I arrive Santander on Saturday so will wander to Laredo or Castro Urdiales.
And so it came to pass. My flight was delayed and so while I was waiting at the airport I bought a ticket to Laredo from the airport. It was a win win as it's only €3 from the airport and €5 from the following stop.... The city. Our plane did depart and I got off it in time to squeeze onto the 2:40 shuttle bus but for a change listened to the wee voices saying patience, charged my phone, then took the 3:15 bus.
I stayed in casa Loopez in Laredo again and still heartily recommend it. My single room was €44 and I think the €18 for the dorm is the value gig. Inflation on the Camino is clearly impacting the dorms where 4-5€ at the beginning and nearer 8-10 around Sarria in 2007 whereas now it's €14-20, except Burgos central dorm which is €10 with the pilgrim passport. Rooms on the other hand have largely stood still or doubled at the most. I've got a €33 ensuite in Cardenuela Rio Pico and it was probably €25 back in the day. Menu del dia has clearly risen from roughly €8-10 to €20-25, largely in line with beer and wine, between double and triple. In relative terms going back 40 years to the 80's since when it's gone up 10 fold. Inflation really does eke away your savings. A £100,000 wage 20 years ago would be nearer £300,000 today. Choose houses, digs or beer, it's just mental.
I'd bought a few beers and happily sat in the roof terrace drinking them in Laredo either side of stretching the legs while visiting a few bars.
Champions league was on so I caught the second half in la cabana. It's a great bar, especially for food. Lots of others worthy of note. I wanted to go back for the Tapa tasting week, I may yet do so.
Next up was the bus to Logroño a tour of the tapas bars then back for the 16:30 to Los Arcos. It's a new albergue, only 6 weeks old and the hopitalero is amazing. Sold me the €15 dinner and I was very happy. Great table camaraderie
The Japanese guy tried to air drop the picture but taking a picture of his phone was as quick. We don't need a detailed picture to share the laughter.....and don't worry I won't tell the table jokes. Camino humour rarely travels as well as it does across the table. It's the epitome of a location joke. They work beautifully in the moment, the best humour does. One day I'll learn that.
Usual drill, smelly pilgrims loving the experience. Opposite me were Newcastle in Australia, Kansas, Missouri, Denmark with Denmark jnr, Germany then my side was France, Ohio, Ohio, Scotland and Japan.
It was the G8 with a few moonlighting.
Next day I will get to Viana, which I have now.
I plan tomorrow to get to Navarette but have to share the weather luck today.
I was very happy it was overcast even if it did mean the pictures would be less vibrant.
Overcast means less sweat and more walk. It also means you can maintain your pace, which on the stretch after Torres del Rio, can be challenging. Jarv, stay at home just now, but we will get you out. It's like walking up from the burn to the tiger bar then walking back down to the burn, constantly.
The two stop strategy turned out to be a tale of one pit stop then an enforced stop.
The weather closed in very quickly. I was only 3km from the gleaming spires of Viana but the thick grey clouds suggested it was pretty heavy rain there.
The puddles would be growing in no time at all.
As every plumber will tell you, water just obeys the science of gravity and well, I certainly believe in "Gravity". My song on the subject is now up to 10 minutes and it's hard to cut a verse. It's more like a ridiculously long poem.
I suppose Burns got away with Tam O'Shanter although I doubt I'm in the same league never mind century as Burns.
I am however a Hibs supporter so when I came across this bar in Logroño I couldn't help thinking the game would've been superb here.
Who knew Logroño, so far from Seville would have a supporters club.
They do like Real Betis here. Before I leave the subject of Viana I must give St Jacques the nod. Heavens opened while I entered town so I went to the hotel Jimmy John and I stayed in, probably 2019, and asked if they had a room.
€42 ensuite with bath and I just thought, superb. How lucky was I that an electrical storm should appear just as I entered town.
After the usual tidy up, unpack, make a mess, I went out for a couple before siesta.
Simon and I stopped here for some morcilla in 2007, it may have changed, I may even repeat myself later in this blog but it was even better than 18 years ago and I also spied through the arch a few more places.
One was an old man's boozer, one a rock'n'roll bar and I sampled both. I lingered longest in the rock'n'roll bar.
The beer was superb, the sounds were right up my action strassa, oh and there was a darts board.
It was time to get home and so I did. I even woke up reasonably early and so Tuesday was Logroño. I chatted with two guys from Missouri and then, on going into town, bumped into Dunfermline renegade Gareth, a music dude with a wizard's beard, unlike his wife Clare who looked like a diminutive tough kiwi. A very short day indeed. It was to do with a thunderstorm and I found a place Pension Berceo which was €40 for a private room with shared facilities. A bit like the hotel in the picture which was Viana, which also had a bathroom.
Spotless and a really comfortable bed. Ah yes, that's the right photo
They also owned the launderette I would find out later. It was a good siesta and a good rest. A bit of admin housekeeping and not too much drink and tapas. I keep having to remember about fuel but in the main if I have a short day I try to add a little pub crawl with extra steps. So it was the launderette, the heavens opening again and then back out via the flat to get me to the desired number of km.
