Camino Day 11, Tuesday 5/8/07: Logroño

This is our second day in Logroño. I forgot to mention that Fernando's big toenail on the left foot is turning blue and going to fall off so we have stopped the Camino and he has bought a pair of Spanish sandals so that it doesn't rub against the shoe. I never thought I'd see the day he wore sandals.
We had breakfast down the street at El Pato: cafe con leche with croissants grilled with butter and served with mermelada. I said "sounds horridly fattening" but it sure tasted good.

Then we walked around the mercado and the old city some more, stopping at a cultural center where senior citizens had made their own alpargatas, the sandals made from fique fiber, like zapatillas.


In Logrono there is a relief sculpture of Santiago Matamoros or Moor killer and lots of balconies and windows with flower boxes.

We then ventured out to the newer part, stopped at a grocery store and picked up cheese, canned piquillo peppers, fruit and bread for lunch. I felt funny eating lunch in the park. From 12 to 2 we wandered over to the Biblioteca Publica where Fernando read his "Cien Años" and I looked at magazines, trying to glean information about the food and agriculture of the area. At 2 there is nothing really to do but go back to the hotel and take a siesta - which we did until 4, since it actually felt good.


After the siesta we walked down the central walkway lined with European plane trees to the universidad de la Rioja, but there really wasn't anything to see.
Fernando had an espresso and I had a Belgian ale (Gulden Draak - golden dragon) in a wonderful goblet that I wish I could have taken back for Will. Here you can see Fernando's Spanish sandals.

And here you can see that wonderful goblet. This was the only place in Spain where we ran across interesting beers. It must have been the student populations.
We took the bus back to the Casco Viejo where we ran into the German couple from Puente la Reina. They have decided only to walk 10 kilometers a day because she is having problems with her arthritis. But they are retired and have the time to do it.
We stopped by an Italian ice (or helado veneziano) store and Fernando asked for avellano (hazelnut) which was awfully good. Now we are taking a break until the tapas bars open at 8:30 or 9 pm.
We went to Calle San Juan for tapas but they didn't have many bars. We had a very good tortilla espanola with hot pepper sauce at Tortilla Ma Mere and grilled champignones at another place where 3 Muslim young women with head scarves were having tapas with wine. I think they knew the bartender. We decided to go back to Calle Laurel where Fernando had fried calamares and I just had a chorizo in a roll. Then we had patatas bravas but I still think the mayonnaise and tomato sauce are too much. We had eaten so many tapas the night before that this was enough.

Camino Day 10, Monday 5/7/07: Viana to Logroño

The bus trip from Viana to Logroño is very short - about 15 minutes and when we missed the bus at 9 am we were tempted to walk. But I didn't have my boots on and I don't think Fernando would have been good for much else after the walk (about 6 miles). We had a good tortilla espanola for breakfast and it was a good thing because the wait for the next bus at 11:30 was very long, windy and cold. It is hard to believe it was that cold because I am writing this on Tuesday and today is a very sunny, hot day.

Before we went to wait for it, however, we went photoshooting around town again. The architecture is very historic and the balconies serve as backyards: for hanging laundry and airing the dog.


And one can never have enough photos of young artichokes and other spring vegetables like green onions and borage.

In Logroño, the bus left us off at the bus station in and we started walking towards the Casco Viejo (old town) only to discover we were going in the wrong direction and so had to reverse our steps. Logroño is quite big with some broad sycamore planted avenues. They have these very typical wooden and glass balconies that look over the sidewalk.

Fernando always has to stop at the panaderia and we picked up a fardelejo, which wasn't too good, and a teja, which was. We eat way too much bread.
Our hostal, Hostal Niza, is well situated and our room is on the second floor and overlooks the street.
It is expensive (65 euros) but Spain IS expensive, except for the albergues.


