Day Seven

Today I am doing a short day. I want to have a rest and do some washing so have broken a bigger day into two.

I head out to a chilly morning with much anticipation as I am going to the famous wine fountain at Irache. I’m so in the moment I ignore the sign and head straight out of town. I see other pilgrims heading in a different direction so I double back through a vineyard. Very appropriate.

When I arrive at the fountain there are a few pilgrims and one offers to take my photo as I approach the fountain I suddenly realised I need to work out how I am going to collect the wine. I cup my hand and with a powerful woosh the wine comes out its cold and surprisingly good. I take a big swig and stand back and chat to other pilgrims as they arrive. It’s a lot of fun. The wine is free and has been supplied by the Bodegas since 1991.

After the wine excitement I keep walking, I am on my own, rain is threatening and it’s getting colder. Even though I only have a short walk my legs already feel like lead and my backpack is pulling me into the earth.

I push on and find a cafe where pilgrims are gathered to escape the cold and refuel. The coffee is good and strong and I talk with a few pilgrim friends I haven’t seen for a couple of days.

It’s not much further to the Albergue where I am sleeping so I sit a while and chat with a lady from Melbourne who tells me about a couple we have both met on the way. It’s a love story and we both cry.

I arrive early to the Albergue it’s very cold and wet. There is a small room to wait in. By the time the owners open there are 16 very cold and wet pilgrims. It’s too wet to wash clothes and of course I am lucky enough to get a top bunk. There are 5 of us in the room 4 women and one young guy from Germany who is very sweet and polite. I tell him he’s in charge of the alarm in the morning which he finds funny and I think a little worried.

This Albergue is run by a group of Dutch people which I knew. What I didn’t realise was they are a group of people deeply dedicated Jesus, there is much chat at dinner about how the volunteers came to be here in Spain serving pilgrims and living a devoted life. Dinner is a generous salad and Chili con carne a small glass of red wine and dessert is the very delicious chocolate brownie with a dollop of cream. Yum!

About 8km and many pilgrims and the same school group of 30 French children.

Elevation 700m

Items given away because you don’t think you need it because you have two and someone actually does need it because their’s went missing.

1 x towel.

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Day Eight

Today is a longer day and there is only one town to break up two longish stretches.

It’s cold and cloudy but no rain. Most of the day the path is flat and an even surface a real treat. There are ancient olive groves and vineyards full of old vines with new shoots bursting out. There are wild herbs and poppies all along the path.

I stop in the small town for coffee and tortillas. I also have a bag of snacks we purchased from the Albergue last night so am well stocked for the final leg to my next Albergue.

For the second half of the day I decided to play some music while I walked. This is the first time I’ve done this on the Camino.

I arrive at my Albergue and oh my goodness I have a bottom bunk and they will wash and dry my clothes they charge me extra because I literally have to wash everything I have with me. I’m so excited to be getting clean clothes.

Dinner is a Pilgrim meal it’s generous with a starter of white asparagus salad followed by salmon and chips and a small rice pudding for dessert oh and a lot more red wine! My Irish friend had also caught up and managed to get vegan food which was grand!

About 20km a few pilgrims including 2 on electric push bikes.

The song that got me most excited as I was walking and had me waving my walking poles in the air,

I never loved a man (The way I loved you) Aretha Franklin

And the song I thought most appropriate for today,

Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd.

……….and that was going to be the end of my day, but the thing is….

My bunk mate who I met yesterday and happened to be paired together tonight became unwell at dinner, got worse and then much worse, with the help of an Italian guy who I woke up by walking into the dorm saying “pardon medico por favor?’ to a room full of sleeping men. Two Dutch women and two Spaniard and eventually emergency services she is now resting in her own room in an adjoining hotel. Diagnosed a virus of some kind.

And we are all now trying to get to sleep.

Xx