Leaving Logroño

What's not to like about a journey and the Camino teaches you everything you ever wanted to know.

We got to the airport and we got on a plane

We got to the airport early had 3 pints and got on the plane

We got on the plane and had a glass of wine

We got off the plane and had a few more glasses of wine

We tried to check into our accommodation but unfortunately it was closed

We got off the plane we got off the bus and we went to the pub and drank wine. I always say St Jacques provides, not always what you were looking for but the invisible hand of fate is funny.

We went to 5 pubs and then found the nightclub and drank wine before rushing for a taxi in the rain to get the 3:45 bus to San Sebastián.

This cost €16 which was a lot less than the accommodation so we had breakfast and spent eight euros on croissant and coffee while we watched the waves splash and crash and bash against the shore

Then we got the bus to Pamplona and we saw lots of snow on the mountains.

We arrived in Pamplona and then went for a coffee and then started to walk the rest is history

We made it all the way over the hill to Muruzábal bar where we had an enjoyable chase around the village to find the owner of the casa where we stayed. Tomorrow we hope to get to Lorca. Casa was €70 and we had a room each. Dinner was tapas and wine €23. What a joy


Lunch late Friday Lorca- we found our twin room with shared bathroom was 40€ and our lunch was 15. I love the place but we walked on having said hi again to our man at the bar who waved us on with a gift of two bottles of water. He wanted to give us beer but we were happy for the clear stuff. We got to villatuerta and went to alberguelamagica.com where I had stayed before. Sadly they were closed so we had another beer then walked back across the bridge and a nearby casa muskildialabdextea but it was rented for the week so we took advice at the new Buen Camino bar and hit the hourly bus at 18:55. The bus leaves from the Lorca side of the river and heads that way too before doubling back at the main road. Oh how we laughed as we thought we may indeed stay in Lorca, St Jacques after all does provide.

We finally arrived in Estella after 12 swaying minutes, as the driver headed home for tea. We jumped off and hit hostel Cristina where Harry once changed the light bulbs for the wee old lady who ran the place. At 45€ for a double it seems the prices haven't moved on so I'd reckon I should revise my 'don't stay here' to please do! We saw another Hostal which looked superb. It's parallel with the posh hotel other side of the church. Anyone doing the cash check will see how much we've spent and this year it's not bad. The accommodation experience is to try to average 25-30 now. It used to be 500€ for 25-30 days but now I'd recommend €750-800. If you like a bit more luxury lump on but as with birdies at golf - if you rough it for a night it takes a few double bogeys off the card later on when you spend €60 a night.

Back to the cash for Friday - puente la Reina - jakue bacon rolls and tea €6:40, cafe & cake by bank €5.40 albergue Lorca €15 tea juice and soup. Evening in the bar's was brilliant. My favourite being the winner of our 2011 food on the Camino awards. Over the pointy bridge we arrive at 20:04 and the platters of tapas and ponchos arrived immediately. Pincho and vino €2.50 - €12 later (extras a must!) we went to the rock n roll bar (5) then we went to another classic (4) then on to a place where they gave us free chips so we had two (8) then a single on the way back (3) - €32 for a few glasses of wine and a great Estella pub crawl. Home at 12:30 meant a long lie! So cash in kitty less today's spend of €116 including bus fares.

Saturday Monjardin and the laziest walk ever of 10km in 3 hours. Brekky for 9€ in Pan on way out, then some pilgrim wine, lentils and chorizo at azcueta with tea 15€ set us up for the new albergue which was 30€ for us. Cash is lasting well and the gap from private facilities and albergue is narrowing. 6€ for a lavadora and dryer a joy and the place is so clean and modern, we did the rustic charm of the old albergue 8 years ago.

Did I mention it's a wee bit more commercialised? Well it is and so I mention cash as it's the question most often asked instead of snoring which I consider essential.

Numbers are easier to describe than zzzz's or zxzxzxXz's as snoring interruptions are described.

Sunday is Torres del Rio or sansol- where a new albergue was built recently. We will walk, talk and go for old or new. Now we've had our washing done we might do old, ha ha!

We went for new and it's a spacious new albergue with 10 bunk beds or 20 smelly pilgrims. Tonight my guess is 14 smelly pilgrims. We've taken a trip over to Torres del Rio and started furthest away from sansol and will have a few snifters on the way back. At 3.50 for wine and olives you can tell we will have a doddery walk back. Tonight the albergue is 10€ and 12 for our meal. Having spent very little 6€ on banana & tea, juice and cake at the halfway house and then €8 in los Arcos it's a cheap day. We put 50 each into today's kitty and it's still pretty full.

Dinner for 12€ should sort that out. Only a cup of wine and Stu went for the 3€ supplement of steak while I chose cod. Brilliant food and the wine must've been ok as we had 4-5 refills. Bar closed on us about 9:45 so it'll be brekky at 7:45.

Monday is logrono and being last out the albergue has its uses. There's a bit of rain and so we walk in the low cloud but luckily most of it has been through the night. The early risers may have dashed off into the dark with their head torches and torch screen wipers but I like our leisurely approach.

The walk to Torres del Rio last night was a great refresher for the terrain, so we knew what we were up against

We took a leisurely approach after breakfast which was just as well

We left home at 8:30 to descend then ascend into Torres del Rio

This is the story of the short walk to Vienna. Up-and-down up-and-down then do you hours 30 minutes later you arrive, Have tortilla and reflect on some fantastic vistas. A great walk, if a bit of a lung buster, unlike the €5.80 bill for teas and tortillas, in El Bordon of Viana, reassuringly reasonable with a great spacious wc to change the wet clothes!

The next two hours twenty takes you gently into Logroño.

We stay at hostal redonda but can recommend albergue entresuenois. Our hostal is opposite the church and handy for st Juan and Calle Laurel. We turned left and went to Calle Laurel. The tapas bars are still superb although the prices have changed. Nowadays 2 tapas and 2 wines will rock in at 10€. Paganos skewers were reassuringly still a bargain and we had a great plate of pimiento padrons at the bottom of Calle Laurel.

An early night saw us in bed before 12 and 3€ breakfast at cafe moka at 9am. We must be getting older to get up this early! Great orange juice, coffee and pastry. What's not to like.

Another stop at 10:30 in the middle of the carefully tended gardens and lake on the west side of Logroño sees us with tea and a shared bocadillo and change from €5. We should get to navarette by 1pm ventosa by 3:30 and Najera by 6. Whether we get to Azofra by 8pm will be decided by legs!

Tuesday nacarette/azofra

I like a big day and this could be it. Stu and I rolled into azofra at 7:30pm one year and we got placed in the annex.
Wednesday Santo Domingo And villambistia
Thursday cardenuela Rio pico
Friday Burgos - meet up with Andy and Keith then on to rabe for 2pm poss Bus at 1pm? Walk to Hornillos del Camino .
Saturday hornillos to Castrojeriz for lunch then to itero for 4:30
Sunday itero to Fromista train 11:09


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