The windows are double and the interior one has double panes so it must get cold in the winter.
The hostal is located behind the mercado and between the two tapas streets: Calle Laurel and Calle San Juan. The worst thing about the hostal is that the rugs are thin, stained, and look dirty: I don't think they have vacuum cleaners. (Mother noted this in Burgos on their Triumph rally to Europe in 1958 - that they used brooms but that everything was immaculate.)
We ate a salad and piquillo peppers for lunch because Fernando doesn't want any more menus del dia. Everything shuts down from 2-4:30 for lunch and siesta. So we took a nap ourselves and then went out walking again. Fernando picked up a commemorative edition of Cien Años de Soledad by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (he finished it on the flight back to Pittsburgh while I was watching 4 movies).
We decided to do tapas for dinner, which doesn't start until 8:30 or 9 pm, on the Calle Laurel just up the street from our hostal. The first place wasn't very good: berenjena and cheese fried in a batter. The eggplant wasn't cooked enough and it wasn't very tasty.
The next place had grilled champignones which were very good. Then we had pinchos moruños, also good. By now we have had 3 glasses of wine. There was a Spaniard leading a tourist group and so he made a point of telling us also which were the good pinchos. The next one had salchicha and quail egg (good). We also had chorizo and green fried peppers (good). Then the Spaniard pointed out a place with pinchos ibericos - or pork shish kebab with meat from the pata negra pig. It was very good but probably mainly because it was roasted over a wood fire.
Lastly we had pulpo (octopus) a la gallego which I thought was good but Fernando didn't care for. It was after 10 when we got home. When we do this again it won't be after drinking a bottle of cidra! (which we picked up at a grocery store just to test whether it was really as bad as the stuff we had in Barcelona.)

Camino Day 9, Sunday 5/6/07: Los Arcos to Viana

This morning we got off at 7 am, mainly because there was no place in town to have cafe con leche with croissants. The bar behind the gas station near the hotel that normally opens at 7:30 am on weekdays was closed (it was Sunday). So we started out without breakfast. On the way, we met a Canadian couple from Toronto and walked with them a spell. But they walk faster than we do, especially faster than Fernando who is even slower now that his toenails are turning blue and falling off. It is hard for him to go down hills because his toe jams against the end of the shoe. And today there were lots of subir y bajar- so much that we walked on the N111 highway for part of the route. But so many motorcycles were using it as a speedway that we went back to the camino. It was only muddy in spots but very uneven and rocky so that you had to pay attention to your every step.
The countryside was drier and scrubbier and not as pretty as yesterday so I took very few photos. The towns are few and nondescript - perhaps because it was Sunday and nothing was open. Eventhough it was 19 kilometers from Los Arcos to Viana, it somehow seemed shorter than the previous day, which was easier walking. We arrived at 1 pm (6 hours walking) and then I couldn't find the address of Juani, the woman who lets out rooms in her house. It was on a little piece of paper and quite like any other little piece of paper. I think Fernando actually wanted to stay in the albergue - they are much cheaper (5 euros) and not bad at all. And the people are interesting and educated.

However, I managed to locate the paper and then we asked a man about the location. He said it was way beyond the Transversal. But I stopped by the Navarran tourist office in the main square which was open, got a map of the town and found that Juani's was only 2 blocks away.
Viana was celebrating Mother's day and everyone was out, including a little band that Fernando ran after (yes, even with his bad toes) trying to take pictures of.

"23 Medio de San Juan" was gehind one of the large old doors with a "mano de fatima" door knocker. Juani greeted us with smiles and enthusiasm so right away we felt welcome.

The room she took us to was at the back and opened out onto the street behind from the second floor (it was on the first floor on Medio de San Juan). The room was long and skinny with old wood floors and a little balcony. Kind of funky but charming. We share a bath across the hall.

We had the menu del dia next door at the Bar Pitu - cordero, judias verdes, and flan. Fernando had the ensalada mixta and arroz con leche. Naturally we mixed the wine with "gaseosa" and finished the bottle.
Then time to take a bath and a siesta (or did we take a bath before lunch?) After walking 6 hours it feels so good to lie down. And I like the Spanish idea of two single beds instead of a double.

After our nap we walked over to the albergue to use the Internet and get phone reception so we could call Mother, Willy, Juan and Camila. The phone has not had service except in large towns.

The albergue seemed nice. They had a mud room for the boots. Perhaps they did not allow people in with muddy feet. And of course the pilgrims did their laundry as did we. Fernando took a little tour and took a bunch of photos of the town.

Tomorrow we will take a bus to Logroño where we will stay two nights and experience the "tapas" bars on Calle Laurel. On Wednesday we will take a bus to Santo Domingo de la Calzada and then on Thursday to Burgos.

