Camino de Santiago Day 11: Azofra to Grañòn

Windy, windy,  windy!

Today was the first day I became fastidious about applying sunscreen and chapstick. Until today, my face was fine with the elements of the Rioja countryside. (I'm not even traveling with moisturizer.) But with a 30mph warm headwind, I felt myself becoming jerky, with every passing minute. The sky was blue, the view was charming, the temperature was pleasant... but holy moly, that wind was challenging!  There was no reprieve all day.  30km of walking and at most, it turned and became a quartering headwind!  What are the odds?

My hiking buddies and I had already decided that the tiny village of Grañòn would be or stopping point.  We had been lured by John Brierley's account of the Alburgue in the bell tower.  Sleeping on the old wooden floor, mattresses strewn together. Sharing a communal meal with fellow pilgrims. It sounded dreamy. Very pilgrimy too!

The village was quaint, to be sure.  The albergue was exactly as described... Warm and welcoming. However,  I would add, a tad chaotic, crowded and lacking bathroom facilities to accommodate the 46 pilgrims who stayed there! Sleeping on "mattresses" meant braving 1" thick pads on the floor, with zero gap between you and the stranger next to you.  That stranger may or may not be appropriately clothed and might have opted for a more natural smell than say... soap.

I will say I thoroughly enjoyed the time of reflection that was offered though.  We were lead through a secret entrance to the chorus of the church at 9 pm. It was dark, save the tea light candles.  The smell was exactly as you would expect in a 700 year old stone church at night... cool,  musty,  religious. I had imagined this smell when I watched Tom Hanks unravel mysteries in The Davinci Code!

Pilgrims were invited to sit quietly or share their thoughts with the group.  There was much gratitude. I understood many languages that night as people from South Africa, Australia, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, United States, Canada,  United Kingdom,  Belarus, Germany,  Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Transylvania, Hungary, Portugal and South Korea sat with me.

Call me crazy but all those hugs I had been missing, came to pass afterwards and I didn't even mind the natural smells.

That night, before bed, my hiker gang and I, booked a hotel for tomorrow night... Lest we get too pilgrimy!

Camino de Santiago Day 10: Logroño to Azofra

Spanish homes are very pretty but zero thought seems to be given to noise reduction.  Walls are paper thin (I try not to think about house fires!) and every grunt, cough, gasp and fart that is going on next door, will be heard by you. A person setting their chair back from the table sounds as though they are rearranging all the furniture in the house.

I woke at 5:15 AM, eager to get going today, but waited until my 5:30 AM alarm went off before contributing to the cacophony that invariably comes with mornings. Tony was up shortly after and with no other option, we slammed the front door closed as we left around 6:20 AM.

Chuck and Sue caught up to us 31km later, beside the river in Najera. Tony and I had already decided this town was not "pilgrimy" enough for us and we'd be moving on to the next village for the night. Chuck and Sue concurred. Off we went together.

"One kilometer to far" is probably what this blog should be named.  By kilometer 38.5, my feet hurt soooo bad I wanted to chew them off to stop the pain! The village was worth it,  but seriously, it was time for me to assess my goals here and contemplate the things I had been told about and those that few people mention.

Achy feet.  No matter how far you walk that day,  the ache becomes unbearable about 2km from your destination. People have talked about over-used knees, blisters and taxiing yourself or your pack to the next place,  but never did I read about achy feet. Feet that cause hobbling. Hobbling that ends in boots being removed, revealing tender wee stumps from which shooting electric shocks into the legs,  originate!

Imagine tapping the soles of your feet with a rubber mallet, kind of gently, but for 8 hours. Achy feet!

Today those feet are the reward for hiking in the dark, the rain, alongside a highway and through the most unattractive industrial part of a city- which also happened to smell like dog poop!

Ok. Yes, I would do it all again.  And I enjoyed the changing sights, sharing my water with a stray dog, running into people I hadn't seen in over a week, the challenge to walk 40km and the unparalleled pride of accomplishment too. But. ... I was not convinced these feet would recover in time for tomorrow's hike!

Camino de Santiago Day 9: Logroño day off

On Sundays, things are closed in Logroño...they are closed in most places in Spain.  Yes, around 10 am, several bars and restaurants will open, but good luck if you are hoping to buy clothes, electronics or household goods.  Come back Monday at 10 am. Or as one Spaniard told me "be patient". Not bad advice actually!

At the time, I thought I was running out of memory space in my phone. What with my apps, pictures and whatever else had download or synced itself!  Sunday in Logroño, no hiking and the coldest, dampest day so far, forced me to evaluate my "saved stuff". I deleted old pictures and a boatload of documents that had arrived as attachments to email. Good to go again. Just in time. .. my camera finger was itchy!

Sunday in Logroño was also spent wandering the streets, eating out with my friends, sharing their 35th wedding anniversary, cooking together, relaxing and enjoying the tranquility of an apartment all to ourselves.

I was so ready to be hiking again. 

Camino de Santiago Day 8: Sansol to Logroño

One can never really be sure on the Camino if the stiff abs are from shlupping a 16 pound pack all the live long day, or it's the constant giggling that has overtaken my body for the better part of 22km. Either way, it's good for me and something to be grateful for. There are no other people I'd rather be "suffering" with than Tony, Sue and Chuck.

Ok, suffering is an exaggeration.

