Stage 4
STAGE 4: ALCAÑICES-QUINTANHILLA
TOURTRIP = 25.4KM
This 4th stage first went international, across her border with Portugal. It is therefore the purpose of the journey by land Zamoranas. The road runs through the region of Ready and offers the pilgrim own pictures of an area that has preserved the tradition, at the cost of insulation at all reflected in the character of its people. Rather, along the road is the usual kind gesture of the people towards errant, most host obtainable.
The road to the village of Alcanizes starts, taking the N-122 road that structures the town. After a short ride by the asphalt, without observing the dominant clock tower in the Plaza Mayor, the path runs along the right, parallel to the main means of communication in the region of Ready. When you are walking up to 10.5 km Segas of Ready. Although not a short distance between two peoples, the alternation of landscapes is exhilarating. After leaving the N-122 takes an asphalt road, which then leads to an area of pine forests. Comes the first cost of the journey, which is softened by the beauty of the view. Again, Jarales to either side of the road, and for the first time, are lush pine stands, the end of which is pressed again asphalt for themselves straight into a arbierto way. Cereal lands contrast with crossed wooded areas, where dirt paths through which flows dominate this stage. Adiles sites of the Patera and Camino de la Villa, which leads to Sejas de Ready, a town that retains elements of traditional architecture are crossed. There is a path of discovery in history. Sejas helps to publicize the millennial Ready, slate and stone specimens represented in architectural ensembles: houses, balconies, doors and windows.
Cross the village to stop giving to the Church to abandon Sejas, on a dirt road. It is left to the left a playground chaired by a magnificent tree. Continues parallel to the N-122 road Trabazos, the next town on the route. The landscape is now dominated by lanura, uniform land articulated by a path of endless lines, with the feeling of having changed his path with its contrasts, able to jump in a beautiful wooded pine and chestnut to curious plots of cereal. Trabazos the town, separated from just over four miles of Sejas be seen. In Trabazos Walker receives the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, whose entrance was placed a stone cross the road Portuguese. Progress is recovered after passing in front of the Church of San Pelayo.
The road continues along a dirt track that ends when you take back a wooded area. Chestnut and oak combine with riparian vegetation in a landscape dominated by outstanding light where the boar left their indelible mark. The beauty of the places lightens a path as it approaches the border, is being more beautiful.
Just outside San Martín, international bridge linking Spain with Portugal, the river border with the Manzanas River (Portugal Maças River) is visible. Two flags, two signals, two plates, two languages. In this small way all are signs of both countries, absent for locals in both countries border. The Pilgrimage of Ribera is a good proof of that brotherhood of Zamoranos and Transmontanos. Cross the bridge is to enter Portugal and step on the Natural Park Montesinhos. It is the same land. A river separates the two countries, but entering Portugal is to continue the way and soon spotted the first border town, Quintanilha, preceded by a beautiful environment dominated by Maças River, the same river sentenced to another name for the easement of language. The bank vegetation dominates the landscape, which has enabled a recreational area around the Mohino das Nogueiras. The arrival of the pilgrim Quintanilha is preceded by a hellish climb. With power the people breaks the scenes seen so far. Little remains of the Alistana uniqueness. A cobbled approaches the andante to the Church, to enter later in the heart of Quintanilha, the first village where to find a hostel for pilgrims. It is newly established and offers all the services required by the pilgrim.
From the US, New Zealand, Canary Islands, Andalusia, Murcia, Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, passing this Route to Santiago, Portuguese Via de la Plata (25.4km).