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The Wild Asparagus Hunters are Out and About

It´s that time of year. Cars parked in odd places, the solitary person - usually a man, popping up above a bank or from behind an olive tree. The hunters of the wild aparagus are here. The plentiful rain scattered with a day or two of sunshine has brought them out in droves. Some have their route, others instinctively know where to go. They appear, walking back to their cars, with a huge bundle of foot long green spears of asparagus. And off they go, probably not to be seen for another year - or another week if the rain continues. No matter how hard the shoots try and hide the older men hunt them down with stick in hand, to fob off the spiky old growth, and uncover the tender new stems of wild asparagus. Everyone has their favourite way of cooking them but the most common seems to be in a Tortilla - the thick Spanish potato omelette to which you can add anything that comes to hand - or is hunted down. My one or two shorter stem finds don´t come close to the experienced hunters catch. I...

Via de la Plata - Santiago de Compostela from Seville

The Via de la Plata or Silver route starts in Seville and heads north following the Portuguese border to Gijon. This route has existed since ancient times when pilgrims walked the mountains, valleys and plains a scenic route with flourishing copper and precious metal mines.

The route took on even greater importance when The Romans invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 218 AC. and footpaths sprung up crossing the country and uniting Gijon to Sevilla via Astorga, Leon, Zamora, Salamanca and Merida one of the more important towns.



The Via de la Plata was the most important path from l to XlX centuries from which other paths were created and during th emiddle age it became an important drovers path for huge flocks to move around the country.

The Silver route has an incredible history and is an amazing legace of temples, aqueducts, bridges, arches, fortresses, folklore and craftwork.


Starting in Seville it passed the ruins of Italica the old city of Betica Romana, the route then goes to Zafra and Almendralejo, Merida to Caceres and Plasencia.

This takes us into Castilla y Leon passing through Bejar and Salamanca heading north we reach Zamora from there crossing fields of crops and lagoons to Benavente and on to Astorga and Leon. Into Astura and the towns of Campomanes and Pola de Lena towards Oviedo and to the end of the 1,000km path in Gijon.

Photos from Ruta de la Plata.

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