Camino Day 8, Saturday 5/5/07: Estella to Los Arco

Carlos at the Hostal Volante convinced us to use the "Jacotrans" service to carry our backpacks from the hostal to the Hotel Monaco in Los Arcos. He said we would enjoy the walk more. We had heard of the service in Puente La Reina's albergue and a Dutch woman with a bad back who was using a cart, decided to send her luggage that way so that she could go on the regular Camino rather than the highways.
It cost 7 euros per mochila and we were afraid that it might not work, but we were willing to try anything that would make the Camino easier. So we left Estella with our purses and the top fanny pack from my backpack and packed up the backpacks in their duffle bags, labeled them "Hotel Monaco, Los Arcos" attached 15 Euros in a plastic bag and began the Camino.
We first went across the street to a panaderia "PAN" for our normal croissant and cafe con leche. Then we started out, walking for quite some time before we actually left the city. The Camino goes up into the foothills where there are many new houses as well as a brand new albergue. A good place to stay but far from the city center.
Next, we made a short detour to Irache to visit the famous Irache fuente that gives both water and wine. it is attached to the Bodegas irache and we mixed a bottle with water. Very welcome and a stop I wouldn't have missed for the world!
Then were were off on the real Camino, seeing few other peregrinos. We had left Estella at 8:15am (so much for the early start) so all the power walkers were 3 hours into the Camino. The walk today was the best yet because it was flat and hardly mudy at all. One of the first (of very few) towns along the route was Arqueta where we were accosted by the famous Pablito Sanz who said that there was no bar with cafe but that there should be one in two months. He then said he could stamp or credenciales in his house, which he did, and then he showed us a stone marker in his back yard which was supposed to be 800 years old. He took us into his shed so that Fernando could get a scallop shell (I already had one) and he also gave him a "calabaza" or bottle gourd for water. A very nice interesting feature of the road. When we finally got off again, after 20 minutes, Fernando looked even more like El Peregrino than he did before!!
The walk continued up and down, windy with threatening clouds and partial sun. We went to Monjardin and got another stamp on our credencial from the Dutch albergue there. If every walk was like today, there would be no problem with the Camino. Unfortunately there were no towns after Monjardin and I like the small villages.
We arrived in Los Arcos at about 2:20 pm and the streets are narrow with old buildings. We found our Hotel Monaco and WERE NOT IMPRESSED. All because of a very unwelcoming desk manager. She wasn't there to begin with and she did not smile but proceeded to tell us that the last guest had broken the "tapa" del bano (which we later learned was the seat of the toilet) and that they couldn't fix it because today was Saturday but would give us a discuento. Although it is a 3 star hotel it doesn't have phones in the room, doesn't have a 24 hour desk clerk (only 9 am to 8 pm). Si I see no difference between it and a hostal. Supposedly it has a restaurant but when we asked t eat there, she said it was "completo" or full even though there were tables vacant. Obviously it will get a very bad writeup from us in TripAdvisor. The security is also not good since anyone can enter from the street when the reception area is closed.
I went to take a shower and there was only lukewarm water. Fernando complained and the desk lady said you have to wait for the water to travel up to the third floor. She was right. It got hot after you ran it for a time.
There were lots of bars in the town but we had trouble finding a restaurant to eat in. Finally we found La Gargantua which specializes in paella, pizza, and pasta. Fernando naturally ordered the paella and I the menu del dia with an ensalada mixta (lettuce with tomatoes, hardboiled eggs and tuna) piquillos rellenos (red peppers stuffed with meat) and flan for dessert. It was quite good. Naturall we had the house red wine with gaseosa - which is a slightly sweetened seltzer water with lemon flavoring.
After la comida, we came back and took a nap. Then we showered and went to the 8 o'clock mass at the church. The priest was very welcoming (he made up for the hotel) and gave us each a pilgrim blessing and asked where we were from. There are very few Americans. And we got our credencial stamped at the church because I doubt that the Hotel Monaco has even heard of the Camino!!
Now Fernando is washing out his calabaza...

