Month: September 2023

03 September: Viana to Navarette

Why dear lord, tell me why that every town, village and hamlet here is built on a high hill. At the end of the day when your legs are burning, sweat is pouring out of every single pore of your body, you are dying for a cold one you have to navigate up a very steep hill to get to your quarters.

”Why dear lord, why?”

” Because I can” I thought I heard an inner voice say to me. “Remenber John my son, I am lord and you’re not.”

I left it at that.

Viana last night was very cool. They have a custom here called “Kintos” where they have a celebration with the young men and women of the village of coming of “drinking age.” Can you believe it? What a country. I just had to see this….and I did… and I had to participate:

Hola!

We started the day in…more rain. Have to move on though so we cranked through 22 k but decided to stop because every thing is wet and that is not good. Jerry and I stopped at a park just outside of Logrono,a major city in this part of Spain, to change our clothes for drier ones but to no avail because our drier clothes are damp. Press on:


We arrived at our Albergue around 1330. Tired but Jerry and I went to a cafe for a cold one and chatted with two women from the Netherlands. One was named Marijke, the same name as my late wife. That was weird but she and her walking partner were very nice. Glass of wine cost 1 euro 50 cent – about 2.75 Cdn. Wow. What a country.

Marijke is on the right. From Den Haug.

read ya tomorrow and……..HOLA!

 

 

02 September: Los Arcos to Viana

Huge thunderstorm last night. Unfortunately it carried on all morning today. Streets of Los Arcos were soaked but very clean. When we got out to the countryside it came down with a vengeance. Gales force winds, sleeting rain, some hail. You could not stay dry.  I cursed the guy who.stole my poncho. It got so bad Jerry and I sought cover behind a bush. I remember crouching there as the rain was crowning my head and soaking every last bit of me thinking “ why john, why. Why are you doing this? Are you insane? Perhaps I am.  Dot? Am I?

When we got to the first village there were many pilgrims huddling about trying to stay dry. But there was no point because everything is wet. My waterproof boot? Not. Socks are soaked through, pants, shirt, everything. Rucksack is holding out. Thanks Mark and Michael. So many of these pilgrims decided to take a taxi or a bus. Not me or Jerry. No, like the good retired Naval Officer I am I soldiered on. Ás you can imagine the terrain was terrible. Water was gushing down the hills like a flash flood. One young girl got caught up in a torrent and had to be pulled clear lest she might drown. So Jerry and I called it a day at Viana. We wanted to walk to Logrono but our clearer and rain soaked minds prevailed. Nevertheless we did 18.8 km in this mud and muck.

No pictures  today. Too wet

I hope you all have a nice day.

01 September: Estelle to Los Arcos

Did 22 kilometers today. First part was cool with many hills one of which was about 2 kilometers long. Jerry times these hills by counting off 100 steps followed by a 20 second stop to recharge.  It seems to work. We walked through Estelle for about 2 k and then hit the country. Remind me of Victoria and Van Island. Brown, dusty, dry and dead looking. Here it is hot. About 84 today. Sweating like a pig. Drinking lots of water, pop and beer. The water is awful, the beer not much better but I have to drink something…right?

The second part of the trek was tough and not so much for the walk but for the heat. Bright sun, no clouds and no water fountains. It was so nice to finally finish and get into the Alberques. Jerry and I arrived in good time only to watch the other Pilgrims arrive sore and blistered. All ages here with many elderly doing this thing. The Italian girl is nowhere to be seen anymore but she hangs out with a drinking cohort. Oh to be young again.

What surprises me is the lack of interaction between the Pilgrims. Many just want to be left alone. Some are just not friendly at all. I make the effort but no response.  Tonight I sleep in a room with 6 women. I wonder if they snore!

There is a castle at the top of that hill!

That is it. Read ya tomorrow.