I arrived in Seville yesterday, 9th December, after a long day’s travelling. I stayed in Hostal Nuevo Suizo, just off the Calle Sierpes, right in the centre of town, and what it lacks in hot water it makes up for in atmosphere and friendly staff. If you like your hotels dripping in Gothic charm and don’t shower too often, it’s the place for you.

The first stage of the Via de Plata is from the cathedral in Seville to Guillena, a village 23 kilometres away. However, I had heard various reports alluding to ‘problems’, especially for lone walkers, between the outskirts of Seville and a village called Camas – the usual big city stuff. A very helpful lady in the tourist office advised me to simply take the bus to the next village after Camas, Santiponce, on a ‘just in case there are any of them bad boys about’ basis, and carry on from there. This turned out to be excellent advice. The bus leaves from the main bus station in the Plaza de Armas, platform 41 at the very end and it’s a local, so you pay on the bus – €1.50. After 35 minutes, it drops you off in the beautiful village of Santiponce, where you can visit both the Monasterio de San Isidoro and the ruins of Italica, where Hadrian (the wall man) was born.

The Camino continues through the village, along the road at first, but then, on a wonderful track across open fields, all the way to Guillena. It was a beautiful sunny day and even though it is December, sun cream, hat and sunglasses are still strongly recommended – we have come a long way from Tartessos. I am staying in a hostal called ‘Luz del Camino’. It is on the main street as you come in to town and is owned by a very interesting lady called Carmen. Her phone number is on the door and she comes running when you phone – it’s worth having a Spanish simm. Carmen is a camino enthusiast and appears to have walked them all, all over the world. She is very much into the mindfulness aspect of long distance walking-but more of that later. The house has everything and I have it all to myself for €12 – the washing is on as we speak.

Tomorrow – 20 kilometres to Castilblanco de los Arroyos.