Day 8 - Logrono to Najera

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!

Day 7 - Torres del Rio to Logrono

The dinner at the albergue could not have come sooner.  I had gone to the shop across the from where I was writing last night and got some snacks for the next day because I knew it was 10km to the first and only town and I wanted to make sure I had something.  While waiting the last five minutes before dinner at 8pm I dived into the Tex Mex Dorritos.  I was insanely hungry.

Dinner was at a long table and done family style except for the main rice plate and chicken leg.  It was tasty enough but I was still pretty hungry.  The salad was good and there was nice bread, wine and bottled water.  I had seconds for everything and ate all the bread I could get my hands on.

There was some interesting discussion with Mike, a British guy, whose name I didn't catch, and his son.  Afterward Mike played some songs on the guitar for me as everyone else left.  He was pretty good.  The lighters came out on the power ballad.

I was in bed at 10 and asleep at 10:30.  I only brought a sleeping bag liner and so far I have usually been hot with just that.  Last night I started wearing my pants but woke up too hot and kicked them off.  Early in the morning I felt a slight chill and grabbed my towel and threw it over my legs.  That was all I needed.  The albergues tend to be hot at night and I usally have more of a heat problem.

Today I was starting with an experiment.  I would give sandals and poles a try.  What I find is I can walk as fast as the kids but when I do I push off more and get more friction in my shoe.  I have a few toe blisters from walking faster.  I wanted to try wearing sandals and using the trekking poles to do some of the pushing.  This pretty much worked.  The sandals don't have as much cushion and it's a little harder up through the leg.  It's good for change and I might start doing and hour now and then.

I was out the door about 7:30 which sounds late but it is still dark for another 30 minutes here.  I needed my bike light for a few minutes but as Thomas from Stuttgart passed me it wass light enough to see and then I was alone for quite a while.

About half way to Viana there was a trailside stand and I had a coffee.  Pod cafe con leche, but better than nothing.  Marie joined me and Jose flew by.  

On the way into Viana I changed my shoes and realized my glasses case had fallen out of my side pocket.  I can manage without but sometimes it's nice to have the world a little clearer.  I have now lost 3 set of glasses in about 3 weeks.

In Viana, I stopped at a bar and had cafe con leche and tortilla (3.5€).  It was very good.  I sat with Mike, who had passed me earlier, and Mike and Christina.  Renae chatted in passing for a minute as she had never met, only heard of, the famous Mike from Austrialia.  Viana was a pretty little town.

Coming into town I had switched back to my trail runners and they felt quite good going on.  I continued this was with the poles stowed walking with Mike.   After a few km I could tell my feet wanted me to slow down and Mike carried on.  He is wearing a GoPro and timelapse recording his entire walk. 

By the time I got to Logrono my feet were pretty tired.  I don't think they are looking forward to the long day tomorrow.  Mike was just over the bridge into town and we went for a proper meal.  There was some hunting protest going on and while eating we were mobbed by a hen party.  We were not sure what was going on but the bride to be had interesting sharpie drawins on her face and was in a lobster costume.  The lunch was 30€ each for 3 apps and 2 mains.  Mine was good but Mike's could have used a little longer on the grill.  Afterward we headed off to our respective hotels.  He is staying 2 nights here so we will be unlikely to encounter each other after this.  Same situation with Mike and Christina.  After today, some of the pilgrims will rotate out and I assume some new ones will join.

My hotel was right on the Camino but at the far edge of Logrono.  After 3pm on the way to the hotel I came across the Aussie brothers taking a break.  They were going to do another 10km today.  I do get 2km free tomorrow which might be nice, but getting back to town will require a bus and probably a taxi back to the hotel.  As I finish here I am wondering if I have the energy to go back to town to try to find the pilgrim gang.  Jose said 7:30 and it's that now.

Well, my laundry is done and some of it dry already and I am showered up.  The feet are feeling pretty good, so it's all good.  

Day 6 - Estella to Torres del Rio

I slept to my 6:30am alarm, yay!  Before bed I had booked a place in Torres del Rio about 29km for the day so I knew it was going to be a longer one.

