Bed bugs….. Ahhhh crap! The first hostel that hands out disposable pillow cases and sheets and I’ve got a line of bites across my left butt cheek. What is it with my left hand side, swollen foot, mosquito bite and now more bites…!?!
The rain has stopped but it’s still damp outside. Just before half past six and I’m out the door and walking.
Just outside Estella I pass Ayegui, and after this the monastery of Irache, famous for being one of the first Benedictine houses in Navarre. More important to the modern pilgrim is the wine fountain opposite the monastery. Placed by a very inventive vintner, a beautiful wall display with two taps, one for water and the other for red wine. Personally, I’m not a big drinker, especially before 9am. But others filled their water bottles…
The walking is on footpaths through forests over the nearby hillside, but afterwards the track widens and opens out to fairly flat land passing through wheat fields and vines. I’ve caught up with a guy from LA, I met him yesterday, we walk together.
We arrive in Los Arcos by 11am. This was supposed to be the next stop, but not at this time of day! We stop for some food and a drink, and are met by more pilgrims from the day before.
11.30am and we carry on, the next stop is another 8km, bringing today’s total to almost 30km.
As we follow the easy tracks through the fields again we’re joined by to Spanish ladies. Luckily Gus is fluent in Spanish and so conversation flows with translations every few minutes.
Clouds have covered the blue skies above and I expect rain, but it never comes. We arrive in Sansol and ten minutes later we’re in Torres del Rio. We head to an aubergue thats been recommended to us, we’re some of the last few to get beds.
By walking a bit further today it means Logroño is only 20km tomorrow, so I’ll have lots of time to explore another Spanish city!
For now, I’m washed, relaxed and I’m going to eat tonight.