Oops, this was suppose to be an easy day! We were up at our typical 6am but didn’t find our way till 730am. I had estimated some 15 plus miles, not 19.5. No wonder George is beat tired! To our saving grace, today was flat as a pancake.

After we drank our Spanish Coffee, our day started. There was a bit of a search for the trail, but after circling the town, I saw the yellow arrow and off we went. Sheena was having the same dilemma but we all converged and started following the canal.

It continued for endless long flat miles. Easy walking and we had a great time talking with Sheena. She’s a nurse from Seattle and walking solo for the moment. She started with her brother but he was much faster and after a few injuries, she decided to take a few rest days. He continued on, and Sheena started back up after she recovered.

Ends up that she enjoys hiking solo, being in her own thoughts and contemplating her next steps. Her and her husband are both nurses and since COVID, there are many options available for their future. We stopped at the first town, Fromista, had another coffee and tortilla, and nodded farewell.

As we left town number one, we came across a rolled over Big Rig and Dump Trailer. He may have taken the roundabout a bit too fast, dumped his load, clogging the roadway. That was a costly mistake. They had three heavy duty tow trucks, attempting to upright the trailer. Gosh, memories came flashing back to the days of work. Now my only work is walking from town to town!

Next stop was town number two, Pablocion del Campos. It really wasn’t much of a town, but with the sun shining and the day warming up, we stopped for a soda and the most important, bathroom stop. We kept seeing my friend Carolina from Day One at Orisson’s. She’s been laying low with a bum knee but back walking again. Yeah Carolina.

As we left, there were two distinct trails, both going towards Santiago. After consorting with my Wise Pilgrims App, I made the command decision to take the trail to the right. It ended up adding on those additional 3-4 miles by way of wandering through the farmlands. Almost all the other pilgrims took the same route however, as the other path followed the road with heavy traffic. That’s never fun.

We talked with quite a few pilgrims and even a Bicyclist. She was the first biker who I actually saw stop and enjoy the scenery. I commented to her that it was nice to see her enjoying the sights. She’s from Colorado and riding about 40 kilometers a day which is 30 plus miles. She just exchanged her road bike for an E-bike. It was too hard to get up the mountains with all the extra gear on pedal power alone. Now she has options and is having a much better experience. E-bikes are the way to go here as the trail is quite challenging for bicyclists.

Villamentaro de Campos was lunch stop. We both decided on a Mista Salad which has tuna, egg, tomatoes, corn and spring salad mixture. It was just what our bodies required, along with some hops and barley.

After lunch is when we realized the miles were not adding up. What do you mean we still have 9 miles to go? We followed another muddy creek and fields of grain. For the first time, we actually saw farmers plowing the fields, cutting the crops and appeared to be harvesting some of the grasses. As I was watching one of the farmers on his big tractor, I noticed that he had a cattle dog, chasing him back and forth. At closer inspection, it looked like our dog Zoey. I called “Zoey” but she didn’t respond. Maybe it was just another dog that looked like her. But boy oh boy, she had lots of energy!

We covered many miles and saw one last town, Villalcazar de Sirga. The place was small but had a sign for Smoothies. That sounds great. George and I both partook and cooled our body core temp down a few notches. There were a few Pilgrims enjoying their smoothies too. As we left our final rest stop, sure enough we saw a couple more storks and their grand nests atop the highest point. I’m gonna guess that these nests are the size of a 55 Gallon Drum. They are big enough to house a Pterodactyl!

We hooked back on to the path that followed the road. Now I’m thankful that we took the other route. I definitely would not have enjoyed this walk. We walked quickly into town, some four miles more to go. Poor George. His bag wasn’t packed well this morning and his back was screaming. Lesson learned. Pack the heavy stuff lower. He had his clothes riding high and it was “no bueno!”

Once we arrived, it was a self check-in. Kind of like ringing up your own groceries and bagging them. At the end of a hot day, the last thing I want to do is check myself in. God’s timing is always perfect timing and this beautiful woman arrived and asked if she could help? Please, I’m about at my Witt’s end and really don’t get all the details that this machine requires. She plugs in all the vital information and before I know it, two key cards are spit out of the vending machine. Then she opens the door and tells me what room we are staying in. Three floors up, Room 5. We are on our way. Thank you my sweet angel!

