Papa Bear has decided to walk all of this stage today, around 17km. The elevation map shows a hill but there’s a town to stop for breakfast before we have to tackle it, and it doesn’t look too bad.

We came downstairs from our very cosy and hot room to find the table set for breakfast, cake, toast and orange juice, not my fave breakfast, but food in the stomach!

It was still dark when we set off,

passed the bar,

quite a long way through town,

and finally out into the countryside.

I love walking in the crisp cool morning, listening to the birds and roosters greet the dawn,

feeling  the crunch of the track underfoot, everyone walking in silence lost in their own thoughts.

It was an easy walk to Ventosa

and it seemed like no time at all until we were enjoying our breakfast and preparing ourselves for the hill ahead. We could have checked out the 1km of Art, I’m sure it was very interesting, but who’s going to walk an extra kilometre! We saw one piece outside the cafe and yes, the photo is level, as usual it’s a steep hill out of town

I don’t think this was part of the art, but it was kinda cute

And so on to the hill

It was hard work, steep and stony track,

But there was encouragement along the way

And the track got easier

And soon enough we were at the top!

There was a short climb around this hill

to a watchtower on the other side.

and interesting story about a battle between a pilgrim and a giant.

And finally down into Nájera

Past the sign which we remembered from last time, a little faded now, but we could still make out the word Lies! And still agreed with the sentiment.

One more challenge, each step just a bit  higher than my natural step!

But soon enough we reached the first bar in town

and a welcome beer. It wasn’t quite noon, but hey, we earned it! I thought I had pointed to a meat pastry in the bar but apparently I pointed to something which I’m sure was pig’s ear and chorizo, delicious!

As we were sitting enjoying our rest, the joyful yelling  of Papa Bear’s name floated down the street, his Kentucky mates obviously happy to see him!

Another beer was required, Papa Bear and Mr G discussed the intricacies of smoking meat, happy times on the Camino.

We had thoughts of staying a couple of nights in Logroño and indulging in some tapas on Calle de Laurel, but that was never gonna happen being Saturday night of Ascension Weekend.

Plan B was to get up early and smash the 10kms to Logroño, take a photo of the bridge, have breakfast at this great little breakfast bar, take photos of the statue of pilgrims outside the bar, then taxi it to the next town along, Navarrete. There was a rather large hill that Papa Bear and I were not keen to tackle with temperatures expected to reach the high 20’s.

It started well, on the road by 6:00am. We couldn’t find the early opening bakery, but that was ok we thought, there’s a town 6km down the road.

The path was flat but paved with rather large cobble stones. I’ve loved my sandals but they don’t deal too well with these stones.

There are quite a few tunnels in this section with colourful graffiti and interesting Camino messages.

You can’t say this person didn’t get good use out of their boots!

At about the same time as I saw and remembered this bridge over the road,

I also remembered that the Camino doesn’t actually go through La Rioja and the closest to coffee and tortilla we would get would be the sight of a supermarket in the distance, way off the track.

Places to sit, like these benches, became scarce

and the last few kms without food or a rest became a slog. Papa Bear got the zigzag going up a hill.

We caught up with D2 along the river and had a rest so I could recover my normal cheerful demeanour, two hours in the morning without coffee and tortilla tends to make me grumpy.  Mr B from Kentucky came along with his brother-in-law Mr G, also from Kentucky.

It’s always great to catch up with Camino friends, and after a chat and a laugh headed off to take the bridge photo. 

The first time Papa Bear ever stepped foot on the Camino was walking along this very street as a tourist two years ago. We never thought he’d be back as a pilgrim.

I wasn’t happy to see my pilgrim statue was surrounded by a market, but still managed to get a photo.

By 8:30 we were sitting down to breakfast, a delicious reward for a 10km walk!

Mr B’s group headed off, he had decided to taxi with us, and we went  for  a  walk around the town. The El Dorado cafe caught my eye,

and we checked out the Cathedral, a place of a different kind of worship.

D2 decided to walk. We headed off in the taxi quite  early because we didn’t have any accommodation organised in Navarrete. Once there I started looking without luck. Three ladies pulled up in a taxi outside a hostel, I let them go in first because I figured they had accommodation already booked, No! They didn’t, they just waltzed in and took the last room.

I was beginning to think we needed to head to Plan C which hadn’t yet been devised, but I eventually found beds in a rather cute albergue on the outskirts of town. D2 made good time and it was beers all round.

The room was small, but a pilgrim is grateful for somewhere to sleep,  even if it’s a mattress on the floor.

It was a lovely evening outside, cheers everyone, another successful day!

 

 

 

We’re into our routine now. Papa Bear and I have decided to keep getting our backpacks sent and each evening we check out elevations, kilometres, temperatures and bus timetables. And this weekend, accommodation . D2 just picks up her back pack and heads off, her legs get her up any hill!

Ascension Day was on Thursday and this weekend is Ascension Weekend when apparently all Spanish people book into hotels. Getting accommodation, even in the pilgrim albergues, has been difficult and we’ve had to change plans depending on availability.

This morning we decided to walk together to Torres del Rio, put Papa Bear on the bus and then D2 and I would walk on to Viana.

We left the Municipal Albergue in the dark and headed off to Sansol.

The paintings on the walls at this albergue are gorgeous.

Once  again a beautiful morning, pre-dawn when it is starting to get light but the sun hasn’t yet peeped over the horizon, is my favourite time on the Camino.

It wasn’t long before we were heading into Sansol

Flashback to 2017 and the Keeper of the Baguette

 After a climb into the next town we left Papa Bear at the bus stop and headed off to Viana. I couldn’t remember much of this part of the trek from 2017, obviously I’d blocked it out!

First there was down, not too bad, and the path was flat

Then there was up,

And some more up,

I gave up looking at the sign posts which tell us how far to go, I think whoever does them just makes numbers up anyway

A walk through some forest with a memorial for loved ones no longer with us. We left a message on a stone for our cousin. I miss looking for bracelets or other trinkets for her.

A bit further into the forest was a gorgeous stone garden with a table of food and drink for a donation. We had coke and boiled eggs.

There was some more up,

Some up and down on a road 

I met two Aussie girls, I loved this picture of one girl taking a photo of the other one taking photos of poppies! Pilgrims do the same everywhere!

Oh happy dance, a pop bar where we stopped for tortilla sandwich and coke.

D2 seemed amused at how I would react when I saw this part of the track, how it just ended, as if there was an elevator there. Sure enough it went down, but no elevator, just a very steep and rocky track which I had to negotiate without sticks because I left them with Papa Bear. No photos sorry, I was too busy trying to keep myself upright.

Eventually a walk on level ground, through shade even,

and at last Viana is in site. There was some more down where we saw a guy doing the zig-zag. I didn’t like to take a photo of the guy who actually walked down backwards.

You can’t  see the church spire, but this track went a long way down, then a long way up!

At last we made the plaza where Papa Bear was waiting patiently for us. His mate Mr B from Kentucky, was on the bus, so they kept each other company while they waited for the trudging pilgrims.

Cheers for a hard day’s walk!