For some reason I didn't understand, the lights in my room stopped working in the night and I was operating in the dark.  Fortunately I had my bike light and was able to pack up.  I was out the door at 7:45, got a cafe con leche and a croissant for 3€ at 8:15 and was drinking wine at the famous wine fountain a few minutes later.

Dennis passed by and acted as my conscious so I only had one glass in my water bottle.  The rest of the day I tasted wine every time I drank.  I caught up to Dennis and we walked and talked for a long time.  We were only a few km from Los Arcos when Mark joined us but I was fading a bit and needed to slow down so they went on and I took a little break.

In Los Arcos I got food and all the characters were there.  Some were staying there and some were going further.  When I left alone and slow to do the final 8km I had the Camino mostly to myself.  Early on Jose, Olmo and the Italian gang passed me.  I plodded on and saw no one else until nearly the end.  

It was nice to have the trail to myself.  I could see the town off in the distance and it got closer and closer.  Torres del Rio and its sister, Sansol, across the river from each other.  Both have high towers that can be seen far off.

I arrived at my albergue tired.  Just behind me came in Australian Michael K.  I owed him a beer from Puenta La Reina so we had a few at the albergue patio bar.  Between beers we found our bunks and cleaned up.  I skipped laundry today because I booked a hotel in Logrono tomorrow.  We will see how I do in the bunks tonight.  At least I have the lower bunk tonight.

I booked the albergue dinner tonight and that should be fun.  They promised instruments and singing.  I will be watching!

Day 5 - Puenta La Reina to Estella

Sleep is still the biggest issue.  One solid night would really help.  Today was better and made it to 5:30.

I left my hotel at 7:30 in the dark and passed an open bar so I got a coffee.  At the bar I met Mike (likes to hike) a retired guy from Atlanta.  We walked together for a few km but at the top of the day's big climb, I pulled ahead when he slowed to talk to an American woman he knew.

I walked to Cirauqui, a cute town built on a hill.  There was a bakery open and Jose was outside.  I got a tortilla on bread (4€) and a machine coffee (1.2€)  and we sat down.  Georgia, a Spanish girl I had passed many times over the last few days sat down and then Renee joined.  James from Birmingham stopped to say hi.  I was first out but ended up walking and talking with James just out of town.

James was in the party crew last night.  Everyone I talked to said the municipal albergue was uncomfortable and nobody slept well.  Talking with Dennis in Estella he was woken so early he thought he should just leave early and the sleep was so bad he split a 3 person room for tonight.

Renee and Jose caught up I dropped back only to pass them several km later when they stopped for some trailside snacks and wine.  A little later Renee passed me.  She is, no doubt, one of the fastest walkers.

In a little park with 4km to go I aired the feet.  Tall German guy from Stuttgart sat nearby and on my way out I stopped and properly introduced myself.  He is Thomas from Stuttgart.  Then I walked past two of the Korean guys from yesterday and said hi.

As I walked into town about 1pm I was flagged down by Dennis all showered and chill.  He updated me on the albergue quality of last night.

Estella is a very pretty town with a historical relationship to the Camino that goes back nearly 1000 years according to something I read.  There are some massive obviously old stone buildings around town.

At my hostal my room wasn't ready so found a place and had a coke, a beer and a fried calamari sandwich for 11.40€.  I thought I was ordering a small plate of fried calamari, but got a large, very tasty sandwich that filled me for many hours 

After showering and washing my clothes, I headed out to explore town.  I found James from Birmingham, Renae (the correct spelling), Jose, Marie from Germany, Olmo from Italy and a large Italian contingent at a patio bar.

Things went downhill from there and beers were had.  Scottish Kenny joined. Mark and Eddie were by for a bit. People left and people came.  It was a fun night!

It turns out there are actually two James from Birmingham.  The second one showed up just as the remaing gang ordered much needed solid food.  Shortly after that we headed to our beds (except for the James') after declaring our intention to meet up at the famous wine fountain 4km away at 8am.  What could possibly go wrong?