Completing the Via Augusta: Alcala de Guadaira to Seville

“I am far from where I started

But at least I'm getting started

I've got some ways to go

Yeah, I've got some ways to go."

                                            Wild, Getting Started

Via Augusta Stage 9

Early Morning at the Mirador de Santiago

We did not cover very many kilometres on our final day walking the Via Augusta, but it was so full of blessings and incredible moments that I think this will likely be a long blog entry.  We took the concierge's advice from last night and walked out to the Mirador de Santiago. 

We set out just after 7:00 AM, doing the 5-minute walk through the pine trees just as the sun was sending its first pink streaks into the night sky.  We arrived at the Ermita de San Roque, a small square stone chapel to our favourite Saint, and climbed the small stone platform to watch as the world woke up.

Across the river, which flowed silently past between its forested banks below us, we could see the white buildings of Alcala de Guardaira climbing the slope opposite.  Above the city stood the Church of Santiago, lit up against the early morning sky.  Standing as a counterpoint, just to the west of it was the Castillo de Alcala de Guadaira, its crenellated stone walls standing securely against the march of time. 

We stood for a long time in the cool, quiet morning watching as the city lights across the water slowly blinked off and the sky turned from velvety purple to soft pink. The valley to the west of the city was filled with fog, which created soft, layered edges that disappeared into the distance. Those first few peaceful, quiet, soft moments of a new day, which seem to hold so much promise and anticipation, are always among my favourites.

We enjoyed the cool, calm, quiet of the morning for as long as possible, relishing the tranquillity.  We could hear the roar of the city gradually building as it woke up, and we knew it was a precursor to the noise and bustle that would greet us as we entered the city of Seville later today. 

As a result, we lingered on our way back to the hotel, stopping to watch a pair of Hoopoes swooping between the pines.  We could hear the comforting cooing of the huge Wood Pigeons that were waking from their roosts and moving clumsily among the branches overhead, and we spotted more of the beautiful Iberian Magpies that seemed to frequent this pine forest.

Cats on Camino

Eventually, we went back to our room, made our breakfast of croissants and instant coffee, packed up, and sadly headed out.  As we made our way through the lounge area, we spotted one of the cats that clearly lives around the hotel curled up in an armchair. 

Sean stopped to pet it, and the lady who was cleaning the floor smiled and said he was named Antonio Banderas, and that he was 'el jefe' (the boss).  We realized Antonio had many friends (or perhaps rivals) in his territory when we passed one of the many feeding and watering stations for stray cats that seemed to spring up all over Spain, which was attended by a group of eight more felines.

Via Augusta to Seville

We made our way through the village with its beautiful cubic homes sheltered by the towering pines that blanket the slopes with their huge, dense umbrella canopies.  The Via Augusta took us to the river, past the ruins of several flour mills that once thrived along the Rio Guardaira.  By this point, the town had woken up and come alive, and the forested riverside pathway was filling with people.  As a large group of walkers passed us we received the first of many 'Buen Caminos!' for today.  Clearly, as we approach Seville, more locals recognize and support pilgrims who pass through their communities.

We crossed the Rio Guadaira on the first of many cool bridges today - the Puente de Carlos II, which was a curved brick Roman bridge with many supporting arches.  At the far side, we passed under another tall archway, through which we could see the steeple of the Church of Santiago. It was closed, as so many churches on this route have been, but we took the opportunity to enjoy its exterior. 

From the interpretive signs, we learned that the original church had been built in the 16th century, when the neighbourhood had developed into a major crossroads.  It had received Baroque additions during the 17th century and been extensively renovated following the devastating Lisbon earthquake of 1755.  It was burned in 1936 and was once again rejuvenated.  Looking up at the different styles, colours, and stones on the outside of the church, we could appreciate how much history this building must have witnessed.

 

As we looked at and photographed the church, several locals walked past, making sure we acknowledged their presence by giving a loud cough, a slight nudge in passing, or a musical whistle.  It is a curious behaviour we have repeatedly noticed, particularly in the men of southern Spain, who seem to need and demand acknowledgement, and will make some kind of noise if they don't receive it. 