As we are climbing the stairs, I look outside and there’s a pool. Oh my, that is an incredible surprise. All I can do is get to our room, strip down, and throw on my tank top over my underwear and very stylish bra that acts as a bathing suit, in a pinch. And then I head to the swimming hole. At this point, it can be a cold plunge but I’m still going in!

And it is. The temp says 68 but I’m thinking 50. One foot at a time and this girl is in the pool, I’m the only one, but that’s okay. After awhile, George gets brave and puts his feet in the water. Definitely not going for a dip.

After lounging around, we head out for dinner and find a fabulous restaurant recommended by the locals. All the Pilgrims are there with paper tickets in hand. Hmm, we don’t have tickets or reservations but they still allow us in at 7pm. Yeah, dinner at a high end fancy pants place before 9pm! That’s a big deal. The food was outstanding and we waddled home, climbed the stairs and tucked ourselves into bed.

Today was not the short day I was hoping for and definitely not the day George had envisioned! But we still made it, with a few new blisters on George’s feet and me, a bit tired, pooped out and ready to plop into bed. The lucky part is we have a lovely bed to flop into. That’s much more than most people. Another incredible day on the Camino, doing it His way!

Waking up in Spain is quite nice. The sun was shining today with glorious blue skies. In fact when we left our lovely Albergue, we had an Alpenglow on the church steeple. It was the first time I’ve seen the sun shine like that on something rather than a high mountain top.

This mornings walk was nice and flat! As we walked out of town, our Korean friends were having their morning briefing. I jumped in their circle listening intently, and not understanding a word. They all started pointing at me, laughing and before long, we were in a group picture with George-son too. They are hearing to Santiago also and ends up, their itinerary matches ours. We will all be in Santiago on the same day. What a celebration that will be!

Out of town, the Camino headed into this beautiful valley with more wild flowers, grain and oats or something that they grow to feed cattle. It lines the trail forever! A few miles down we ran into the impressive Ruins of San Anton, built in the 14th century.

It sheltered poor people, pilgrims and sick people with the illness of the San Anton’s fire until the end of the 18th century. In its Arch you can appreciate two cavities opposite the door. This is the place where they deposit bread and wine for pilgrims. Since the summer of 2002 it has been a private shelter for pilgrims. Now it is a Albergue that has an outdoor amphitheater that is frequented by grand singers and musicians who entertain under the starry nights.

After leaving the ruins, our path leveled out and directed us through the fields again. In the distance was the town of Castrojeriz, which I have deemed my favorite place in Spain to date. Just the pathway alone to the town receives high billing. But what truly is the crowing jewel is the Castle.

Castrojeriz runs down from the top of the mountain and is close to 2,000 years old. The castle sits upon a mountain, which gives the area the common name of Castro. Its first construction dates from the 9th century. There are three distinct parts of it: the first 9th century tower above roman basement, the 11th century tower and the keep and advanced defenses from the 14th. The adaptation for the artillery was done in the 16th century.

As we walked closer, it reminded me of Jerusalem, sitting on top of a hill overlooking the city. Or King David’s palace, or maybe Masada, on top of a mountain protecting the people from intruders and invaders. Whatever it may be, it must have been quite the fortress in its day!

Let’s be real! I am not a Queen or I’d be carried to Santiago! And that’s not happening so George and I waltzed out of town. The next big bit of business was our 12% grade climb up 1050 meters. I’m thinking, 3000’ climb? There’s no way I would’ve missed that in the map? I could see the trail from quite a long distance, and anyway you slice it, we had a climb.

Once atop the biggest pass of the day, was an outstanding view of the valley below. We took a short break and met another couple, Sicily and Danny. They were from England making their way to Santiago. Sicily had tweaked her knee and had it wrapped with gauze. George and I helped with a little First Aid. I had a patella wrap that I wasn’t using and thought, this could do the trick. She was super grateful and continued on with a new improved knee wrap.

