Pain pain pain! My biggest day and I felt it right up to my hips! I walked an average today of 4.4km per hour over my 7 hour walk.. And I had two breaks! Loving this!
So, am currently sitting in a cafe just beside the Santa Maria la Real monastery, indulging in some apricot nectar and these amazing scrummy little cakes while blogging!
Today's walk was actually really great! By 930am I had walked 12km already, and have finally learnt the word for 'tea' (which is as foreign to these guys as 'soy milk') anyway, so I had a 'cha' < pronunciation, not actual spelling, after 12km and then again after 22km. Was lovely to sit and enjoy this! Today was made easier by a cool wind that followed me for the journey. I also walked a lot of today with my music too! The path took me through vineyards, dirt tracks and busy main roads (especially out of Logroño). Today was a wonderful contrast of big factories (not sure what they were) and long stretches of path through farms where you can't hear a car!
I walked a lot of the way alone. I met a Spanish couple, Ruth and Josè who have been abroad for 22 years and wanted to reacquaint themselves with Spain through the Camino. Also walked some way with an English woman, Sylvia. She is around 65 years old and it very reserved but a very calming little soul! Quite a beautiful woman. Then I met a German guy who is staying in my Albergue. We talked about our reasons for walking. He has come out of retirement (a theme on this track) and is looking for a connection with 'the kingdom of god'. He said that most of his friends told him that it is in himself. We talked about the space that the Camino creates within you and with this space comes clarity of who you are, what you want, and helps you to define that which lies within yourself. Here he will find what he is searching for. I think this comes with any walking. Most of my bush walking friends will agree that you always return refreshed and ready to take life, even if you are only gone 1 day - imagine 30 days non-stop!
So I caught up with Sylvia on the way into Nájera, my destination! The city appeared long before I reached it! It sat on distant horizon for what seemed like hours! Finally, after walking through a rough part of the town for ages, we entered the old part - in most cases, the pilgrimage passes through the old parts of the cities as it follows the original route of the ancient pilgrims. I prefer this much more!
I had reserved a private Albergue with my canadian friends and Sylvia was keen to join us as well. We walked for about 40mins through the city trying to find our Albergue. I ended up following my Spanish friends I had met today to their municipal Albergue to get directions. Sylvia and I were directed down a street and those holy words 'Albergue' appeared on a building! But, something didn't feel right about it! A neatly dressed man invited us in. I suddenly noticed our Albergue name 'Sancho 111', scratched on a door just a few shop fronts down, but all the doors were closed! This was strange! The man up the road had given me a bad feeling inside (the best way I can describe it) and this feeling was multiplied by the fact that a young Spanish boy was trying to lead us to back to this man. It wasn't right. I got a Spanish woman to try and help and she called our Albergue... All of a sudden a lovely Spanish man appeared and let us in! *sigh*. One piece of advice I was given about traveling alone, is listen to yourself! So I did! The Albergue we are in is quaint and relaxing!
So we are going to explore the monastery in a moment and relax! I have to plan my next day - whether or not I am going to attempt another 30km. I will try!
This brings me up to date, apart from the fact I met two English girls today and they made me miss walking with my Liv...
Day 8 of walking is completo! :)
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