“Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul.” – Jamie Lyn Beatty
Day 8 – Los Arcos to Viana – 11.4 Miles
Today’s miles – 11.5 Total miles 94.3
Elizabeth
I do not like to start an entry on a negative note, but today was a bit of a bummer for me. My femoral nerve under my knee has been an ongoing issue for more than a year. Sometimes I can go months with it not flaring up. It’s been calm for a couple weeks but the flat, hard ground and blacktop walking this morning, unfortunately, brought it to the forefront. Gary noticed a massage flyer on the trail. I took a picture of the address and phone number, called and made an appointment, took a taxi into Viana, our destination for the night where the massage place was. I only made it 5 miles today. C, C and G walked the remaining 6+ miles into Viana. The massage you ask? Hit the spot! Wonderful, relaxing down time. I bought some CBD and arnica in a spray that the masseuse recommended. Let’s hope the short day and rest allows me to walk without pain tomorrow.
Gary: After Elizabeth got in the cab, the three of us continued the walk to Viana. We are walking with many familiar faces these days. We ran into the father/son combo from Taiwan. We met them the first day at Borda and have seen them almost every day. Soon after we walked with our Zimbabwe friend, who also stayed at Borda. He has really enjoyed talking with “the kids”. He gave Chelsea a beautiful copper bracelet from Zimbabwe. Very nice gesture. We continued on through the rolling hills with vineyards and various crops along the path on a beautiful day. On the way into town we ran into a South Korean woman who was confused as to where her Albergue was. I found it on my app and walked her to their front door. She was very appreciative. While I did that C and C found a sporting goods store.
Elizabeth had gotten on wifi and let me know she was at the restaurant of the hotel we stayed at last year. I had told C and C where it was, so the 4 of us met there. We enjoyed a nice lunch together and then made our way into the “new” section of town where we had a 2 bedroom apartment rented for the night. It was perfect – nice kitchen, laundry, living room and 2 bedrooms in a very quiet neighborhood. It is the first time we have stayed off the Camino, though it is only about a ¼ mile to get back into the old town and the Camino.
Sunset from our hotel balcony in Los Arcos (enlarged) 
From our Los Arcos room’s balcony. Sun rays were beautiful! 
Our first stork nest sighting from our balcony in Los Arcos 
A cast of hawks! Not vultures. Not common. Soooo cool! 
Cooper, Gary and Chelsea as we cut through a wheat field entering Sansol. 
Iglesia Santa Maria Viana. Gothic construction began in the 1200s! 
Santa Maria’s organ
After a little rest break, Cooper, Chelsea and I walked back into town about 7PM. We found various markets for breakfast food, walked through the church, stopped for a beer where we spoke with a French blind gentleman (mid 30s) who was walking with a friend ( a woman mid 70s). He has a guide dog at home in Paris, but his friend has walked many Caminos and offered to guide him. We have seen them pretty much every day, but this was the first time we had a chance to talk. Fortunately he speaks good English. They were both an inspiration. They started 100 km before SJPdP and will stop walking in another week. Then will leave Paris during the summer Olympics and return to where they stop, to continue their journey to Santiago.
May 9 Viana to Navarrete
Today’s miles – 13.5 Total miles 107.8
Elizabeth
Bullets of the day:
– E’s leg better today. Made it 13.5 miles!
– After leaving our two bedroom apartment we walked 4+ miles and enjoyed breakfast in Logrono, celebrating passing 100 miles walked this trip.
– Kindergarten kids! (about 20 of them) made a single file line in a park and low fived all 4 of us as we approached their school outing, congratulatorily like after an athletic game. They were all smiling and shouting “Buen Camino!” (‘Good Way’, Traditional encouragement greeting on the Camino).
– Yoga in the park! 20 min YouTube yoga at the lake in Logrono. Namaste!!
– Usual afternoon arrival at our destination. Today Navarrete. Feet up, shoes off, beer or vino tinto de verano (red wine of summer = red wine mixed with lemon soda) a little food and checked in.
