Saturday 14 September: to Sierra de Gata, Extremadura

 Another cold morning in Salamanca as we pack up and hit the road. A few supplies from Mercadona supermarket before navigating our way out of the city. The roads are generally straight and traffic free and we make good progress to Ciudas Rodrigo where we stop to explore the ancient walled town. It’s humming as it’s market day. But mainly selling pants, shoes and nasty clothes so it’s not tempting. We have a coffee in the cobbled main square, walk around the walls and see the magnificent Cathedral from the outside as it is closed for a wedding. Desert like scenery surrounds us. And the temperature has certainly risen  

Back on the road south we cross into Extremadura and our rural campsite El Merino in the Sierra de Gato. It’s run by a pleasant Dutch couple and is very quiet with immaculate facilities, a lovely cool pool and wonderful scenery. We choose an idyllic pitch, set up and unpack and start to eat lunch. We are surrounded by a swarm of wasps and cannot eat anything. We wonder if we have disturbed a nest. It’s so unpleasant that we move to another pitch and get very hot and sweaty. Just as nice we settle in and read by the pool trying to keep cool. Bread and cheese enjoying the sunset.