We were sad to leave Lerma but it was time to move on. The drive from Lerma to Benavente was c.193 kms and we were slightly anxious about backs, nerves, pain etc, but set off, determined to enjoy the trip.
Tordomar on the road from Lerma to Benavente
We picked up a map in the tourist office in Lerma and it mentioned a Roman bridge in Tordomar over the Arlanza River, just fifteen minutes outside Lerma. Well, you have to stop and look! Turns out that this was on the road from Clunia, which linked Zaragoza to Astorga, but the original Roman construction has been much altered and added to over the centuries.1
The meseta on the road from Lerma to Benavente
After Tordomar we continued across miles of peseta, golden fields which stretched into the beyond – quite breathtaking.
Seemingly endless fields of wheat surrounded us, with few hills or trees and I understand that this is the hardest and most testing stretch of the Camino Frances. Our next stop was Ampudia, a Mediaeval settlement in the middle of the meseta with a huge castle. It was going to be a long day so sadly we only had time to visit the castle – next time the town.
The Castle of Ampudia
The castle was built in the mid-15th century by a Marshal of Castile, Don Pedro Garcia Herrera. It was gradually neglected over the centuries until Eugenio Fontaneda Perez bought the castle in 1960 and set about its restoration. The site is managed and protected by a charity set up by the family.
The ground floor has several themed rooms, managed as a small museum.
The archaeology room has pieces from various periods, Roman and earlier.
The mediaeval pharmacy room is stuffed with pots and potions, and an amputation chair!
The art collection includes these extraordinary pieces, carved in walnut wood, by Juan de Ancheta (c.1533-88). I have never heard of him, but these carvings stick in the mind.
Medina de Rioseco
And then we were back on the road to our next stop, a coffee stop. Medina de Rioseco is another of those Spanish settlements with roots in Neolithic times, and connections with the Romans. We didn’t begin to explore the town but noted several sights and buildings of interest – we were tiring!
Coffee stop in Medina de Rioseco
Benavente
The Parador of Benavente was a very welcome sight, but by the end of the day I could only think in colour…
It was a long day from Lerma to Benavente but a wonderful day – a real gift – and the Parador of Benavente was a very welcome sight.
Sources
- https://www.monumentalnet.org/monumento.php?r=BU-198000100-MAH-AYU-MAH&seo=ayuntamiento-de-mahamud-mahamud-burgos-castilla-y-leon: interesting website for the area
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