I’m finally on my way! I passed by the cathedral as the official starting point of my pilgrimage walk.


As is usual passing out of a big city, the first few hours were a bit ugly. I passed over both branches of the Guadalquivir river. This tall building was visible from almost 20km away later on my walk.


I couldn’t see any of the signs that mark the way in the city, but finally I picked them up outside town. where they are much easier to see.


I passed by both a large recently restored monastery and the ruins of the Roman city of Italica. Both were unfortunately closed today. 


The city of Italica was the birth place of two emperors – Hadrian of ‘Hadrians Wall’ fame and Trajan. It was founded by Scipio in 206BC.


I had a long walk along this dirt road. As my Spanish guide book puts it in a rhyme

‘Se trata de una recta sin fin entre campos de algodón, más recta que un bordón’

via de la plata
A straight line without end, between fields of cotton, as straight as a pilgrim’s staff’

It  was around here I met the first other pilgrim – a Frenchman called Francois who speaks quite good Spanish . 

Cotton!

A Camino sign on a gum tree!


We finished the 22km walk together into the town of Guillena and checked into a private hostel at the edge of the small town.

View from the roof ( a great place to hang the washing!)

A deep and meaningful conversation in Spanish – I understood maybe 5%!