walking to Navarette

At last we are able to write another post ...have had connection and language problems. Blogger decided we should write in Arabic at one point!

0ur time in Logrono was short,  but we managed to enjoy our first pilgrim meal of the trip. ..3 courses+ bread + wine/water for €12 ..a bargain!. Our choice of venue was popular with locals, especially those hoping to earn a few euros at the tables.

intermittently, other  slightly younger customers kept disappearing through a side door, each carrying their glass of wine with them. Isabel decided to investigate and, discovering a more serious and intense card school in action, quickly returned pretending she was only looking for the Ladies! It was an entertaining evening.

On Monday morning we set out to walk to Naverette in lovely sunshine, full of the joys of being back on the Camino. Very soon we were enjoying the Riojan countryside. ..walking alongside fields of vine and olive trees, taking pictures of flowers, greeting fellow pilgrims with "Buen Camino!", passing the ruins of St Juan de Acre pilgrims' hospital - a reminder of those who have passed this way before us for centuries!

After about seven miles, Navarette came into view, a quiet, sleepy little town, where we had our first tapas lunch, visited the local church and booked into Hotel Rey Sancho. A short walk for our first day!

The town is famous for its Rioja wine, and there are many bodegas in the area. Sue had hoped to do some wine tasting on our trip, but the opportunty never arose. This was the nearest she got to it.

We are having lots of fun!

On the road....

We left Manchester on a sunny Sunday morning, and arrived in an even hotter Bilbao, all set for our second walk on the Camino. With three hours to wait before a bus journey to Logrongo, we deposited our cases in the  left luggage office at the bus station, and enjoyed exploring the city, including a walk along the river to see the Guggenheim museum,  and through a lovely park. It was not easy to find a cafe for tea and cake, as they obviously take very seriously Sunday being a day of rest! ALL our walks normally include a stop at a cafe/ pub, and we did find a small cafe in the end, but no cake! We maintained our code of practice! !

We are spending a day in Bilbao at the end of our trip, so we'll have more to share then.

The journey to Logrono took us through beautiful countryside, snow topped mountains and green valleys, travelling towards  the Rioja region ..and.fields full of grape vines!

Logrono's old quarter was where we stayed, in Hotel Condes Haro  - very comfortable and very near the church of Santiago el Real. Nearby we found another church like building which was in its time a church, a warehouse, a tobacco factory, church again and is now municpal offices. We would have liked to explore further this interesting town, but tomorrow we are on the Camino. ...very excited, and full of anticipation of the journey ahead.

When we were about to leave Santiago last October, we recalled the words of St Augustine:

" Sing Alleluia, and keep on walking."

We hope this second Camino walk will be as happy and as inspiring as the first.

             Here we go again.....

 

On Sunday, May 18th, we shall return to the Camino

to walk from Logrono to Burgos   ...   a return to

"Buen Camino" and to blogging!

 

 

Watch this space!