Camino Day 7, Friday 5/4/07: Puente La Reina to Estella

[This was posted on Saturday] I cannot believe that I didn't write anything yesterday. We enjoyed Puente la Reina. Fernando complained about the Menu del Dia at a restaurant downtown but it was fine for me (I had fried fish and he had codornices but I think he was disappointed at their size). The stay in the refugio was good, although Fernando complained (again) about the snoring of the man from Germany and of an older woman from Germany. The German couple in the bunk beside us had spent 3 years in Chicago. She had arthritis and they were going to take a slow day on Friday. Then we met a couple of Norwegian women who were also going to take a day of rest. Many of the pilgrims were cooking their food or eating simple things they had bought at grocery stores. They are all quite frugal.
The next day, Friday, started out raining with a thunderstorm and continued. After our experience in Zubiri, we decided we were not up to walking in the rain. We stopped for breakfast at a chain called Taberna and the proprietor told us not to go by the Camino but to go by the "old road" that had been replaced by a new highway, because there was too much mud on the Camino.

We decided instead to cop out and take the bus to Estella. We missed the 7;50 am bus by about 10 minutes and had to wait in a panaderia for 2 hours for the 10 o'clock bus. But it only cost 1.93 euros and took 1/2 hour to Estella. We passed many sopping peregrinos on the road.

Estella is a city of 15,000 and much larger than Puente la Reina. While in Uterga we made reservations at the Hostal Volante (at the suggestion of the hostal owner in Uterga). Although on the outskirts of town, it was a very nice hostal, and the proprietor, Carlos, was a gem. The hostal was full because of a wedding but Carlos put another bed into a single room to accommodate us.

We went to a nearby supermarket and picked up food for lunch. I'd prefer to eat a menu del dia at 2 pm but Fernando always wants a snack and that screws up the schedule.


After our snack we went walking in the downtown area but it was very dead because it was during their siesta. I was very impressed with the town because the curbs and central gutter in the streets were of black marble.

Back at the Hostal Volante we took a nap and then talked to Carlos about a place to find "Gorrin asado" or roasted suckling pig, which is a specialty of the area. Carlos made reservations for us and then helped us plan the following day. We were pretty down on the Camino and just wanted to get to Logroño. However we found that there were absolutely no accommodations for Saturday night in Logrono. Instead, Carlos called various hostales and hotels in the next stage of the camino and made us reservations at the Hotel Monaco in Los Arcos and then at a private home in Viana, the place where Cesar Borgia dies and where Fernando really wanted to visit.

Then we walked back downtown (it must have been around 6 pm) and were surprised at how crowded it had become compared to "siesta time". We recharged Fernando's vodaphone at a tobacco shop (he still can't get reception in the smaller towns), watched a "sardana" trio in the town square, bought chocolates and alpargatas as we waited around for the restaurant to open at 9 pm.

We really didn't need reservations because nobody else was there. Our waiter was Colombian - he noticed Fernando's accent before we noticed his. - from Pereira. I ordered Piquillo peppers which were VERY good. The gorrin was a disappointment for me - too much skin and integuments and too little meat - enough to make you a vegetarian in no time - and it needed salt and Spaniards never put salt on the table. And it was pricey 948 euros) but not as much as we would pay in the US perhaps.
By then we were pooped and headed home. We talked to Susan and Grandma and to Camila that day. The night before in the refugio in Puente LaReina I sent a large email to everybody because again Fernando did not have phone reception.
That is an advantage to the refugios: they often have internet access where as hostales and hotels do not. We slept very well at the Hostal Volante even though it was on the major roadways. They had double paned windows and those Spanish pull-down blinds that shut out the street lights.

Camino Day 6, Thursday 5/3/07: Uterga to Puente La Reina

This was a very light day -- about 6 miles -- and not at all muddy and mostly flat. We took a detour to the Ermita of Eunate - a Romanesque church - through barley or wheat fields, also peas and asparagus - as well as vineyards, almond trees and olive trees.

We had "deayuno" of a bocadillo of baguette and tortilla (scrambled eggs) and cafe con leche in Obanos, which also produced the wine that we had the night before in the albergue. It wasn't much further to Puente La Reina.

The albergue de los padres Reparadores is at the entrance to Puente La Reina, is new and quite large. Since we arrived so early (about noon) hardly anyone else was there. We are in a room with 3 bunks (6 people) so that is not bad.