After discovering last night that most of Logroño is booked (albergues and hotels alike) on a Friday night, we took a leap of faith and booked a 3 bedroom apartment near the city centre.  Our host, Marian, meet us there on arrival.  We must surely look like pilgrims, as she rushed us with hugs and kisses at first sight.  Yeah, backpacks and convertible pants in an otherwise fashion-conscious city is a kinda give away!

Marian has bought us fruit from her own garden and was diligent about loading us with information and making us feel very welcome. It was so nice to be in a quiet clean condo and we all looked forward to our little slice of luxury.

Clean hair! (It's the little things in life. )

Tony was particularly excited to find a bath "tube" and was planning his soak within minutes. I must admit some of the highlights of my day are the little words and phrases that he uses.  Direct translations are pretty fascinating and can definitely be entertaining! Yesterday while the 4 of us discussed a yellow fruit growing on the Camino,  Tony explained that you make marmalade out of it. Apparently you take the "heart" out of the apple and fill it with said marmalade before cooking. He learned a new word - "core". I learned what a quince was!

Here is another priceless moment from Tony;
I travel with a handful of safety pins.  Using them as emergency buttons or zips... to fix broken boot laces... hang laundry on a washing line (or my pack)...or attach small things like gloves to inside pockets of my pack, so I don't lose them).  Several of my travelling companions have commented what a good idea they are and how they weigh nothing and take up little room. When someone needed solution to their problem other day, Tony suggested my "secret needles". It took us a minute to figure out he was referring to safety pins.

We ended or day in traditional Spanish style, heading out for tapas and watching the plazas and streets fill with people as it got later and later. It blows my mind to see families with tiny kids hitting restaurants and bars at 9:30pm, but it's kind of cool too.

Camino de Santiago Day 7: Estella to Sansol

Today was the first day since Orisson that I had breakfast with everyone else and left with my friends for a day of hiking.

The plan was to walk not just the 24km recommended for this stage, but an extra 8km in order to stay in a small village and avoid busier albergues.

It was a flatter walk for the most part... winding through vineyards, olive groves, tiny villages - each with an impressive church - and across miles of countryside.

We came upon the famed wine fountain around 9AM... a little early to fill one's camelback with the intoxicating liquid. Apparently never to early to turn your walking stick into a selfie stick though!

I loved every minute of the camaraderie and the walk.  Sure my feet hurt a bit at times,  but not my hips or knees today. My pack felt light and comfortable too.

My only real concern;  Long distances between bathrooms. It was more convenient to be a man on the Camino today!

We arrived in Sansol about 3:30 PM and fell in love with one of the new albergues. Not long after, I was sitting in a quaint courtyard with my feet in a cold pool and my hands wrapped around a coffee with Baileys. How delightful!

The last thing before bed was getting our laundry back. We had splurged and all 4 gone in on a load of laundry (€7.50) with a real washer and dryer! When it came back to us, everything was normal except Tony's t-shirt, which was half its original size and better suited for a small child now. I thought my head was going to fall off, I laughed so hard! Complete exhaustion gives me the giggles!

Camino de Santiago Day 6: Mañeru to Estella

Clad in minimal sleep clothes and wearing my my blanket as a robe,  I zipped across the room to where my phone was still charging.  None of my 11 bunk mates were stirring yet. Huh...well,  6:10 AM was a bit too early and I really felt the need to sleep in a bit today.

I did my normal thing and slipped out of the albergue around 7 AM. Away I went, boots squeaking worse than ever on the cobblestoned streets, in an otherwise silent village.

This morning was different.  My right hip ached a bit, my pack felt a tad less comfortable and every other thought seemed to come from a dark place.  I was not my normal happy, morning-loving self. It was a lonely walk today... I was not enjoying my own company and there was a measure of self pity. I resented myself for dragging it along the Camino.

Somewhere along the way,  I realized it had been 9 days since I had a good hug from a person I know well.  I miss that intimacy and while there is a certain closeness that develops with people walking in your direction,  speaking your language and sharing your goal,  it's not quite the same comfort.

About a half hour later I was hiking down a steep gravel road when I heard an approaching car. A slow putt-putt. Around the bend appeared a little old car being driven by a little old Spanish man. He pulled stop along side me and waved through the window,  then rolled it down.  I have no idea what he said in Spanish but soon enough he pulled a green apple from the bag on his passenger seat and handed it to me. I was touched.  I burst into tears!

The tears continued on and off that morning and so I decided to quiet them with comfort food.  Café con leche and. ..... chocolate croissant.  No healthy Spanish omelette for this girl today!

It was not long before Tony joined me.  And then, Chuck and Sue caught up too! I'm not sure they realized how much their hugs meant this morning. It's really nice to have friends on the Camino.  :)

The four of us reached Estella in the early afternoon and enjoyed a fabulous lunch in the plaza, then a little sight seeing and shopping too.

I was so much more challenged today,  than any other day so far. Do you think a little bit of exhaustion carries over each day and accumulates?

A few days ago an Italian guy told me the Camino takes a month to change a person because the first 2 weeks are when you become physically changed and more able to deal. After that, a week to change your mind.  Another week for the spiritual change.

I'm becoming convinced the mental challenge is under way already.  Perhaps because I began the physical training earlier than most. (9/10 people here didn't do training hikes.  More than that never tried on their pack before arriving.  One person I met didn't have any idea how much her pack weighs, except to say it was more than her grand daughter! )