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26.4 Thursday Utrera to Sevilla.
Ray and Ann are railegrinos to day Anne suffering with a second set of blisters (the sandals are an improvement but 33km on their first outing is asking a lot) so they go by the frequent service between Utrera and Seville. We know all about this service as our route travels close to, along and crosses the track frequently. We are whistled at by most of the trains that pass us when close by the track.
Before we reach the railway we find our way out of town in the dark with reasonable yellow arrows once we rejoin them thanks to Tony's excellent cross town navigation. After crossing the track for the first time we enter an area of sand, pines and olive trees, rabbits abound, nine at once is the record scuttling actoss the track. This is billed in one set of instructions as the nicest walking since Cadiz, we have to agree but all to soon we start our dance with the railway that continues until we reach Dos Hermanoes and a morning coffee. At one point alongside the raiway we spot a bee eater and later another harrier or two in the distance plus a Redbacked Shrike.
We find our way north out of the town and cross the tracks for nearly the last time today. The next section involves a long treck down a road with a diversion into some olive groves for lunch. This section exemplifies the current finincial problems in Spain, all developement has stopped huge cranes are unmoving on the horizon, roads and a huge car park exist to serve nothing, plots are for sale with peeling notices, all has stopped!
As we enter Sevilla we encounter the last rail crossing and the start of the canal, we cross these following a native along the hard shoulder crossing intersections, dodging traffic until a final road and we trip, like the captain of a well known cruise ship, and fall into some chairs arranged on a pavement...... a man brings us beer and olives!
The rest is a blur of tired feet, carriages and (mostly young) ladies in flamenco dresses. Once more Tony's skill with his mobile phone (full of electronic maps and routes) sees us safely to our booked backpacker hostal in Triana, an area over the river from the cathedral.
36km less than 8hours.
Battery problems prevented pictures today except this one taken of the five by one of many young spaniards starting to celebrate the feria in Seville.
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