23-05-2018
Walked 21.8 km, 4 hours 24 minutes
Ascent: 250 meters
Descend: 350 meters
Kilometers to be traveled: 632.8
Sometimes you sleep a little longer as a pilgrim, in the normal world it is called sleeping late. You can afford this as a pilgrim if you don’t have such a long walking day. But all alberges have a time in the morning when everyone has to be outside. So if you think, I’ll take a morning off and stay nice and long, big bad luck. Maybe if you take a room in a hotel.
 But back to the present day, sleeping late until 6 o’clock, we will walk again in an hour, up to Logrono, the first big city on the Frances for me. Also the city where I can buy new shoes. Fortunately, the distance is not very long and I will have enough time for shopping. Everyone gets up more or less at the same time today, so just connect to the sink, just like pulling a number for the shower yesterday.
Back outside around 7 and start a new day, full of sun and hills. Immediately the road goes up and the first thing we find outside Torres del Rio is the cemetery. I have noticed that the cemetery of every village is outside the village. Soon Googlelen and see if I find the reason. Starting early is really a nice item on my journey. You see the sun rise slowly, which results in beautiful views and light games.
Every now and then you also see a cross along the road on the roadside with a photo of someone who probably died on the camino.
Hilly landscape,
up and down,
the road glides on,
time goes on.
In the neighborhood of Ermita del Poyo our hiking trail goes along a “garden” full of stone pillars, these are stacked stones that look like pagodas. Don’t stomp too hard because otherwise they will fall over. Here is also a Spaniard who is building his shop to earn an extra pension, I think. The road leads past a chapel of the ´Huestra Senora del Poyo¨. This is on the hill.
And then you come to a sign indicating that there is a descent that is 10% steep. I take my guide for a moment because the board seems familiar to me, yes, it is indeed printed as a photo. We walk past vineyards where the grapes are still hanging like very small bunches, it is still early in the season. The soil looks dry.
The road takes us from hill to hill to hill. It winds to the left, then to the right and left again … Then we come to a larger village, Viana, with a beautiful church, at least from the outside because it is not open, so we cannot take a look inside. After Viana again vineyards with vines and small grapes. The road continues and a bridge over a busy street brings us to Logrono.
We pass the next regional border and end up in the Rioja region, the delicious wine region, here we will spend some stages. Along our hiking trail we encounter a lot of broom, it is in full bloom and smells wonderful. It partially displaces the exhaust gases from passing cars.
We pass even more vines and approach Logrono. We first walk through an industrial area, passing some busy intersections / rounds. Then it goes downhill to the city limits of Logrono. In my book I read that on this descent a female handed out a stamp to the pilgrims until her death. Also a well-known point for the pilgrim who has read into the material beforehand. After her death, her daughter continued to stamp.
I think the old woman’s house is now uninhabited, but remains well maintained, Dona Elvira was her name and this is now glued to the wall in tiles next to the door. Her daughter lives a little further down, it is busy, I estimate about 15 pilgrims who stop for a stamp and a snack. Then on to Logrono again. It is only 11 o’clock when we walk towards the center.
A stork couple have built a nest on an electricity pole. That looks dangerous. Now climb a set of stairs and cross the bridge towards the center. The signpost signs show us the way, they are called signposts for good reason. Fortunately they don’t point the way but the way. The municipal inn is just down a street. You first pass a few commercial alberges where the price for the night costs double.
We arrive at the municipal, we are the first, but unfortunately we cannot enter yet, It is half past eleven, much too early. Victor has discovered that the gate to the garden, also a waiting room, opens at 12 o’clock. From 1 o’clock the doors will open and we can register as pilgrims. So we first wait outside the gate and then in the courtyard. Victor and Oliver go for a little round and then come back with cheese and wine and meat, just a snack moment in the garden.
Some more pilgrims have already landed in the garden, everyone is looking around to see how many are waiting for him / her in the queue. The pilgrim is quite disciplined. There is also a stork’s nest on the roof of the church that is almost next to the alberge. It is a nice sound when the couple greet each other. At the stroke of 1 o’clock the door opens and we can register 1 by 1. We get the disposable runs and a number. The number is the number of the bed, fate has determined that on the 12th walking day I now have to sleep in the upper bed for the first time.
This is also the first time that quite a few Koreans spend the night in the same room. It is striking that it is both young people and adults, all age categories are represented. The young people have just finished their HBO / University education, the category of my age, or slightly younger, have a sabbatical and then you also have the pensioners. Most of them arrive with a small backpack, with only their daily necessities, via a pick-up and drop-off service their bag is transported to this overnight place.
Setting up your overnight place in the upper bed is more difficult. So I have a new challenge. We inform the people back home that I have arrived safely, take a moment to rest, do the personal care and then we go with five and look for a place to eat. Victor asked where a nice authentic restaurant is located. We each choose our own daily menu. When the bread is served, we notice that it is stale bread. Victor complains to the waiter, who should not imagine that we are stupid pilgrims. We want fresh bread, and we finally get fresh bread.
When we have eaten, I go looking for a sports store, I need new walking shoes. But unfortunately the siesta ensures that most stores are still closed. During the walking tour through the city I also see the Spanish counterpart of Sanquin, ¨ Union de Donacion de Sangre¨. It is a bus where you can donate your blood. Just do some shopping, the provisions must be replenished.
After shopping, it’s time to buy new footwear. But where was that store again? It takes a while before I find it again. They have quite a few choices. On advice I try some low shoes. The brand is Salomon, because I see quite a few walkers walking on this brand. The first pair feels reasonable when putting on, the second pair a bit worse and the third pair, which comes out of the warehouse after 10 minutes, I wanted a slightly wider foot, feels like a 2nd skin. Now put on the laces, lovely, a few more steps, extremely lovely. The sale can be completed, how perfect they fit my feet.
On to the alberge, it’s time for the vlog blog. It is also a daily ritual that I have imposed on myself. Better to record everything quickly before it is no longer in my memory. By the way, where are we going to eat tonight? And isn’t it too early to go now? Victor, Oliver and Domenique are hungry and are already heading for the famous tapas neighborhood. I’m staying behind for a while, I’m not hungry yet.
Around 8 o’clock I call Domenique to ask where they are, I go to them and take part in the tapas evening. This neighborhood is a favorite place in Logrono and known for the many tasty tapas bars. It is quite busy and every bar has its special tapas. Don’t forget, the door closes at 10 a.m., so be back in time at the alberge.
The bed upstairs is more difficult than the bed downstairs, with getting in and out, I have to learn the right trick, because I will no doubt have to sleep upstairs again. Here is the stairs at the head end, so pay attention how you climb up and down again. The light can be turned off around 10 am, many a bed is still empty.
Sleep better
Accommodation: Albergue Municipal