Some of the rooms upstairs are larger, with more space but also more bunks. It has a kitchen and a garden in back with a huge clothesline. There were only a couple of panties when we arrived but when we returned from lunch at about 3, all the lines were ful and the albergue was hopping. We met many of the people who were at the refugio in Roncesvalles when we started - since now they have caught up with us.
The older part of the city is very picturesque with great wide barnlike front doors, iron hardware, and assorted knockers. The windows are also unque, some with bars, all with shutters of various kinds.

We spent the afternoon walking up and down the old streets, taking pictures of churches, doors and door knockers, and the famous puente. Puente la Reina is really a charming little city, so charming that it convinced me to buy a walking stick as well. And Fernando began collecting little pins for his hat, getting the idea from an Australian who had his hat covered with souvenir pins from the various stages of the Camino.

Camino Day 5, Wednesday 5/2/07: Pamplona to Uterga

Pamplona to Uterga is 16.8 kilometers or 10 miles. We left at 7 am and arrived at 1 pm. 6 hours of walking at not even 2 miles an hour! The route was extremely muddy and the Alto de Perdon was steep going up and very rocky coming down.
Last night the cafe con leche I drank at Zubiri and the other one after dinner kept me awake ALL night. In addition, one of the Canadian women in the bunk next to ours was vomiting all night. It's at those times that you wonder if you might pick up some disease living in such close quarters at these refugios. [I also worry that I might fall off the top bunk and break a leg, a back or a neck] At least it felt so goood just to lie down.

The managers of the Albergue in Pamplona came around at 6 am turning on the lights and saying "Buenos Dias". All pilgrims must be out by 8am. So we started on our way at 7 am, at which time Pamplona is still a charming city.

The streets have been cleaned and everything is closed up. [That is something I haven't yet commented on: how very clean the streets were in the old parts of town, how they cleaned them with small street cleaners EVERY morning! The U.S. is a pig sty in comparison!]
We crossed the University of Navarra Campus, had another breakfast of croissants and cafe con leche, and crossed Cizur Menor into grain fields.

So far the road is good: broad and crushed limestone but it soon becomes steep and muddy and a repeat of yesterday -- except that it is not raining, only misty. There are no services in the area (no bars) and the trail is steep, narrow and mud.

It goes all the way up to the alto de Perdon where there are huge power generating windmills along the ridge and a metal sculpture of pilgrims. Fernando kept losing his shoes in the mud so we were creeping along beside the green grain fields and all the other peregrinos - there were many - kept passing us.

Then the trail down the mountain becomes extremely rocky but at least the strong wind from the west clears the sky and air of mist and the view west is clear and crisp - absolutely beautiful. From the Alto de Perdon you can see Pamplona to the east but today was very misty and so the view was not memorable.

The vegetation on the mountain included wild thyme. The road down, instead of being mud (clay), was river rocks so it was slow going again. We arrived in Uterba at about 1 pm so that means we walked 10 miles in 6 hours which works out to less than 2 miles an hour. One cannot make good time over such paths. It also didn't help that Fernando mislaid his wooden walking stick in Zubiri (he had bought it in Pamplona for about 5 euros, I think), so we were going very slowly and everyone was passing us. Fortunately we were stopping early at Uterba and not continuing on to Puente La Reina, which is the suggested destination.


That means the beds in the private albergue we chose were not full [there was only one pilgrim there at the time we arrived]. We had reserved a double room instead for 45 euros and had clean sheets, two twin beds, and our own bathroom. Such luxury! and I forgot to take a photo of it!

We took a walk around the village of Uterba and the buildings looked historic and the countryside was a lovely green. But there were no other stores, restaurants or shops in the town besides the albergue so we went back and took a nap, had a snack, and waited around for dinner. We also washed the mud off our pant legs and washed our shirts and underwear. Afterall we only brought two sets of underwear, pants, and shirts. Fortunately Papi was able to buy a walking stick at the albergue to help him over the mud and streams.
The Albergue had a menu del dia for 12 euros. I had menestra de verduras again, which was better than the one in Pamplona but still needs some tweaking (or else less cooking because the concept is good).

