Our Bed & Breakfast at Zaldu’s was extravagant. They went over and above to accommodate us. We wanted to leave early as the heat has been horrid and we haven’t been making town until after 4pm. Yesterday was no exception so early to bed and early to rise. The issue is early to Spaniards is before 8-830am. Hmm, well can you pack us a lunch and call a cab? Yes on packing take away food but the Taxis don’t start running till 8-830am. Another dilemma, but Carlos and George started talking and before I knew it, he secured us a ride. Speaking Spanish entitles you to special privileges. We had breakfast, take away lunch and a ride back to the trail.

We were dropped off at the ever-so-popular Wine Fountain. Yes, you read that correctly, Fuente de Vino.

Bodegas Irache invites the pilgrims to have a swig of his wine and thus continue the tradition of the Benedictine Monks. This Fountain of Wine was inaugurated in 1991 and is referred in many guides of the Pllgrims Way to Santiago, and visited yearly by thousands of pilgrims from different nationalities. Daily wine provision for the fountain is 100/liters per day. So bring your own cup or shell and have a taste.

There was a line of Pilgrims getting their tastes in the early morning hours. What a great tradition and novelty to take place in.

Today was probably my easiest day. Now with a week worth of trail legs and relatively easy walking, it was a breeze. The fact that it wasn’t nearly as hot as yesterday and the slight wind helped keep all things in check.

We had a slight uphill from the start but it was gradual over easy paths of hard-clay dirt and stones. We made it to our first town of Irache and much to my delight, we passed it up and decided to stop at the next village. This gave us a longer rest period before finishing the day out. We continued up our ascent and before long we were in Azqueta. It was tiny little place on top of the hill with a Cafe, small store and lots of Pilgrims.

We bought some drinks, fruit and chips and indulged. The best part was taking our shoes off! This has become customary at our lunch stops. The only thing that’s missing is a creek to soak our feet. We hung out for quite awhile, but being it was an easy day, it was permitted.

I’m starting to get the reputation of the Camino Czar enforcing fewer rest stops. But to my defense these pilgrims I’m hanging with, George and M&M need some discipline! They would run-amuck if I didn’t keep them in check. They started talking nonsense like taking taxis to Santiago and more rest days. Before long, they will require swim time by the pool, massages and who knows what?!? Someone needs to keep them on task or we’d never finish this Spiritual Walk. So you ask, what is that? To relax, to find inner peace, to smell the roses? Well dang it, if you put it that way, maybe I do need to cut them some slack. But not today, we have more miles to walk.

After we left lunch, there was a crazy turn that many missed. It was overgrown and hard to see but luckily my Motley Crew had stopped to admire a new home that they planned to purchase. So I was dead stopped on the trail and saw the turn. After yelling ahead to the Pilgrima who missed the overgrown sign, we headed down the trail. It was typical wheat fields with flowers, but as we reached the bend, I could hear music. This sweet couple were serenading Pilgrims as we passed. There was a guitar, synthesizer and a woman playing an accordion. I dropped my poles and asked for a dance. M&M joined in and we danced down the trail. La Dolce Vita in Spain.

The last few miles was rolling terrain with varied landscapes from Mountain Peaks in the background, old gothic castles on the hillsides and Farmworkers tilling the soil. A crew of three men and a women were preparing mounds of dirt for what smelled like shallots. They had black plastic sheets that they covered the mounds with just after they had harvested shallot stalks. It’s extremely hard work. Yet they did it with such ease. One row at a time, they covered each mound with surgically precision. It was a symphony, and quite beautiful to watch.

The route was so much different than anything I’ve ever hiked. And that is saying something. Beside the fields of wheat grasses are red poppies, bordering the edges. Every now and then you’ll see poppies sprinkled inside the wheat. But for the most part, they know their place. However, when we entered the last stretch to Los Arcos, I came around the corner and lost my breath. No, not from climbing but the beauty of red poppies as far as the eye could see! It reminded me of the “Wizard of Oz” but the yellow brick road turned poppy red.

For the first time with my new and improved crew of walkers, we arrived in town before 3pm. It was splendid. Now we can relax, kick our feet up and drink. There was a small restaurant in the town square and they had Sangria. Yummy, I haven’t had this since Portugal. We ordered a pitcher, had some tapas and relaxed. I had the preconceived idea that our hotel was around the corner. After indulging in our libations, we left and proceeded the 600 feet that my trusty old app had told me the Hotel was. To my surprise it was wrong and the Hotel I booked was one mile out of town. That was a bummer. My hubby had a few choice words to say about booking hotels outside of town rather than in the town square! I agree. Always nicer to be in the confines of the city walls but when you want a private room and not an Albergue, you make sacrifices. So we walked another twenty minutes and finally arrived. As Mel says, “it is what it is.” My newest and most applicable Camino phrase.

As I finish up this post, I’ll just leave the rest of the story to your imagination. We all were looking forward to having Paella after Moody and I had ordered it a few nights ago. Unfortunately, our plan did not go as we had hoped, and the only choice on the dinner menu was pizza. I can guarantee that pizza in Spain is not the same as pizza in Italy, or for that matter, the US. Spain does not have pizza down. So if you make it out this way, stick with Mista Salad or Fish, Tapas or any other Traditional Dish, but never ever order pizza. Yuck!

Each day I walk the Camino, I try to learn something. Whether it is patience or grace, love or joy, somehow my Lord shows me lessons on the trail. This week has been acceptance. Acceptance that things do not always go as planned, acceptance that people will disappoint you, acceptance that I am not perfect and honestly, far from it. I am learning to take a breath, be grateful for two feet and powerful legs that will take me the extra distance and to learn to bend when plans crash and burn. Thank you Lord for accepting me just where I am, and help me accept others as they are. You are so kind to me, and slowly but surely I will accept life as you have designed it, way before I was born! Amen.

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7