I met Dunfermline Gareth, and Clare, now of Dunedin, going into Logroño and would see them again in Navarette on the Wednesday. I did that foolish thing of not going up to chat thinking I'd go to the bar and get my elevenses first. I never saw them again. Typical of the Camino.
So Wednesday morning I was off to Navarette. I got to kick the ball slowly going out of town and after I got to the lake I checked the steps out of interest. Funny how restarting the phone doesn't always restart the steps. So annoying that from 8pm to 10am my steps were not on the machine. Luckily I measure Caminos in happiness and general fitness or wellbeing, so I wasn't really bugged for longer than five long friggin minutes.
I stopped at ventosa as usual. It's such a lovely walk with the art on the way.
As you leave Ventosa you pass a bodegas. I've still not bought a bottle in a sheepskin flask, but never say never.
I did see a picture of me from 4 years earlier. Wow, this cancer really has sorted a weight issue.
The albergue in Najera was superb.
Wednesday Najera
That was a really easy three stage journey and a great albergue. I'm up 10 times through the night so on the notes I mentioned lower bunk and near a toilet please. I also mentioned the saliva glands so later on the hopitalero patiently poured extra gravy to help me through. I foolishly eschewed the opportunity for a foot massage. I don't know if it cost anything but everybody said it was transformational. Those tendons just below the calf that Achilles found to be a bit on the weak side, yep, those ones.
My stop at Najera was quite simply the best and another reminder of how many good albergues there are. If there was a sour taste it related to the empty bed above me and to the side. The albergue was full as all the beds had been taken. It's so annoying that people with the wealth can book out the albergue and then not show. I don't know how much it messes with the economy of an albergue. On paper you're selling all you beds, however the albergue income stream involves dinner, washing machines and often a bar.
Thursday it was a walk to Azofra first up and I got to spend time in Bar Sevilla again.
Then it was on to the golf club.
Rioja Alta in Ciruena. €36 for a round of golf and a burger if you play after 1pm.
The course looked great and empty as usual although I did see one couple playing.
One of my favourite hours on the Camino is the gentle rise and fall to Santo Domingo de la Calzadas.
A Brazilian cyclist asked me to take a picture.
So I did and she reciprocated.
Then 15:40 Santo Domingo bus to Espinosa where the beautiful albergue was full and big one closed, then walk to Villafranca Monte's de oca and stay in la alpargateria.
Late arrival at 6pm, meant wash drink wander drink sleep. I had a plate of albondigas and the sandwich I'd eaten most of from Azofra breakfast.
I woke up to find my 5 trips to the toilet had cleaned the hostel out by 7am. I laughed then got up to bang my head again about 7.45 had a shower and wandered out for coffee.
By 8:55 I headed up to the shop which opened at 9am. I sat so chilled on the bench thinking it's such a short day today.
The walk to St Juan de Ortega saw me kicking the ball, meeting Quebecois, Colorado, Taiwan and now Chris and Joe from Minnesota.
The ball didn't always play ball.
The Taiwanese were superb.
The three women had so much fun. They were part of a church group walking the Camino from Taiwan and I suspect they were not the pious ones in the pews.
Chatting to Chris and Joe, then later Chan and Jean Pierre there were so many ideas popping around.
Chris is a photographer and I couldn't help thinking how valuable his sight was. I didn't ask if he had specific insurance but my mind went on the beautiful journey of him taking pictures of Harley Davidson motor bikes at 5am or 10pm so that the marketing minions can discuss the latest sales figures from a glossy magazine. Surely by now all bikers know about Harley Davidson bikes. My mind wandered to how much tax he pays and whether he pays another tax to an accountant and if so, why doesn't the IRS just say you pay $5000 a year and you pay an accountant $5000 a year. How about stop doing accounts and just pay us €9000 a year. We collect taxes to pay for street lighting to pay for things in your community. If you believe in paying tax you can pay $9000 and no accounts.
The alpha male thing of running on ahead to buy 4 coffees and tortilla when a crowd looks like it might swamp the cafe is so funny. I really identify with the fear aspect of waiting. I also love being on my own as I don't over manage myself, just when I feel I'm the organiser. It's even funnier for me with someone from the USA as they are the bullies being bullied by a smaller nation. The idea of entitlement and the great US empire is never far away. Switch it on its head and realise this is out of fear and that's what drives some people in other cultures.
My mind then wandered to how you bring a product to its knees in the competitive corporate world. Well I thought, imagine if you were accused of using radioactive water in your bourbon or soft drink. How quickly would that cyber attack work.
Dinner was great tonight and an afternoon drinking and discussing nonsense was fun. Occasionally we stumbled into politics but I feel so relaxed that it's easy to see the fires but it's the fire starters we need to sort. The fun of the international community is never far away and takes of present or past Camino's lift the spirit no end.
Tomorrow 7th June Saturday Cardenuela Rio Pico
Sunday walk in and maybe bus out of
Tuesday bus from Burgos to Santander
Wednesday home
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