We continued on through town, ascending slightly as we followed the main street for a few blocks before turning back towards the river.  Tall red sandstone cliffs bordered one side of the street, and on the other, we could see the brick walls of the castle close up.  We would have loved to go inside for a visit, but it wasn't open until tomorrow.

Riverside Trail

As we turned to follow the river once again, our route descended beside a truly spectacular bridge.  Standing underneath this modern structure, we discovered that its supports and sides had been artistically formed into a huge sea monster! 

Its back protruded above the bridge in waves, and its belly protruded below the bridge.  The entire sculpture was covered in a rainbow mosaic of tiny tiles, which gave the appearance of colourful scales.  There was a staircase leading down from the road to the riverside walkway that was also covered in colourful tiles.  The work that must have gone into creating this sculpture was truly impressive, as was the result.

The next few kilometres were a joy to walk. We essentially followed an urban pathway that bordered the river.  It was shaded by a large variety of different trees that were alive with birds, their song filling the air around us.  When we began this section, we were in a deep canyon, with red sandstone cliffs rising up on either side of the river.  As we progressed, the landscape opened up, and at one point we found ourselves walking beside a field of bright red poppies.

Buen Camino

We mostly enjoyed this stretch of riverside walking, which was filled with cyclists, more than one of whom gave us a hearty 'Buen Camino!'  Unfortunately, one of them collided with Sean as he was taking a photograph, but for the most part, we were able to share the trail and enjoy the walk.  Sadly, the shaded, treed multi-use pathway eventually came to an end, and the landscape opened up into fields. 

Passing a historic mill, we followed the hard path where, around us, we could see evidence of past floods.  Debris and garbage were hanging from the trees and bushes a good 10-12 ft above the current water levels.

As we walked beside the river, we spotted a great diversity of birds.  Three hawks circled above us in the clear blue sky. A pair of Mallards swam in the greenish waters of the river way. A Little Egret flew overhead, and we followed a Black-crowned Night Heron as it took off from the bank, flew downriver, and landed again. 

We also spotted a Purple Heron taking off from the banks, looking like a slightly more colourful version of the Great Blue Herons we have in Canada.  Closer by, we caught a rare glimpse of a Common Cuckoo perched atop an aspen on the riverbank, and a little farther along, we spotted a Common Nightingale.

A major highlight of this section was passing a wheat field that contained six horses.  They were spread throughout the crop and across the trail, and when we stopped to talk to them, they became very curious.  We were able to pet them, which they seemed to very much enjoy, especially getting scratched between the ears or being given grass from our side of the fence. 

One became very intent on nibbling our Garmin InReach device, which became a small issue, but it was so lovely to meet all of them close up!   Each of them patiently waiting to be nuzzled or to have the space between their ears scratched.   The farmer was driving a tractor through his field, trying to spray his wheat, and he laughed at us for our interactions with the curious horses.

Nature along the Way

Eventually, the river walk ended, and we crossed over a long pedestrian and cycling bridge to the other side of the river.  It looked like we were walking over a large pipe or aqueduct, making it the next interesting bridge of the day.

On the far side, we continued following the river on a trail divided between a green route that led to the university and a cycling route, which, as far as we could tell, also led to the university. It was a lovely walk, and we greatly appreciated the entrance to Seville being on such a nice track that ran parallel to a canal rather than through the usual industrial sectors that surround a city.  However, by this point, it was a little after noon, and it was starting to get really hot on the bright white gravel track that lacked any form of shade.

Turtles sunned themselves on the banks while Night Herons strolled along the shoreline and Grey Herons wheeled above.

A highlight of this section included coming across a large herd of goats and sheep grazing beside the canal.  They were being protected by a shepherd who was sitting in the shade of a tree, talking on his cell phone.  A few steps farther on, we saw the rest of the flock grazing on the hillside on the opposite side of the river, also being protected by a shepherd with a long staff and a black sheep dog. 

