Stage 5: September 28, 2017 - Alba De Yeltes to Cuidad Rodrigo (should have been 25k but we only walked 8k)


Everything seemed to be going according to plan until I had a minor mishap after about 4km. I tripped on the broken road edging and suffered a deep cut to my hand. We bandaged it up and carried on for another 3km to Bocacara, the only village en route. The first place we came to was the medical centre and we hit upon the one hour the nurse was on duty. She fixed it up, as well as a cut toe which another patient pointed out to me in the waiting room.

I also asked the nurse to look at my left big toe which had been painful for the past three days, particularly at night. She couldn't see anything wrong and suggested it was a job for a hospital.

City Wall overlooking Rio Aguieda
We had lost time and then went off looking for breakfast. The bar wasn't due to open for another two hours so we debated our next move. That was decided when I discovered a water leak. We had hoped to stock up on food and water in Bocacara but now with the prospect of running out of both over the final 17km we enlisted the help of two local women in phoning for a taxi. 

I think we did the right thing and it was fortuitous in so far as it give us the chance to explore the remarkable walled city of Cuidad Rodrigo. The historian would be in his or her element there and I bumped into three retired British Army officers who were visiting because of their interest in the Peninsular War. They were with a fourth man, a native of Clifden, who may or may not have been ex-army. 
Cathedral

I was a little bit worried about my big toe and when I had completed the sightseeing, including a walk around the city walls, I went off to the A&E unit of the local hospital on the advice of the Irish Life Health Digital Doctor. I had contacted her by phone and she was concerned that it might be infected. We were in and out of the hospital in ten minutes, with three doctors telling me, with the help of Google Translate, that there was no infection but that I had arthritis in my toe.

I can't remember if there is any type of hostel in Cuidad but in any case we had booked into the Hotel Arcos which turned to be a great decision. It is a fine hotel, very reasonably priced, a short distance from the Plaza Mayor on one side, and even closer to the Cathedral on the other.

Ayuntamiento (Town Hall)

I have posted more images from Cuidad Rodrigo

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