We were in the saddle and underway by 9:35, only five minutes behind schedule. We headed down (up?) the valley. The land flattened out and got rockier, quite amazing, really. It reminded me of Iceland or Norway or something, so many boulders on the ground, cropping up out of the earth. The going was consequently a little uneven so we only walked in the morning. 

We must have gone through at least five more or less deserted towns, each with well-kept boarded-up houses, a stork nest replete with parent and baby storks, a church (sometimes under the nest, sometimes not) and complete silence as the hoofs echoed through the well-paved streets.

Aperitivo was in one such town, slightly more populated than the others. The girls had laid out a lovely table in a church parking lot, I think it was, and Joe and I posed for a photo to send to Philippe and Anne Tirel, whom we had gotten to know on the Andalusia ride.

The sandy road was more even in the next stage and we had some nice canters at good speed. In another town, as we went past a 15^th-century fortress, we turned right onto a bridge of equal age and Maria Elena said this was the farthest point we would be from home. We were now heading east after traversing Avila in westerly and northerly directions. We were also in another province, Salanca.

Lunch was unbelievable. The girls had set up a beautifully laid table in a cleared area in a kind of forest but arid, and some of us helped set up a tent over it. Under which we had what was supposed to be a picnic but turned out to be an elegant meal prepared by a restaurant in one of the more-populated tows we had passed. Tuna, tomato and potato salad for appetizer; ratatouille, fries and rabbit for main course. I am not making this up. The rabbit was prepared with garlic and spices and was delicious.

After lunch, Louise and some of the others walked down to the river and swam in the clear, chilly water, though it was so shallow she said it was more like walking on your hands.

Then it was back on the horses for a 90-minute ride to Hoyorendondo. We entered what seemed like a very large park, also arid, and walked for about 10 minutes until we got to the stone guesthouse. The horse shower-and-feed ritual was in the back garden, where we immediately sat down at some café tables and had gin and tonics.

 Dinner was salmon, duck or pork, served by the owner-family, who no doubt were the chefs as well. Louise said she thought it was the nicest hotel so far and I agree.