Los Arcos to Navarette

There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo. ~Paul Scott Mowrer

Day 8 – Los Arcos to Viana – 11.4 miles

May 25

G: Los Arcos just keeps providing stories. This morning I left without my hat. I usually have it attached to my backpack. Three miles from Los Arcos I took my pack off and no hat. I called Jamie at the Hotel Monaco. As soon as I said who I was he replied – ” ah Sombrero”. “Si”, was my answer. He said “call back in 5 minutes.” OK

When I called back, he said he was holding the luggage transfer driver. I told him I would be at the pharmacia in San Sol. Jamie’s reply – “OK, 10 minutes”

Sure enough 10 minutes later a van pulls up, rolls down his window and hands me my hat. I tried to give him some money and he said no charge. I said buy Jamie a cervasa. “OK”

I have my hat back, a fun story and we planned to stop here for a short break anyway, so all good.

Elizabeth:

I noticed orange moths, a ladybug and fields of peas,
A plethora of poppies, a hunting hawk, baby stork and almond trees.

We did meet pilgrims from Venezuela, Guatemala and Spain.
Each getting used to their own aches and pain.

My muscle roller, down blanket and nail clippers mi esposo does carry,
Thank you for sharing the weight and walking more slowly my dearest Gary.

No more bunk rooms like previous Caminos, if we can help it,
Pensions, private rooms in hotels for a sounder sleep keeps us more fit.

Los Arcos last night today Viana after noon.
Navarrete tomorrow and Santiago, soon.

One fifth of The Way is under our belt.
We hope through our journal we’ve conveyed how we’ve felt.

On this over cast evening, in the 50’s and chilly,
I will end this poem and, for now, not be so silly!

I travel because I become uncomfortable being too comfortable. – Carew Papritz

Day 9 – Viana to Navarette – 14.1 miles

May 26, 2023

We met a woman in our hotel this morning that had walked w..a..y too fast in the beginning, with what we think was too small shoes. She blackened her toe nail and injured the skin around her big toe. Kinda gross. Her reaction and the actions she is taking (or lack there of) made me realize how much more relaxed and “go with the flow” I am, personally, this trip. She was negative about everything! Coffee not getting served fast enough, eggs too cold… She was told by a doctor 5 days ago to stay off it, don’t walk for 5 days, and she never stopped walking. She could have been healed by now! She is determined to walk every mile but in our opinion, at what cost? She came up to me asking my opinion as she had met the woman I assisted in the woods a couple days ago who fell.  I tried to sooth the women with the bad big toe attempting to calm her frustrations suggesting she cab ahead to see another doctor and maybe take a couple days to rest, relax and decide what she will do once she has taken a couple days off. She basically said that if she could not walk for a week she might as well go home. I internally disagreed because she still could walk for 3 or 4 more weeks after resting, or cab ahead each day till she felt better. I shared with her my shin splints in 2015 and knee injury in 2019 but it didn’t help her negative attitude at all. I tried, but more importantly to me, I did not feel guilty for wishing her well and heading out to move forward with our own Camino. A good lesson for me…not all that complain want to be helped. And that’s OK. She will do what she fells is best. I wish her well and only hope she has no regrets.

After mentioning that Gary’s hat was brought to him yesterday by the luggage transfer guy, we thought we should explain the luggage transfer process. Some, seems like many more than previous years, send luggage ahead in prearranged vans, from night to night. Most of these walkers wear a small day pack while hiking the Camino and pick up their advanced suitcases at their preselected lodging for that night. The next morning the suitcase is then transferred to the following day’s lodging. We, as many others do to, carry all we need on our backs. Our thoughts… Two advantages for us, 1. We have all we need each day, through the day, 2. We can change our minds as to where we will stay each night if need be. The advantages for them…bring lots more stuff you don’t need to carry and walk with less. “To each his own” as the saying goes.

Note:

Please let us know if there’s a subject, category, pictures, etc., any ideas you, our readers, would like to hear about or see!! Sometimes it can be difficult to write interesting things each day and the pics are obviously our interests but we would love to know what we are missing in the coverage of our journey!😉

Random thoughts that came to mind today:

1.  Hamburgers served here are rare. I love medium rare at home…these are mooing! If you come here and order a hamburger ask for medium well to get medium rare 🤷🏼‍♀️ We only have a burger on rare occasion sine the options here are many. Gary is a meat and potatoes man and I love veggies, new, local or different selections. In past years we never took pictures of food. And our son, Cooper, suggested we talk more about and take pics of our meals, so we try to throw it in there now and again. Can’t forget to mention we love Valor brand chocolate made here in Spain. I prefer 70% dark or semi dark with almonds, Gary loves the milk choc. with almonds. You can get Valor, on occasion, in Phoenix but it’s hard to find. I think my pack will weigh more on the way home!!😜

2. The surfaces you walk on varies a lot. My favorite is wooded trails, then uneven stony gravel. My least enjoyable ground under my feet is blacktop or concrete which today we experienced a lot! Into, through and out of any city like Logrono this AM.

3. We normally don’t share with you the bad graffiti (sloppy or inappropriate) not to mention most graffiti is in Spanish – of course – so it would be unwise for me to post stuff I don’t know what it says ; )  But we do love well done graffiti/wall art and will continue to share those!

4. Our good friend in Phoenix, Donna H., mentioned in her comments to us that she thought the Camino was not too crowded right now. This is actually fairly accurate but here’s a few reasons why it might seem that way through our journal. 

* Many pilgrims stay on the main stopping points, the Brierly Guide Book stops. We are trying to get off that pattern. 

* Many of the pics we take are cropped or taken when there was a break in the “crowd” so to speak. * One reason we might not be seeing pilgrims milling around in the towns at night is because, for example, last night was 49 degrees! Even at 55 degrees the locals are in light down jackets, there are very few tables and chairs outside the cafe’s and we are out, often, when stores are closed for their daily siestas. We eat before 6pm or even late afternoon and the locals eat at 8pm.

Enjoy the description under each photo in the slides below. We did see a lot of animals and share some city or in town shots of people along The Way.