It is deliciously cool again and we pull a blanket over us while we drink coffee. I look out on our ‘rough bit of ground’ and all the campers have gone except two (us and another). Perhaps they were here for the football? We plan the day and our next stop; there is always something different in the way we feel once we have turned homeward from the furthest point in our travels. A feeling that the trek is coming to an end, maybe we don’t want it to end, or are we secretly wanting to be back in familiar surroundings?

We walk up the narrow winding streets into the old town of Cáseres. Much to our surprise, these narrow streets suddenly open onto a wide Plaza de Mayor filled with cafes and tables outside. From here, we walk into the old town, an unexpected discovery of 13th century buildings, four churches: Catherdral (Roman Catholic), the old synagogue site (Juderia), a baroque style church, previously of Moorish origin and a fourth Christian church, the church of the Holy Spirit.

We go into this one, it costs us €1 each but we see so much and can walk up the tight spiral staircases of both towers which give a panoramic view across the old town and beyond. We walk back and have lunch, service the Hymer and get on the road by just after 1.00pm.

We drive north from Cáceres, on the EX-390 through the mountains. We climb up and up through mile after mile of cork oak, at the plateau on the top, it is dry, arid and yellow, but there are beef cattle and sheep grazing even on the dry hay stubble left in the fields. At Torrejón el Rubio, a small but very lively town full of street cafes with people eating outside, we turn onto the EX-208 and drive north into Monfragüe National Park.

The road follows the river and we see Castillo de Monfrague perched high on a rocky precipice. We stop to take photos and decide not to walk up to the castle as it is too hot (well over 36°C) but there are quite a few large raptors, griffin vultures circling overhead which we watch. Back on our way, we pass through the narrow gorge of the Salto del Gitano where we see many griffon vultures circling in the sky and roosting on top of the rocky crags that form the ‘gates’ of the gorge past the Rio Tajo. There are eleven of them at one point, we stop to watch them and they are joined by a red kite with its striking black and white markings and a huge golden bird… possibly an eagle.

We cross the Rio Tajo and see the hydro-electric station and dam further up the river. We pass through the town of Villareal San Carlos, the only small town in the National Park. There are many horses here, recently unsaddled and probably just returned from horse-trekking in the park. Outside the national park again we arrive at Monfragüe campsite at about 4.40pm, after about 90km. We check in and select a pitch (one of the few under trees) and then drive into Placencia to buy milk, ham and fruit from Mercadona.

Back at the campsite, we set up the mat under our awning with table and chairs, it is very dry and dusty and but pleasant under the shade. The site looks uncared for, although it has been well used in the past and there are good facilities. We cook chicken for tea and have chicken madras with cauliflower, it is too hot and spicy today and, possibly, the heat of 36°C. We sit outside in the cool of the evening and begin to plan tomorrow’s itinerary and think about the options for our route back to Santander for the ferry in a few days time.