The rest of the day was fairly straight forward, a crazy downhill and then valleys and plains that paved our way. We made a pit stop at the last Albergue and had a beer and potato chips. There we saw Sicily. She was new and improved and quite happy with her wrap. Tears of joy as she thanked us for the little piece of neoprene. You are so welcome, my little Pilgrim.

Back on the trail and finishing strong, we made it to Boadilla. It is a very tiny village but has hoards of Pilgrims here. As we entered the square, we saw the big church with no less than eight stork nests! Both Momma’s and Daddy’s were attending their baby’s, flying off and bringing back worms and such. I was mesmerized with the size of their nests.

We checked in and made our way to our room. Once I opened the window, I was face to face with two of the Stork Nests. One of the parents had just returned and started dancing and making a loud squawk. The little storks were flapping their wings and terribly excited for their parents return. Pretty sweet stuff we experienced here on the Camino.

Dinner was a Pilgrims Meal with 50 others. It was loud, fun and the food was pretty good. We sat with people from Brazil, Italy, Korea and US. It was a great time and George’s first ever Pilgrims Meal. Quite the day.

We are closing in on our half way point, and walking the Meseta. Some Pilgrims skip this section as it can be long and not their cup of tea. I think I’m speaking for both George and I here. This is a gorgeous place and each corner reveals something new and more interesting. We are definitely stronger than when we started and now comes the challenge. Can we find that inner peace? Can we take ourselves away from the noise, the fear and the worry of the day, and just be. Be in the present, sit with what’s happening right now and thinking, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I’m embracing that as we get up every morning and walk another 35,000-40,000 steps a day. So now, I only need to rest in His ways and He will do the rest.

After a day plus of rest, George and I took off solo. M&M are returning home by way of Madrid. Gosh, I’m going to miss them. They really brought great fun and laughter to our Dynamic Duo. Mel & Moody were up, standing on their balcony and waved goodbye, as we walked out of town, early this morning.

Another cool morning but promise of sunshine and no rain. One out of two is not bad. We did not have a drop of rain, but the sun never really materialized. Cloudy, cool and a northern wind showed up. Talking to the locals, this has been unseasonably cold. By now the sun is out and the Pilgrims are warming up. Still I’d rather have cooler weather than warmer or hot days!

Our day was split into 3 – ten kilometer segments. It was the only way I managed to keep my other half alive. The walk out of town was unremarkable except for the University. That’s a given. Once we passed the campus, it was flat open fields of grain. There was a small creek we followed, and a highway. We made it to Tardajos and George had his Coffee and Chocolate Croissant and I ate a Potato Egg Tarta that was pretty dang good.

The next ten kilometers were a surprise. We climbed a little over 1500’ and walked through Rebé de la Calzadas. There was a small unremarkable church and George said we could get our Pilgrim Stamp. But it was much more than that. This sweet Nun was inside giving blessings to all the Pilgrims that came through. She asked our names, laid hands on us and prayed for our safety on this journey to Santiago. It was absolutely precious.

With our blessing upon us, my pack felt lighter and I had a bounce in my step. We had quite a bit of a climb still and there were tons of Pilgrims ahead. The hills were greener than green, the wildflowers lined the pathway and the clouds as menacing as they looked, spared us from any precipitation.

As we crested the plateau, there was a metal cross that shined above the town below. The cross represented protection against all evil and good tidings to the people of Hornillos del Camino and the Pilgrims that journey through this region.

We arrived in this tiny town and looked for a place to eat. About halfway through town, I spotted a Bar-Restaurant which is typical for these parts. When we walked in, AC/DC was playing. This seems like my kind of place. There were five tables and one was open. The waiter/owner/barista/cook sat us down and gave us a menu. This is going to be indescribable.

Starter was Mixta Salad for George and I had Chickpeas with shredded cabbage slaw. It was out of this world. The main dish for George was Beef Stew and I had Eggplant with Mango and Pomegranates. I’m always amazed at what someone can concoct in a tiny 5X5 Kitchen. Michelin Star ⭐️ approved.