It seemed like a lot of protection for the herd, but as we watched, one of the sheep strayed towards the canal and seemed like it was trying to fall in until the sheep dog shooed it back toward safety.  We were amused to watch a Western Cattle-egret land on the back of one grazing sheep, while another foraged on the grassy slope among the flock.

Canals and Campus

We continued on, following the track that ran beside the canal.  We took a break under the shade of a large plane tree at one point, watching as university students jogged and cycled on the shady side of the river.  Soon after that, we came to the campus of the University of Seville, with its many pink, yellow, and purple buildings. 

The trail wove through the campus, where we were stopped by a man who asked what we were doing, and explained he had done the Via de la Plata in 33 days 3 years ago.  That is a lot faster than we expected to complete it! He also gave us instructions to simply keep following the green paved cycling route through the campus and into town.

As we crossed the campus, we walked under another underpass that was spray-painted with bright colours and interesting street art, which seemed to reflect local culture.  The pictures included people walking dogs, cycling, and holding hands in the park, and interestingly, they also included sheep and birds.  Perhaps the best bit was the university's logo on the edge of the bridge, which included a very fancy-looking feather. The bird theme was strong!

Camino Spirit

As we followed the green cycling lane through a campus that was alive with students, several people wished us 'Buen Camino!' with one man even asking if we needed anything.  We ducked under an overpass for the train tracks, which had a climbing wall that extended all the way across the ceiling, and then found ourselves crossing the highway on an elevated pedestrian bridge.

As we crossed the multiple lanes of very fast-moving vehicles, the driver of one car honked his horn repeatedly and waved madly from below, showing his support for pilgrims. It felt like the closer we came to Seville, the stronger the Camino spirit was growing and the more the journey was beginning to embrace us.

After the overpass, we followed the cycling path for several rather long kilometres.  We never really enjoy entering large cities after the peaceful solitude of the countryside, but this was a nice route, which was mostly shaded by a corridor of large trees on both sides.  Nonetheless, as we made our way farther into the city, passing miles of modern apartment buildings and roundabouts that were busy with traffic, the noise and bustle continued to grow. 

Different Perspectives

We passed a Farmacia sign where the green cross outside gave the current temperature as 26°C, meaning that with our packs on, it was feeling closer to 36°C.  To us, this qualifies as too hot, but we passed many locals who were wearing sweaters, jackets and scarves, and one lady who had a full-length down coat on.  I guess if the summer temperatures regularly exceed 45°C in this region, then this might not feel too bad, but it was incomprehensible to us how someone could wear a full down coat in this heat.

It felt like a long walk, and while we were able to successfully follow the arrows most of the way to the Cathedral de Sevilla, we did finally lose them and were soon heading away from our destination.  We used Google Maps to navigate the last few kilometres of winding cobblestone streets.  The closer we got to the Cathedral, the fuller the sidewalks became, until we were trudging along in a near-solid mass of tourists.  It was both a shocking and overwhelming feeling, and we both found ourselves dreaming of the quiet solitude of the morning, standing alone in the cool dawn air, watching the sun rise.

Historic Seville Spain

We eventually made our way past the Royal Alcázar of Seville and down the narrow lanes and streets lined with tourist restaurants where pictures of each dish were provided and the menu was offered in multiple languages.  In this stretch, we passed Burger King, Starbucks, Five Guys and other western fast food chains that made us feel like we'd abruptly stepped away from local culture. 

When we got to the square outside the main door of the Catedral de Sevilla, we were shocked to see a very long lineup extending around the side of the building and out of sight down the street.  It looked like it was hundreds of people long!

We did some quick Googling and came away with the impression that we needed to buy tickets to enter the Cathedral, but that everything was sold out for the next four days.  It is possible to go on several different kinds of guided tours of the Cathedral, which feature its rooftop, stained windows, architectural highlights and more, but while all these sounded like a lot of fun, it didn't look like we could simply step inside for a visit or to get a stamp.  Judging by the lineup, it didn't look like we'd enjoy ourselves much even if we could.