One thing I forgot to mention is that when there was vinegar and oil on the table for making your own vinaigrette for your ensalada mixta, the oil was always extra virgin olive oil with a wonderful flavor. Spain is the largest producer of olive oil so I suppose it is to be expected.
Fernando had paella (his favorite) as the principio and liked it very much: it was fresh and hot. For the entrada I had stewed veal and Fernando had lamb shank. For dessert we both had Torta de Santiago which was VERY good and made with marzipan.

Then we hit the hay since it felt so good to sleep in a normal bed of one's own!

Camino Day 4, Tuesday 5/1/07: Roncesvalles to Pamplona

8 PM: I am so tired I don't feel like writing but I will forget things if I don't.

Yesterday at 6 PM we left Pamplona on a full bus of pilgrims for the 70 minute ride to Roncesvalles.


When we arrived there at 7:15 pm, the regular albergue of 100 beds in a single huge room was already full so they put the whole busload in the youth hostel behind it.

That was actually better because, instead of 100 in a huge hall, there were 3 couples in 3 bunk beds in our room.

After we left off our packs, we went to the pilgrim mass.

We were afraid we wouldn't be able to have dinner because of the number of pilgrims but they added an extra sitting at 9:15 pm at the Casa Sabina. We had to be back at the youth hostel at 10 pm because that is when they lock the doors.
At 9:20 were were let in and sat with a german, Johann from Bremen, and a French woman who had bicycled down from Paris. Her hands were black from grasping the handle bars so tightly and she said it was very cold. We had soup (maybe a potato and sorrell soup?) and then fried trout with french fries, a bottle of wine and yogurt for dessert. The fish and french fries had never tasted so good!
We finished just in time to get back to the youth hostel. By then the other two couples in our room were already asleep so we had to take out packs out to the common area to get ready for bed. We decided that we really didn't need a bath. I slept pretty well in the top bunk eventhough there was some snoring. I did bruise my thigh badly getting up into the bed. I'm not as spry as I used to be and found it difficult to manage getting up into the top bunk. I had thought that the other two couples would be up at 5 am to start but I woke up at about 7:15 and no one else was up. [This turned out to be a bad way to start. You can't get late starts on the camino.] This however, got the other two couples up and we were ready and out before 8 am, although we did have trouble finding the beginning of the trail.

It was chilly and misty when we started but still very pretty. Beech forests and a nice woodland trail. Then it started hailing as we came into Burguete (a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway). In Burguete we had a very good cafe con leche and a croissant. it was not really raining too badly when we arrived in Espinal and bought a whole grain flat biscuit. Then it bgan the perpetual light rain for the rest of the day. The trail was extremely muddy much of the way and Fernando only had his tennis shoes - a very bad call. We seemed to walk forever after linzoan - through rain and mud. I think it was MUCH longer than the 22.2 km they said it was to Zubiri, and we didn't get in there until 3:30 pm. We had started just before 8 am and stopeed along the way for no more than 1/2 hour so that was 7 1/2 hours of walking. Papi, of course, is a slow walker and he was even slower with muddy tennis shoes.
When we arrived in Zubiri all the albergues, hostales, hotels and pensiones were full. The ones in Larrasoana were as well so we were up a creek. Fortunately others were in our same situation so we got a taxi (only two in zubiri and no bus runs on the holiday - it was May 1st - Labor Day) and with 3 Canadian women we went to Pamplona - picking up another couple in Larrasoana. I must say I wasn't sad to miss the second day from Zubiri to Pamplona.
Fortunately the albergue in Pamplona (Convento Adoratrices) was not full so we were able to get a bunk bed for 5 euros apiece. papi is all gung ho about these cheap beds!!
For our meal today (since we didn't have any lunch), we went back to the Bodegon Sarria on Estafeta that had such good tapas. This time the bartender explained that the "gulas" weren't really anguillas but imitation - like our imitation crab. They tasted good just the same.

Then we stopped at a pasteleria and got some cafe conleche and dessert. I also had a cafe con leche in Zubiri (also brandy and Pacharan - the sloe fruit liqueur) so I hope I can sleep tonight. [I couldn't]. I decided it would feel good to take a shower and so my daily ablutions are over. When it is so cold one really doesn't feel dirty - just cold. I hope our clothes and shoes dry by tomorrow but I doubt it.
Tomorrow we have reserved a double room at Uterga at the Camino del perdon. I don't think we'll be able to make Puente La Reina in one day - especially if it continues raining like it did today.