Our last 10 kilometers had another slight climb and was quite nice. The only issue was walking 20 miles and my feet were screaming. But the saving grace was the scenery. If you can block out the pain and suffering, you can really appreciate the absolute beauty that surrounds this magnificent trail. The grasses were waving in the wind and the flowers were broadcasted throughout the grain. Looking out over the grain, was like an ocean that never ceased to end. Green and reds that took you to the end of the earth!

Just before 5pm, we walked into town. I reserved this place 3 months ago so when I saw the sign that it had a spa, I was quite surprised. We checked in and I asked the gal, is there really a spa? Yes there is. We offloaded our packs, changed and headed down to our private Oasis.

It was the most unexpected luxurious place I have ever seen on the Camino. Indoor pool with jets, water fountains, recliners with jacuzzi jets and a wet sauna. I think I died and made it to heaven. George was taking it all in and no complaints there. What an incredible ending to a super tough day.

Thank you Lord for your blessings and mercy to these two pilgrims. Each day that I walk the Camino, I honestly never expect anything more than a place to rest my head at the end of the day. Yet, it seems that each daily walk I encounter more than I ever imagined. You continue to give me strength, make me stronger and I yearn to trust your ways. Thank you Jesus for all you prepare ahead of time. And for all the sweet icing on the cake!

It was pretty darn cold last night. So cold that there was ice and hail on the ground when we walked into Orbaneja Riopico, but I’m jumping the gun. Let’s start from the beginning.

As we left town this morning, we saw dozens of Pilgrims. Everyone wanted an early start as Burgos is a culmination of sorts for hundreds of people, including M&M. The town was shut down like a steel drum so we had to walk to get our morning cup of Joe. To Moody and George’s surprise, the only coffee in our humble abode was decaffeinated, and that just isn’t going to motivate my team. So we left and walked to the next town.

We had one climb and it was the first task of the day. Within a half a mile, we started up our rocky path. Mel and I had wondered where all the wildlife was because outside a red squirrel, tons of birds, some lizards and worms, we haven’t really seen anything. But she did point out some deer droppings so maybe if we keep our eyes peeled, we might see one or two. Nope, nada, zilch. We climbed our rocky path, admiring the views of our town below and the terrain we’ve covered. It’s pretty remarkable when you looked back and see the turbines some twenty miles back that we passed yesterday.

As we neared the top of our climb, was a huge wooden 50’ cross that was erected. At its base was a pile of rocks that some had placed as a sacrifice or release of one’s burdens. There were several pilgrims standing at the foot of the cross, praying, reflecting and just worshipping what this cross represents to them. Tears in my eyes, I found a rock and placed it carefully on top of the other thousands of rocks. It made me give thought to the sacrifice Jesus made for me and how grateful I am for his undeserving love. We all spent several minutes in this sacred place, having time to ourselves.

Where the cross had been placed was on top of a Table-like mountain. It was flat like a plateau with low lying scrub and a few trees sprinkled about. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought we were on an African Plain or somewhere quite remote. It was eerily out of place in Spain and thankfully it allowed us all to walk easily.

At the edge was the downhill slide to Villalval, our much needed dose of caffeine. In the very distant corner was the city of Burgos, a good 10 miles away. To my surprise, was a huge mining operation to the north. Just below the clouds you can make out Industrialized Spain. In the last 150 plus miles, I had not seen any sign of clear-cutting or factories, but here was a massive mining operation in front of my eyes.

We followed the steep slope down and hooked onto a paved road that was vacant of any cars. It was only 9am so most Spaniards are just waking up. No traffic to dodge, just us Pilgrims clogging up the road. We followed it for a couple of miles and like the Golden Arches, we found a beautiful Cafe. I think every pilgrim I saw in the past ten days was there!

We all stopped our packs and headed in. There was what appeared to be a husband and wife running the place. They had a system down that was extremely efficient.

