You can't get there from here.

Hello all.

I'm certain the Madrid train station is akin to Dante's 5th circle of hell.

When last I wrote, I was in Lisbon.  A beautiful, busy, busy city.  At times evoking memories of three rung circuses.  And HOT. Unlike Spain, the siesta is not observed in Lisbon or Porto...maybe somewhere else?

I stayed at a hostel which, as it turns out, is right in the thick of thuings.  There are benefits to that, but if I ever go back, I'd look to stay farther out.  Too crazy.

In fact, I left a day earlier than originally planned.  I took a bus from Lisbon to Merida, a five hour ride through lovely countryside.  No major sign announced our entrance to Spain, but there was a noticeable change in the building styles and, of course, language on the sign.

I went to Merida because:

1.  It was directly east of Spain, en route to Madrid; and
2.  I read about the Roman ruins and aqueduct.

Other than that skimpy information, I had no idea what to expect.  Merida is SMALL.  Well, the old center is.  They have created a lovely walking Running path that pretty much circles the town and from which one buses and traipses over ancient Roman ruins.  And it's quiet.

The first afternoon/evening (I arrived during siesta, so l rested as mandated), I was initially dismayed and certain I had made a lame brained decision to go there.  But I soon realized it was just right.

Remember how this is a spiral journey...the learning continues.  This particular learning had to do with trusting my inner self and going with what feels right.  Merida was lovely and QUIET.

And unbeknownst to me it's on the via de la Plata route of the Camino Santiago - Seville to Santiago.  I discovered this.but stumbling on .
some of the tell tale signs, and then running into a number of peregrina   it was nice to run into them.

Just that, waiting for the train, I noticed a peregrina and stuck up conversation with her.  She is from Korea.  This year she did the el norte of the Camino. Last year she did the Frances (the route I did. The most popular route from the French side of the Pyrenees to Santiago.)  Then she rented an apartment in Merida for a couple of months. And is day tripping from there.

She doesn't speak Spanish.

A light bulb went off.

So, in my current approach to travel:  flying by the seat of my pants.  Sort of.  I identified places, booked lodgings and decided travel arrangements would be obvious.  (Discovering my arrogant American self.)

Turns out getting to Merida from Lisbon isn't  too hard...finding the bus and bus stall in Lisbon was.  But getting from Merida to Toledo turned out to be impossible.  Panic.  However, I needed only to take the early train to Madrid, and then another train to Toledo.

Easy.   Right?  Not that day.  No English speaking customer service staff to give directions; computer system running self service ticket machines was down; the hand processing ticket counter was. Byzantine in its operations...no English, no instructions in any v language; this coincided lunch hour and regardless of the fact there were well over 100 people standing awaiting their turn, staff went to lunch leaving two people to carry on.

However, fortunately, the computer system for the automated ticket machines came back up after an hour.  And I even found one with English translation!  Riding that stress wave, baby.

Got to Toledo by 4:30 and climbed the mountain of stairs leading to my room under the eaves (no hyperbole), and took a rest.

TTFN