On to Najera

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Watching the Weather

After the brilliant weather yesterday, getting from Logrono to Najera became a real problem almost from the start. I started out in a fleece, but it began to drizzle so I changed it for my rain jacket. An hour later, I was feeling quite miserable with cold, and clearly not maintaining my body temperature very well. So time for another change and a bite to eat. The fleece went back on top, storm pants and I replaced my walking cutoff gloves with both liner and outer gloves. Other than removing the outer gloves later in the morning, I was like this until lunchtime. Even then, only the storm pants came off.

This used all the classic layers that I have, so it will be interesting to see how I will cope if I strike worse weather. My ´evening wear´will need to be put into service, and having already done this once, I don´t particularly want to have to again.

Catching up with Wal

Wal and Martin had left Logrono ahead of me, and I didn´t expect to see them at all during the day. Wal had said Martin was suffering some shin soreness, and we had discussed whether or not to take an extra day at Burgos, but I didn´t think they would slow down that much.

As it turned out, as I was changing, they wandered past, having stopped for breakfast in Logrono and allowed me to get ahead. There's a first for everything!

I caught up with them again at Navarette, and then again at Ventosa. They had decided to call it a day there, and were waiting for the albergue to open.

Shortly after I arrived, Doctor Bob poked his head into the bar. He had been having a peligrino meal at the restaurant near the albergue. Probably much more warming than a bocadillo at the bar.

Pushing On

I still felt pretty good about continuing, other than the cold, so I pushed on after a bite to eat towards Najera, getting there in pretty late in the afternoon. Found the albergue and did some washing. Most expensive laundry on the camino so far. Three euro to wash, two to dry!

This albergue had everyone in a single, large room, and it was pretty full - nearly 100 people for the night. Believe me, it was stuffy.

Fellow Peligrino

Interesting group of fellow peligrino tonight. Doctor Bob and the two young women from Cairns were there when I arrived, and at some stage the three young Koreans came in, as well as a young group of Germans walking with a Spaniard who were keeping much the same schedule. There was a Spanish father and son who had been at Logrono, and many others one was beginning to know.

A Spanish woman from La Rioja offered me soup, and there was generally a good feeling in the common room, which to some extent made up for the other disadvantages of this albergue.

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