The Toasted Sandwiches were actually toasted. That might seem obvious but in Spain, they typical are barely cooked, let alone toasted. George and I both had toasted sandwiches, George had a chocolate eclair with his coffee and I had a Quad-Shot of Espresso. That about sent the Barista tilt. So four shots of espresso in four cups? No sir. I’d like four shots in one cup. I guess no one ever thought of that before. His wife laughed and asked if I was planning to run to Santiago today? Just Burgos. But that’s a thought…

We ate and drank and hit the road, fueled up and rearing to go. We had a little over nine miles to go and it was still early. When we arrived to the next town, Mel noticed ice on the ground. It was actually chunks of hailstones from last nights storm. I couldn’t help myself and being Moody was the closest, a snowball fight ensued. Well I guess you can’t call it that, if the recipient doesn’t respond! So it was more like a snowball massacre. He earned the Gold Star today for taking it so well. Especially for a guy who I’ve been told, doesn’t like getting wet. I can definitely see more Navy Seal training in his future.

We crossed a highway and followed the river. This was a big source of contention as there were two highly marked and visible trails to take. But George had read up and said don’t take the trail that goes through the Industrial Area. Well that gave me a 50/50 chance of picking the right path. Luckily I did and we were on our way to Burgos.

Once we entered the town proper, there were tons of retired people walking the trails and paths that paralleled the Camino. It was wonderful seeing all the locals out walking just because they like the fresh air and exercise. We spoke with one woman from Burgos who offered to carry someone’s pack. Before I could speak up, Moody was taking off his pack! Mel wasn’t a bit surprised and we all continued carrying our own burdens.

Before we knew it, we were in Burgos. Our hotel is right next to the Cathedral with our balcony facing the church. If this isn’t the best place ever, I don’t know what it! We have a room that we were able to check into hours ahead of time and we are in the midst of the most important event that ever took place in Burgos, the building of this Cathedral.

So many of the Pilgrims I talked with today are stopping here. They have many reasons why they cannot continue but it was important to them to have the culmination of their walk ending at this sacred and integral spot. I understand why. It is magnificent!

Burgos is bittersweet to George and I. Our friends and fellow pilgrims are headed home from Burgos. I remember only a few months ago talking about this walk and asking if they’d be interested in joining us? We went to their house, talked about the route and our dates of passage. A couple of days later,Moody was back at our house making reservations with me. We had such great memories with M&M and honestly, I wish they were doing the distance with us. Yet, I am certain that this will not be our last walk.

Mel and Moody, you two are.genuine friends who have blessed us for the past ten days. We have treasured memories that will stay with us both for a lifetime. Congratulations on making your first Camino and walking 150 miles! That’s pretty darn close to Navy Seal worthy status. Thank you for your flexibility, for your patience and forgiveness, but mostly your friendship. What a time we all had. Now you can go home, get a massage, kick your feet up and dream about doing nothing for a day or two. No more six o’clock wake-up’s or twenty mile days in the rain! Lucky ducks. Enjoy and think of George and I as we continue west to Santiago. Much love and blessings to you both.

I have to say that last night was the best night of sleep I’ve had since Orisson’s. Don’t ask me why, but I’m speculating that it has something to do with climbing mountains or bell towers and sleeping in my own little bed. Whatever contributed to the extra special slumber is still up for grabs. But I’m just happy to have slept like a queen, in her castle.

Breakfast was a full-on meal for high end elites. Eggs were fashioned in the kitchen, fruit, toast, pastries with meats and cheese, hmm, hmm good. George even partook in Kelloggs Cocoa Krispies. Who would’ve thought there would be such a feast for a mere $19. All around, it was quite the spread.

Afterwards, we headed towards the rolling hills of Spain, greener grasses, fields of wheat and cereal, the patchwork quilt of a country. It is so manicured, like some machine must groom it daily, picking and tweezing each extra follicle or blade of grass that may be out of place. It is too hard to put words to this lush, vast landscape. It’s something you must witness to truly appreciate.

We had six towns to conquer with numerous hills and valleys to pass through. This morning we saw a Hot Air Balloon floating above our heads. The morning was brisk and it helped us move a bit faster. Our first town was up the hill from Santo Domingo to Granon. It was small but had a cute Mobile Van that was outfitted for Pilgrims.

