July 14 (Mon.) 17.8 km from Los Arcos to Viana
Everyone has departed at 7 AM. This was a beautiful Albergue. I feel relatively easy though I was the last to depart the albergue, since today's journey will be 18 km only. The weather is not hot at 9 o'clock, but the sunlight became strong after 10 AM, and the road also became a hard one with no shade of trees.
I saw a horse coming towards me. The horse was running from the far distance on the red brown road in the wheat field, blowing up the crowd of dust. A young Spanish lady was riding on the white horse. She was dressed in a horse riding suit with her black and long hair tied up in her back. The canter trot became a footpace when our eyes met each other. "Holla!" I called. "Holla!" she also replied in a cute smile, and ran away.
I took a rest at a bar in the first village (Sansol). The road that was only a slightly up-going became more and more steeper as I proceed to the second, third villages, and I take a rest more frequently on the mountain path. The sun is strong. I suppose the temperature may reach 40 degrees. I am already sun burnt black in the face and arms. A cup of water is indeed delicious!
Take a rest under a big pine tree, hearing the songs of crickets. I fell into a sound sleep listening to the songs of crickets. Maybe I slept for more than one hour. The strong sunlight coming in from between the leaves of the tree woke me up. I should walk again. I should enjoy this free journey with no limitation of time...
2:30 PM. Arrived at Viana Village. But the reception of Albergue is closed (which opened at 3:30 PM). Took a rest on the bench in the wide garden of this church.
This garden is located on the top of a hill, and tomorrow's accommodation, the city of Logrono can be seen far below. Went to see this town such as Saint Maria Church and so on.
Now we are having dinner. I stopped writing this diary. javie makes for us fried potato, tomato, wine, and pork steak. This Albergue also has clean rooms and dinning kitchen (300 pts). How wonderful is the landscape viewed through the window in the room! There are no high-class hotel which can give us more beautiful landscape than the landscape here, I think. There is also a good bicycle parking for pilgrims riding bicycle.
It's 7:30 PM now. Many pilgrims enjoy themselves in chatting in this wide dinning room. I feel I should hold out and walk tomorrow also. This Albergue has four nine beds (three triple deck beds) room. There seems that only two occupy my room at the moment of 8:50 PM. Tomorrow I plan to walk to Logrono, only 8 km journey.
Javiel will finish the journey at Logrono and will go to see his friends in other places. He invited me to walk together to Logrono tomorrow. My destination is still far beyond it... 25398 steps (17.8 km) today.
The church in Viana Village is Santa Maria Church , this was a large church but it was closed.
336625 steps (252.5 km) from July 1 until today.
July 15 (Tue.) 11.5 km from Viana to Logrono.
Departure at 9 AM. Javiel will finish his journey at Logrono and goes to Salagoza by bus to see his friends. So he invited me to walk together as today is the last walking day for him.
Today the distance is only 8 km to Logrono, and I feel relatively easy.
I got beyond by Roul and his son every time when I was taking a rest after catching up with them. Now the sun is strong though it was cloudy when we began walking.
Most of the road today is flat. Javiel took a long branch of tree in a bush at the roadside. Now he is stripping off its skin by a knife as he is walking. The branch became an excellent walking stick. He gave it to me for my use. This stick became a good partner of me until Santiago. I am very grateful for his kindness. Left NAVARRA District and entered LA RIOJA District (cf. the map above)
Arrived at Logrono in two hours. Actually, the city of Logrono was seen from the yesterday's albergue in Viana. Such a short distance. The door of Albergue opened by chance though it was scheduled to open at 3 PM. Leaving the luggage in it, we went to see the city such as Cathedral and Santa Maria Church together. Changed 200 US dollars (28000 pts) though enough quantity is still remaining.
Had a cup of coffee with Raul and his son and Javiel at a cafeteria in the main street. But an accident has occurred. Raul's son went to a hospital as he injured his left elbow. Medical treatment in Spain is free of charge even in such a case of away from home. Raulロー has a good and useful guidebook written in Spanish for pilgrims going to Santiago. I also decided to buy one at a bookshop (3000 pts), though this book is thick and heavy. The 1500 pts telephone card used out soon when I called my wife in Japan. I have been together with Raul and his son and Javiel these three days. But I shall be back to alone from tomorrow. I yet feel lonely in such a case. Took wine, soup, meat and desert as the dinner (900 pts).