Arrival and Accommodations

Feeling overwhelmed by the crush of so many people, somewhat disappointed, and wondering how we would manage to get a stamp for our pilgrim passports, we postponed any attempt to visit until tomorrow.   Still, this was a moment of arrival: the end of the Via Augusta. Over the past days, we had walked from Cádiz along ancient trade routes, through farmland and sherry vineyards, and into Andalusia’s historic capital.

It is here, where the Via Augusta ends, that in two days time, we will begin our trek on the Via de la Plata, the longest Camino or Jacobean pilgrimage route in Spain.   The Via de la Plata extends 1000 km from Seville to Santiago de Compostela, in the process crossing Andalusia, Extremadura, Castile y Leon and finally Galicia on the Camino Sanabres. Much like the Via Augusta, the Via de la Plata is reputed to be less crowded and well waymarked, but is considered challenging due to the lack of shade, distance between towns and scarcity of amenities and resources on several stages.

Eventually, we headed off towards our hostel.  We inevitably took a wrong turn, but ended up on a quieter street with a few smaller bars and restaurants.  We stopped at one with a sidewalk table in the shade and had a couple of cold cervezas and a plate of tomato, pesto, and cheese to celebrate.  Although it didn't really feel like it, we had completed the Via Augusta and our walk from Cadiz to Seville!

In the scorching hot afternoon sun, we made our way to the Flamenka Hostel, climbed several floors on a narrow and precarious staircase and checked in.  We dropped our bags off, went to the local Mas supermarket, and got some supplies for dinner.  Then we headed back to the rooftop patio of the hostel to have a homemade dinner. 

We had a beautiful view of the Cathedral roof, as well as the layers of terraces, rooftop patios, and interesting windows and tile work between us and it. As we sat there, looking at the Cathedral through a dense forest of antennas that poked up from every rooftop, we realized that this was somewhat symbolic. 

In our modern society, it has become more difficult to hear the message of the church for all the digital interference.

Evening in Seville

As the sun set, the sky began to turn a soft pink, and the lights of the Cathedral were turned on.  It was a truly beautiful sight, and although we were a little tired from a day of walking in the heat, we decided to head out and explore. 

Seville is very beautiful at night, and with fewer people out and about, it was much easier for us to enjoy it.  We walked down to the river, which was full of young people sitting on the banks talking and drinking. 

The lights of the buildings on the opposite bank made lovely long reflections in the dark waters, and the bridge beside us was brightly lit.  Half a dozen bats were skimming the surface of the water, feasting on the insects attracted to the light.

We sat for a whole, enjoying the warm night air and the view.  Then we made our way back through town towards the Cathedral, not taking a direct course, but wandering the winding streets and alleyways at will.  Lights and voices spilled out of the many cafés and restaurants we passed, and streetlights created romantic-looking puddles of light down quiet laneways.  The sounds of people's laughter, distant music, and unseen swallows hunting overhead were the soundtrack of our ramblings.

Exploring Seville

When we reached the Cathedral Square, there were still quite a few people out and about.  The building was lit up, standing like an immovable reminder of the power of faith, belief, and goodwill.  We spent quite some time wandering around the outside of the building, admiring the elaborate stone carvings above the doors, the Moorish influences in the rounded archways and elaborate designs, and the general beauty of the structure.

Finally, when it was after midnight and some of the cafés and restaurants were beginning to pull in their tables and chairs for the night, we headed back to the hostel.  We stopped at Restaurante Tanto Monta for a glass of wine and a plate of hummus and warm pita along the way, and it turned out to be some of the best hummus we've ever tasted.  It felt like an amazing ending to a day filled with blessings. 

Tonight, we are full of feelings of both achievement and anticipation.  Having successfully completed the Via Augusta, we now had the longer, more challenging path of the Via de la Plata ahead of us. 

See you on the Way!