Sometimes a few days pass before you collect enough shells/markers for a post. Sometimes towns are thick with them--in churches, as art, in reflecting pools. Yes, these were all seen today.
The Journeyers
Karen, Beth, and Jerri
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Shells of the Camino IV
September 30
Sometimes a few days pass before you collect enough shells/markers for a post. Sometimes towns are thick with them--in churches, as art, in reflecting pools. Yes, these were all seen today.
Sometimes a few days pass before you collect enough shells/markers for a post. Sometimes towns are thick with them--in churches, as art, in reflecting pools. Yes, these were all seen today.
Logroño and Navarette
September 30
Today we finally leave the state of Navarra and enter La Rioja. We are still surrounded by vineyards.
Walking along, we pass an older couple as they stroll munching grapes. The man gestures toward the vineyard and talks to me in way more Spanish than I understand. I do understand, by context and the grape the señora offers me to taste, that he is allowing us to pick grapes for free. Jerri explains the rest--the picking season is over and these are left over. With Jerri's help, I get him to understand that, since I do not know how to tell which ones are ripe, I would like him to choose for me. With the señora calling out what I assume to be helpful suggestions, he bustles about plucking bunches of green and red grapes for us. Although they are not like anything you'd find in our grocery stores--they are quite small, clustered tightly together, and have seeds--they are an absolutely perfect snack, sweet and juicy. I could have feasted on them all day.
In Logroño, there is so much to see, there is the possibility of failing to reach our goal for the day. The highlight, though, is finding the peregrino (pilgrim) office open, to be able to get new credencials--the ones we started with are almost full and are never going to last three more weeks. We go through the whole official registration process, then, unfortunately, the volunteer puts his sello (stamp) in the new credencials. We can either have future sellos out of order or just put away our original credencials, space available. We choose to continue in our new credencials.
Other things that caught our eye: the college of architecture...
...funky fountain...
...and the pilgrim monument.
We do hit a detour around a closed bridge, but reconnect to the path at a lovely park with a broad avenue. This sidewalk continues out of Logroño, past another small town, and through a nature preserve.
Then we climb through the countryside. We walk and climb and hope to see Navarette appear at any moment. I have noticed that my body suddenly feels the cumulative effects of the entire day in the last few kilometers.
At last we arrive in Navarette, but the lack of signage for the albergue municipal has us wandering around asking directions several times. We pass this beautiful stairway--which we are thankful we do not have to climb--two or three times, until we finally find the albergue.
We eat a dinner of tapas at the bar next door, whose owner gives a business card to each peregrino from the United States, asking for a postcard. He has a collection pinned to a crowded bulletin board and wants to collect at least one from each of the 50 states.
Afterward, without WiFi available, we journal awhile, then fall asleep to the band playing in the bar's courtyard.
Walking along, we pass an older couple as they stroll munching grapes. The man gestures toward the vineyard and talks to me in way more Spanish than I understand. I do understand, by context and the grape the señora offers me to taste, that he is allowing us to pick grapes for free. Jerri explains the rest--the picking season is over and these are left over. With Jerri's help, I get him to understand that, since I do not know how to tell which ones are ripe, I would like him to choose for me. With the señora calling out what I assume to be helpful suggestions, he bustles about plucking bunches of green and red grapes for us. Although they are not like anything you'd find in our grocery stores--they are quite small, clustered tightly together, and have seeds--they are an absolutely perfect snack, sweet and juicy. I could have feasted on them all day.
In Logroño, there is so much to see, there is the possibility of failing to reach our goal for the day. The highlight, though, is finding the peregrino (pilgrim) office open, to be able to get new credencials--the ones we started with are almost full and are never going to last three more weeks. We go through the whole official registration process, then, unfortunately, the volunteer puts his sello (stamp) in the new credencials. We can either have future sellos out of order or just put away our original credencials, space available. We choose to continue in our new credencials.
Other things that caught our eye: the college of architecture...
...funky fountain...
...and the pilgrim monument.
We do hit a detour around a closed bridge, but reconnect to the path at a lovely park with a broad avenue. This sidewalk continues out of Logroño, past another small town, and through a nature preserve.
Then we climb through the countryside. We walk and climb and hope to see Navarette appear at any moment. I have noticed that my body suddenly feels the cumulative effects of the entire day in the last few kilometers.
At last we arrive in Navarette, but the lack of signage for the albergue municipal has us wandering around asking directions several times. We pass this beautiful stairway--which we are thankful we do not have to climb--two or three times, until we finally find the albergue.
