El Real de la Jara to Monesterio - (electric wheelchair style)

Today started with the problem of getting my 90kg electric wheelchair down a small flight of steps.

This small sleepy town was very quiet at 8:00 this morning. I wandered around looking for help and found a builder working up the street. In my poor Spanish I asked for assistance saying that we needed 2 strong men. He magically hailed a passing car and within minutes I was sorted.

This little story says a lot about humanity. Don’t we love to help? Isn’t it intrinsically human to assist others? Maybe this stuff happens more as a pilgrim, where our vulnerabilities are more apparent. Whatever it says it made the world a better place for us all I think. 

Today’s path started as a cruise. Big wide meandering track through Savana landscape. Hills, castles, holm oak and broom. Lots of grazing cattle but low density, free to wander.

Yesterday I left Andalusia and an now in Extremadura, they call this type of landscape “Dehesa”, a unique, ancient agroforestry native to southwestern Spain and Portugal. Here it seems to be all about the Iberian pig which seems to be the main commercial activity here. After securing my accommodation I visited the Museo del Jamón which was fantastic. 

These pigs thrive on acorns, particularly those of the holm oak which thrives here.

Once again a lovely small town with storks on the church’s bell towers

Looking forward to food tonight - it’ll need to be local pig 😊