Day #7 El Camino
Tuesday 19th September
Los Arcos > Logroño
Distance walked (30km)
Total distance walked in 7 days (approximately 160km
I joined the Swedish couple today for breakfast. Standard coffee and croissant in a café/bar. We left the doors at 6.30am. I was awake from around 5am. There’s some pretty inconsiderate people in these dorms. Leaving lights on, doors open, talking loudly from the minute they wake up. When most others are still sleeping, they seem to lack common sense and curtesy. I just don’t get how people can be some ignorant and unaware. Perhaps its cultural, or perhaps I’m just wiser than everyone. I think we know it’s the latter! Today the target was 30km roughly, so far it’d be the longest day. The sun came out early and it was a beautiful day for walking, not too hot but still a good amount of sunshine to enjoy. The Swedes are good walkers and we set a good pace. Not that it’s a race, but we enjoy going a bit quicker than most. We’ve taken to pretending the Camino is like a game of Super Mario Bros. Each time we pass someone it’s like collecting points. And we make a ‘cha-ching’ noise. But when we pass someone who doesn’t have a backpack on, the noise is more of a sad ‘wah-wah-waaaaaaah’ because we know that they’ve had their luggage sent ahead to accommodation they’ve already booked in advance. Whereas the rest of us are kind of racing to get to accommodation before it fills up. This was the case yesterday, we’d rolled into town and anyone who rocked up after 3pm were turned away by the Albergue and had to pay extra to stay in other places or continue to the next town. Olov has picked up a case of bed bugs from last night and his body has a few bumps on it and his mission today is to find a Farmacia and sort that out. As I’m writing this, he is sat in the bunk bed across and below from me doing a crash course in learning Spanish as he is putting the medication leaflet into his phone to translate what it says. Until I know it’s safe, I’m keeping my distance. Viana was a nice stop in the sunshine to make a baguette and take a coffee before the final 10km. The scenery was OK today, but there was a bit of walking along the sides of roads and on gravel paths. I prefer the natural trails. In the town of Logroño is where we stay tonight. There’s some kind of grape/wine festival happening and by all reports the town is thriving and full of people. It’s now 3.30pm and the sun is shining. I’m fighting the urge to nap. My legs are tired and I really just want to sleep. However, I’ve just finished one full week of walking, day 7 of the camino and approximately 160 something kilometres. I think that deserves a little celebration! I know that I’ll regret not getting out and enjoy the fiesta while the suns out. We have a 10pm curfew in the Albergues so we may as well soak it up while we can! Oh, I almost stepped on a snake coming into town today. It was a baby and maybe 20cm long. No idea what type, but maybe it was another religious sign. You know, the one from the Adam and Eve story. I’ve been eating an apple every day so I hope that doesn’t mean I’m going to hell. We’ll find out later. Right now, I’m going to the bar.
¡Buen Camino!