Fruit Juices, Coffee, and Kombucha. Somehow I convinced George to give Kombucha a try. Not his typical go-to drink but thought it would calm his belly and offer some probiotics. And being that they had Mango Flavored, it was an easy sell. We sat and I watched as he took his first drink. He actually liked it! As I was finishing, I reached in my skirt pocket and found, oh no, the super special key from our Convent last night. Oh crap, that’s a big deal and a very costly mistake. No Gold Star for me!

I thought, well I’ll take a taxi back to the Hotel, drop it off and head back up to meet my gang of COP’s. I walked over with my head hung low, and told the guy who ran the drink van, Miguel, about my dilemma. He said, “no problem, I’m planning on heading that way in five minutes!” You got to be kidding me? Nope, and that is how the Camino provides. Problem solved and no taxi required.

There is an old saying that whatever you need, you can always find it. Just ask. Here in Spain, it’s absolutely no different. We all picked up our packs and scurried down the path. What a blessing. The rest of the morning was rolling ups and downs, through quaint little towns with lots of Pilgrims. The Koreans are still around us and I’m really warming up to them. We don’t speak the same language but somehow, someway we communicate. There was a huge sign, some 20-25’ tall of the entire region from Santo Domingo to Santiago. We all got our picture and as the Koreans were taking their picture, they asked me and George to join them. We all jumped in and who knows where that picture will end up. Some poster in Seuol, Korea for tourism to Spain. That’s the beauty of the internet.

We moseyed on down the trail and continued up and over so many beautiful ribbons of roads. This day was endless greens, so many shades that I’ve never seen.

We talked with a friend of ours, who walked the Camino Frances years ago in August and September. He was not impressed with its beauty. I’m thinking, what happened? When I saw pictures of the same route, it was brown, tan and burnt yellow. Now I understand. It has everything to do with the time of the year. Late Spring, as far as I’m concerned is really the best time to witness the beauty of these hillsides. We have new growth, older growth, spring flowers, and even some sprinkling of snow on the mountaintops. There are clouds with some rain, but not much, just enough to give you contrast in the sky. I may be bias but I’m saying if you want to see Spain in all its glory, you just might plan to visit now.

We walked through one last town, Viloria which didn’t have much in Cafes or Take-Away. So we kept going and started another descent, only to climb again. It wasn’t anything to steep, just enough to make you wonder, why do we have the countless ups and downs today? As I crested the hill, I saw the lovely sight of Villamayor de Rio, and our lunch stop. Thank goodness because if I didn’t stop to feed my crew, they may have voted me off the island!

I saved a table and waited for the Union Workers to arrive. Mel, Moody and George were ready to take their much earned lunch break. I headed in to scope out the place and kept seeing these plates coming out of the kitchen. No menu but when you see food, no menu is required. I sauntered up to the counter and asked for the Menu of the Dia with Chicken, and two beers please. Then I headed outside and waited. Out came the best plate of food I’ve seen in awhile. George and I devoured every morsel of Chicken, Salad and French Fry on the platter. That hit the spot!

George headed off first while I covered my pack. The clouds were looming and it seemed that rain was heading our way. We walked super fast, over three miles an hour and caught George as we were entering our final stop for the night.

Belorado seems like a small village and our Albergue is on the wee-end of town. I pulled out Google and she said I was 400 meters from our bed. Bravo. There was the cutest place we passed that had every flag from all nations lining the driveway. I thought, what a grand idea. And kept going.

Then Google did her thing and said, you have arrived. Arrived where? There’s nothing here but a field and a hillside. I recentered and she had me making a drastic u-turn and heading up this long driveway. Oh goodness, here we go again. The Union Workers were getting a bit perturbed with their Supervisor but much to their delight, we arrived at the Albergue with all the flags. Thank goodness. A bit of a convoluted way of getting here but we are home for the night.

This will be M&M’s first experience sleeping with other Pilgrims in Bunk Beds. Lucky for Moody, Mel requested the top bunk. No fuss there. George and I scored a private room with three twin beds and a private bath. Privileges for sleeping with the Superintendent. Slight promotion I gave myself, but after this passed week, I’m in need of a proper title. Not just “Boss Lady.”

