didn’t have. But it also has single beds instead of rickety bunks, a washing machine AND tumble drier, a drinks machine that sells beer, and is full of old tile stairways and oak beamed ceiling. Basically, this place is hostel heaven. Except without the religious stuff… almost odd, when you think it’s on a pilgrimage route. But then this trip is full of people making their own, very personal pilgrimages – and for many of us it’s not about religion at all.

I really enjoyed the walk today. We’re still in beautiful countryside, we’ve hit the vineyard section of the walk (although, alas, I suspect the grapes were harvested a few weeks ago), and the walking itself, short but stiff climb out of Zariquiegui and into Lorca aside, was pretty easy, if a bit hot and sweaty at times.