We eat a dinner of tapas at the bar next door, whose owner gives a business card to each peregrino from the United States, asking for a postcard. He has a collection pinned to a crowded bulletin board and wants to collect at least one from each of the 50 states.
Afterward, without WiFi available, we journal awhile, then fall asleep to the band playing in the bar's courtyard.
Quick Update
September 30
Trying to make up miles leads to long days. Then we're too tired to do much except the basics; and we're back to limited wifi. So here are the bare bones about our return to the Camino. I'll post details as I can.
Yesterday, we rode the bus to the station in Estella, where the journey was interrupted. After a quick breakfast, we started walking about 9:00--a late start for the Camino. Still, we managed to finish that map and go about 8 km into the next one. By the time we arrived in Torres del Rio at 3:45, we'd walked 29.1 km, a little over 18 miles.
Today, our goal was Navarette, and we made it. We arrived about 5 p.m., having covered 33.3 km. My pedometer reads 21.4 miles, but we lost about half an hour this morning before it started tracking, and we added to it while wandering around Viana for a while and when we got lost looking for the albergue. So it's anyone's guess. You may wonder at the hour we stop for the day. It's based on how much we've already done and how far it is to the next town with accommodations. At any rate, we're moving forward.
Trying to make up miles leads to long days. Then we're too tired to do much except the basics; and we're back to limited wifi. So here are the bare bones about our return to the Camino. I'll post details as I can.
Yesterday, we rode the bus to the station in Estella, where the journey was interrupted. After a quick breakfast, we started walking about 9:00--a late start for the Camino. Still, we managed to finish that map and go about 8 km into the next one. By the time we arrived in Torres del Rio at 3:45, we'd walked 29.1 km, a little over 18 miles.
Today, our goal was Navarette, and we made it. We arrived about 5 p.m., having covered 33.3 km. My pedometer reads 21.4 miles, but we lost about half an hour this morning before it started tracking, and we added to it while wandering around Viana for a while and when we got lost looking for the albergue. So it's anyone's guess. You may wonder at the hour we stop for the day. It's based on how much we've already done and how far it is to the next town with accommodations. At any rate, we're moving forward.
Every Day Is a Winding Road
September 30
And so it seems every day might be.
Today we rise before 7:00, but breakfast will not be until 8:00. We're not keen on walking in semi-darkness, nor do we want to waste time. We'll eat somewhere along the trail.
We wind up and down through fields and a large burn area.
In Viana, we try the local church, but Mass is not for another two hours.
It's a lovely, centuries-old church, with all sorts of wonderful details, such as these patterns made of stones.
We eat at a small bar and, in an almost-dollar store, find a package of three rubber ducks. Pico Patito has finally found friends to bring home (only the yellow one will live at the Briargate library).
Also in Viana are the ruins of a church, parts of which are being reclaimed from underneath layers of other materials.
A local man leads us to a small park behind the ruins with fantastic views. Gotta love that Kraft factory.
As we leave town, we find it touching that the patron saint has a place of honor.
Onward to the next major town, Logroño.
And so it seems every day might be.
Today we rise before 7:00, but breakfast will not be until 8:00. We're not keen on walking in semi-darkness, nor do we want to waste time. We'll eat somewhere along the trail.
We wind up and down through fields and a large burn area.
In Viana, we try the local church, but Mass is not for another two hours.
It's a lovely, centuries-old church, with all sorts of wonderful details, such as these patterns made of stones.
We eat at a small bar and, in an almost-dollar store, find a package of three rubber ducks. Pico Patito has finally found friends to bring home (only the yellow one will live at the Briargate library).
Also in Viana are the ruins of a church, parts of which are being reclaimed from underneath layers of other materials.
A local man leads us to a small park behind the ruins with fantastic views. Gotta love that Kraft factory.
As we leave town, we find it touching that the patron saint has a place of honor.
Onward to the next major town, Logroño.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
La Pata del Oca
September 29
This is the albergue we are staying in tonight.
It has a pool (about the size of a billiards table!), and even though the air is chilly, I have to take a token dip in the icy water.
Inside, the theme is medieval castle/knights. We have no idea why.
This is the albergue we are staying in tonight.
It has a pool (about the size of a billiards table!), and even though the air is chilly, I have to take a token dip in the icy water.
Inside, the theme is medieval castle/knights. We have no idea why.
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