Tomato spread, prosciutto & scrambled eggs on homemade roll 
A town’s Camino way marker 
Great graffiti art 
C &C haring the local man’s excitement over catching a fish. Lake outside Logrono 
Local feeding a wild squirrel! 
Yoga in the park! 
E loosing her balance!! ; )’ 
G heading into Navarrete 
Church in Navarrete 
Ensalada Mixta – often with corn and tuna, this one had beets underneath too!
After dinner, C and C stayed and chatted with two older gentlemen from the Faroe Islands. So cool how people come from all around the globe to walk this pilgrimage.
May 10 Navarrete to Azofra
Today’s miles – 14.2 Total miles 122.0
Elizabeth:
“You’ve got to get up every morning
With a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart…”
– Lyrics from Beautiful by Carole King
We walked 14.2 miles today! Woo hoo! Two days in a row I made it. Small achievements, collectively make for a fabulous journey!
The kids were on their own today. They wanted to stay in the Azofra Municipal Albergue. It was first come first serve and they walked without us so they could arrive faster and get their choice of beds. Success, two beds, not bunks, and in a room that has a door! Rare. Usually the big Albergues have bunks (this one has 60 beds – good sized) and whoever arrives first gets the better bed locations. But this place has 30 rooms and two twin beds (basic) per ” cubby”. No bunks. The outdoor space has a cold water foot bath….ahhh. We stayed there in 2015.
G and I got a room at La Plaza Azofra. Private room, two twin beds with sheets, blankets, pillows, soap, towels, private bath. The kids have a shared bathroom and shower space and will use their own sleeping bags and towels they brought. They like the comradery of the hostel style accommodations, on occasion. We booked them many nice places to stay as well.
We stopped in Najera to get off my feet and have a little picnic under a tree. We started hearing a swooshing sound of air through an irrigation line…we both jumped up, grabbed our packs, water bottles, shoes, food, etc. and ran a few feet just as the city park’s sprinklers began to shower the grass and trees we were under! Two local ladies laughed, with us, and told us the patch of grass near their cafe table would be “safe”. We managed to save our carrot cake, aqua con gas (seltzer water), grapes and cheese from getting soupy!
We have seen our second blind pilgrim today. Inspiring when I am “struggling” with “just” a nerve pain in my lower leg.
Cooper and Chelsea were at a cafe waiting for us as we walked into town. We had the Menu del Dia, (menu of the day). Common here. You choose a first course of a mixed salad, soup, potatoes salad, sometimes pasta and today they had what they called Cuban rice (white rice with tomato sauce and a fried egg on top). Cooper loved it! (see picture). The second course is often your choice of a beef, chicken, fish or a pasta dish and almost always includes fries…lots of potato, bread and wine here! The daily menu also includes the wine, water and dessert…today we chose Tiramisu! All for $18 per person!
E protecting herself from the sun, LOTS of vines today! 
Gary in Sedona, AZ?? tee hee : ) 
40 packs lined up as a way to fairly enter the municipal albergues, first come, first served 
Ice cream…in a freezer…in the middle of a vineyard!! 
E’s ham, cheese and fried egg on toast, cafe con leche and G’s fresh squeezed OJ 
Goat cheese, quince & balsamic glaze on our salad 
Cooper’s “Cuban” rice, tomato topping and fried egg 1st course
We all went to the Municipal Albergue where the kids are staying and soaked our feet in the shallow foot pool. We are all tired so we parted ways and we will meet up in the morning. Walk, eat, sleep, repeat!
Side note: Gary’s mom, Earline (93) ,has been in and out of the hospital these last few days. She is currently resting in her own bed at her assisted living home in Essex Junction, VT. It has been very difficult to be so far away. We can not thank Linell and Laurie, Gary’s sisters, and their families for all the love and care they are, and have been for years, showing their mom. Cooper wanted to go the church tonight to light a candle for Earline but it is not open. We will do so in our next town. Thank you all for keeping Earline and her entire family in your hearts.
Buen Camino.
What we find in a soul mate is not something to tame, but something wild to run with.
Robert Brault
Gary and Elizabeth's Adventures 