Saturday, May 11, 2024
Early. I am offered yogurt for breakfast. The morning is calming, even with so much to film and capture. A beautiful sunrise. Quiet trails. Lovely rolling rustic hills. I meet up with Paul in the town of Navarrete, and we are looking into some reservations for tomorrow night as an event will take place there tomorrow. The day heats up quickly! By 9:00 the sun is higher in the sky, relentlessly casting the day’s fire downward onto us. After a quick break, I walk in solitude through the hot, bright sunshine. When I arrive at the albergue I feel a bit done. A queue of about ten has formed outside the door, and I put my pack down in the order forming. Some groceries are acquired, and the day’s materials are transferred to the hard drive. By the end of the day, I am failing at everything. Exhausted. I give up, climb into my bunk, and immediately fall into a deep, dark sleep.
Today’s distance walked: 39.2 km | Total distance walked: 220.41 km
“Do not stay in San Juan de Ortega—there is nothing there.” — Canadian hospitaliero working in Nájera albergue
Friday, May 10, 2024
New day’s sun. The deep blue sky above explodes with new light over the horizon. Our group moves at a 5/8 pace into the morning as the sky brightens. Soon, the sun is hot and bright above us, casting ever shorter shadows as we walk into the afternoon. We stop for coffee, somehow pulling everyone we have been walking with together for a few fun moments around a café patio table. Into the day’s heat, we find a restorative rest within the shade cast by almond trees. I enjoy wonderful conversations with fellow pilgrims as I enter Logroño. We find our albergue. Settle in. Shower. Wash clothing. Then set out for food. I wander into the city and am set savagely upon by Jess and Peter unaware of their plans for pranks. We aim for a patio and enjoy hours of laughing that hurts. My two favourites!
Today’s distance walked: 34.0 km | Total distance walked: 215.21 km
“If you don’t have high expectations, how can you live like you deserve the best? ” — Peter
Thursday, May 9, 2024
7:00 we move through a sleepy Puenta la Reina, out onto wonderful rolling hills. I had suggested to my mates that we walk through a southern detour, up into hills full of conifers and impeccable views of the rural countryside. They eventually agree, and we have a morning of it! The day is sun-filled, pure blue above us at all hours. Estella to Los Arcos is a dream walk. It is neither difficult nor stressful. I walk across the boundary of town. I find a bench, lie back onto my pack, and blissfully sleep for an hour until Paul and Catherine poke me awake with their trekking poles. We walk into town, snoop, prod, ponder, and document. Paul returns to the flat, Jess spots friends in the square, and my French Canadian mates call me for some jibing and giggles. Soon enough, I return to the albergue, dig into the quilt, and fall into a deep sleep for tomorrow’s light travails.
Today’s distance walked: 25.1 km | Total distance walked: 181.21 km
“It is solved by walking.” — Saint Augustine (and Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
