Today we had a Camino miracle. Yesterday I posted in the Camino forum that I lost my glasses. I expected nothing and had written them off. There was a response from someone who had seen something in a FB forum about finding glasses and leaving them at the Pilgrim Office as you come into Logrono. What?!
Unfortunately, my hotel was almost 3km past the Pilgrim Office and it did not open until 9am. As I made my way back against the flow of pilgrims I felt like I was doing the pilgrim walk of shame. In passing I told Mike from Atlanta the story and then again to Marie. Eagerly at the Pilgrim Office at 8:50, it opened at 9:20. I waited with a Spanish guy from Valencia via a bunch of places including Venezula and starting in Pamplona. He had lost his walking stick. We both had our goods 30 seconds after the guy unlocked the door. It's a miracle!
I walked back through town and did not want to add anything more to what was going to be a very long 29km day with a late start so I headed to the first taxi stand on the route. Before I could figure out the taxi app one pulled up and I asked to be taken 5 to 8km down the Camino. He had obviously seen this request before and took me to a park that the Camino ran through. The distance I backtracked was exactly the distance of Camino skipped. I am not a cheater.
I was on the trail wearing my Merrill shoes. They are very light and are my usual walk around town post-ride or post-Camino. I wanted to see how they would work. They were good, a little rough on the stones and harsher up the leg, but it is kind of nice to get blisters in different places. After the taxi I walked another 5km in them.
Up to that part the Camino was going through suburbs and winding through a park. Soon I was appoaching Navarrete and was hoping to get some food but the town did not seem so pilgrim friendly and there wasn't much around. I just kept walking . Since before Logrono things have been less pilgrim friendly. I think the economy in these more recent parts is stronger and pilgrims are less important and more of a nuscience. Yellow arrows are not nearly as frequent or pronounced lately.
The weather had been looking a like rain at times and I could see some in the distance but after Navarrete it was very sunny and hot. most of the day I was just in grind mode and saw very few people. One highlight was the route often had vineyards on one side and usually a freeway or busy road on the other, and the grapes were in the process of being harvested. Several times I grabbed a cluster and ate them as I walked. They are the size of blueberries and have a bitter seed to spit but it was refreshing.
At one point I came to a route option and chose the shorter even though Dennis had told me there was a beautiful not to be missed monestary on the longer path. My feet vetoed the longer option. Sorry Dennis.
I was sitting and airing my feet about 8km from Najera when Marie walked by and I updated the glasses story as she passed. I took several short breaks on the last bit. The gound in the sun is harder to walk on and I feels like it is hard and cooks your feet. I try to walk in the little shade there is. I took a break at a plaque with a funny story about some battle and the one guy was a giant and had a big nose span.
Finally, I hit the suburbs of Najera and was thinking I needed food. Nothing was open and then I saw Renae and Zinera from Arizona sitting at a cafe. I got a beer and joined them. It was good to sit and be out of the sun with a cold beer.
On the way to the hotel I saw Mike from Atlanta sitting at a cafe and joined him for a beer and some jamon. The Hostal Hispano is pretty decent for 40E. Showered, clothes done and blog nearly finished. Time to go out and find food and or party!
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