I hear there will be a music concert and presentation of dance in the garden of Albergue from 8 PM.
It's 7 PM now. Javiel is drinking beer in the bar, talking with three pilgrims he met for the first time today. I am writing this diary as they are chatting. All of them are nice persons.
This city, Logrono, is a big city. I feel miraculous when I am writing this diary where busy passengers go by, as yesterday's Viana Village was so quiet.
I will prepare in my mind for tomorrow from tonight as usual.
They are still talking as if an endless one. I am always surprised by Spanish people as they never stop once they began talking.
Javiel went to look for a cheap Hostal with his son as they wanted to stay one more night in Logrono, but in vain since it is in the high vacation season now (Albergues accept pilgrims on condition that he or she stays one night only; the only exception is the Albergue in Santiago which allows to stay up to three successive nights).
Today I finished walking through the NAVARRA District. I will walk in theLA RIOJA District from tomorrow. A presentation of music and dance (with a pair of castanets in both hands, but somewhat different from flamenco in Southern Spain. I felt an influence from England or Ireland) on the stage set up in the garden of Albergue. All the chairs in the garden were occupied by audience consisting of both local people and pilgrims. The garden was full of audience, not few of them were watching the presentations standing. Moreover, people in wheelchair are also watching this from the hospital at the next door.
We watched the dances and listened to the songs drinking Vino. And everyone put me up onto the stage saying "There is a pilgrim who came from Japan over a great distance." So I had nothing but to go up onto the stage, and danced with a Spanish girls with castanets in my hands. The local people clapped their hands. The party is held every Tuesdays and Saturdays here. I was lucky to stay here today, Tuesday.
Here also, Dr. Elisabeth (Danish) talked to me, saying that he had seen me in Saint-jean-pied-de-port. Everyone is friend of mine, I feel as going on pilgrimage. And this helps me in difficulties in language at a certain extent. Raulロー said his wife learned Japanese a little.
16454 steps (11.51 km) today
July 16 (Wed.) 26.6 km from Logrono to Najera
I told a lonely good bye to Raul and his son and Javiel, with whom I made friends in three days. Javiel headed to Saragossa by bus to see his friend. Adios amigos! They were very kind to me, we ate and drank together in bars...though I couldn't speak Spanish well. They helped me very much in this travel. Gracias! Muchas gracias!
Today 12 km to Navarrete first, and 14 km to Najera, i.e. 26 km in total. Leaving Logrono, I walked along the National road N120 until Navarrete as I couldn't find the pilgrimage sign.
I don't know where I had overlooked the sign. A cloudy weather. Right knee aches as I walk.
1 PM. I caught again a sign indicating the pilgrimage road on the left side, at a point about 5 km beyond Navarrete. 10 km to Najera. Shower with thunders a little before arriving at Najera. I threw away my raincoat three days ago as it was broken. Walked with an umbrella, taking a rest under a big tree. This road isn't good. It soon became muddy due to rain. It won't stop raining. I rushed into a bar near the entrance of the town. 4 PM. Coffee, coke and tortilla 435 pts.
Three pilgrims came in taking off their poncho. "Holla", we greeted each other. They ordered a glass of wine for me. They came on pilgrimage in three friends. I envy them as I came alone.
Crossing a bridge over Najerilla river in the town of Najera and turning to the right, I arrived at San Muguel Church whose neighbor is the Albergue (300 pts). This was a very big room with more than 40 persons in the same room. Now I am writing this diary sitting on a bench at the riverside of Najerilla river, as it stopped raining.
8:50 PM. I wrote a postcard to a friend of mine, drinking coffee in a bar in the square near the church. 135 pts. Shall go back to the albergue and go to bed. I write less and less pages in the diary day after day, maybe due to fatigue. A play of drama is performed on a stage in the square from around 9 PM. I hear a loud voice even in the room, but most pilgrims are in a sound sleep. Presentations of this kind is not rare even in such a small town in Spain.
What shall I do if it rains tomorrow...where shall I buy a raincoat.
37982 steps (26.6 km) today.
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