Day Thirteen

Today I feel well enough to walk. I am heading for Najera but there are no beds there. I have booked a motel room about 5km off the Camino at a Highway side 24hour petrol hotel and restaurant spot. Should be interesting.

The walk is lovely I actually headed out early, I am having my backpack carried for me to my accommodation. I thought this might help with the recovery. This cost €8 and is very worthwhile.

To the north of me as I walk are snow covered alps. Must be why there is such a chill in the air.

It’s not long before a few pilgrims start to appear and then as it’s Sunday there are locals out in Lycra cycling and a few runners training hard.

I take the wee detour into Ventosa and find a cafe, this detour gets you away from the highway and is more peaceful.

Next is a rocky bit taking us up then down, I am amazed to see the cyclists taking this path on. I am still in wine country so there are vines all around in red soil that is so rocky I can’t imagine how they get plants to grow.

At the end of the rocky path is a man playing a very small guitar we are in the middle of nowhere. He is busking I put a few Euros in his hat and he starts to sing a very melodic Spanish tune, it’s so touching and the sound follows me all the way down the path.

I arrive in Najera where there is a Fiesta going on, partly why I can’t get a bed. There is a brass band playing and all the locals are lining up for Sangria and what looks like a Spanish sausage sizzle.

There is a Monastery here which you can visit it’s steeped in history amazing stone work and it has a cave which you can go into, this is where in the 11th century the King of the area who was out looking for his falcon found a cave with a statue of the virgin and child. Thus he had this amazing place built, I feel like I am in a Dan Brown novel or that Harrison Ford will appear any time.

I make it to my accommodation the room is wonderful it’s got everything a pilgrim needs and it feels like it was built yesterday.

I go down stairs for dinner deciding I am feeling up for some actual food. There is a table of 4 other pilgrims who have found their way here too. I say Hi, one is a kiwi!

About 26km, only a few pilgrims.

Elevation 670m

Worst decision made so far, trying to eat solid food too soon after having gastro. Dam!

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Day Fourteen

After a rough night I am not feeling great but head out to rejoin the Camino route a further 5km down the road. The four pilgrims from last night soon catch up with me, I chat to the kiwi guy he’s from Auckland he’s having a great time! He soon speeds up and I am walking on my own.

So far on this journey there have not been any moments when I doubted I can get to Santiago, but this morning I felt really low, but an image of people I know friends and strangers arriving into Santiago came into my head, the cloud lifted and I pushed on.

This stretch is beautiful rolling farm land, the path looks like it goes for ever! Almost to the top is this sign, I stop and buy a lemonade it’s reviving, I make it to the top!

At the top of all things is a golf club, they welcome pilgrims. I go inside to see if there is any thing like a soup which I thought I might be ok with, sure enough a sign in Spanish reads ‘We have Broth’ I order this and a black tea. The broth comes out in a small glass dish there is less than a cup in the serve. It’s perfection. I feel renewed as I drink it.

Three American pilgrims come and join me we spend a lovely moment chatting about our Camino’s theirs being more of the 1st class version than mine, they have private accomodation booked all the way.

Feeling stronger I head of for the final leg to my Hostal tonight. There are cornflowers and lovely rolling paths.

I stop to take a picture of this monument to Santo Domingo who is very important to the Camino, in the 11th century he was responsible for building bridges and roads to help pilgrims to get to Santiago. A French man offered to take this picture for me, I ask him how he is going, ‘very good, for me it is not a problem, I start my walk in the South of France’ WOW!

About 26KM, Many many pilgrims today, an infantry of pilgrims heading West.

Thank you for getting well wishes they helped a lot.

Xx