We are closing in on Burgos, the ending spot for M&M. Two more day and they will have completed their 130 mile section. You really never know someone or a couple until you have walked through fire together. We’ve had some long mileage days, a little bit of rain, some intense heat, meal snafus, hotel accommodations gone array, but yet, M&M keep following us from one town to the next. They have been a great addition to our journey and being like-minded in their faith, it has been a joy having them. In fact, if I play my cards right, there’s a chance they may consider another “Walk.” But for now, we are grateful having them hang out with us for the next couple of days. Thanks so much for sharing this adventure with us, and for you two, loving and doing you!

After a day of rest, it’s only proper to walk our longest distance to date. Close to 18 miles, and honestly after finding our apartment, and taking the extra steps from trail to park to toilet, it’s 18 miles, no question. But my little team of walkers are seasoned and somewhat professional, so they did the not so impossible, climb about 2000’ and walk 18 miles today!

We packed up and left at 7am sharp! Very impressive from the get go. As we left Lograno, we meandered through the city streets for a couple of miles, walked through the University Campus, customary for pilgrims and headed towards the hills. It was downright frigid this morning, and actually cool all day. Maybe 50’s with some clouds but no rain to speak of. The ground was wet from the torrential downpour from the night before. Spain is starting to grow on me. Cool days, for now and rain while everyone sleeps. Seems like the perfect place to hang out for a month or so.

We passed a small lake, where the locals were fishing. They said there were bass and carp. I did see a few jump but no bites. As we walked across the bridge, there must’ve been 50-60 Big Mouth Bass with their mouths wide open looking for something to eat. I wanted to yell to the fishermen, hey they’re all over here! There was a swarm or pod or a flock of fish over here guys!

Our plan was to get as many miles as possible first thing in the morning. My gang of COP (Caminos Old People) were pushing themselves. Maybe after their Union Approved day off and spa day, yes, massages all around, may have contributed to their much better attitudes. No griping, no whining, just good vibes and happy thoughts. Well, mostly.

As we followed the well-maintained trail, we scared up a flock of pigeons that were laying low in the fields. There had to be some 50-100 birds following each other, dancing along the grasslands, not sure what exactly they were doing. But they seemed to have this choreographed movement, slowly diving to and fro. Until the big bad dog scared them away. Them dogs, they love to chase birds.

We made it to our brunch stop around 1030 in the small town of Navarrete. Every pilgrim this side of Lograno had the same idea. Soup was on the menu and that sounded perfect. George followed suit and we sat and waited. M&M had sandwiches and pastries which they received immediately. George and I waited ever so patiently. But when it came, it was well worth it. Vegetable based soup with garbanzo beans, zucchini, carrots and some incredible seasonings. It made my belly very happy.

As we were getting ready to leave, George pointed out Brad who also was sick with the flu from Day One. He’s feeling much better now. We all headed out of town together. He’s from the East Coast but has worked in Yosemite and near the Cascades in Washington. We talked all sorts of trail-talk, different places we’ve hiked and want to do in the not-so-distant future. Before long, I realized we had covered ten miles by Noon! It was actually 1150 and I let out a huge congratulations to Team COP. That was a huge accomplishment, setting us up to get in town by 3pm. Oh my goodness, I think I have a promising team after all.

We had only 8 miles to go, a bit more climbing but it was easy peasy. We had a grand day with vistas in every direction. There are vineyards as far as the eye can see. It’s really something out of sorts to see so many grapes outside of California.

When we reached our plateau, we finally had a look at the Nájera region. It was a cross between Sedona, Flagstaff and Utah. There are these beautiful red rocks and mountains that surround the valley of vineyards. It is such a contrast and so out of place. But just breathtaking.

The last few miles M&M took the lead. George and I held back, taking pictures, talking to other Pilgrims and just enjoying the beautiful scenery. As we neared the town, we all met up and with trusty ole Google, we made our way through Najara. It was a bit industrial at first, but the deeper we got, the town turned into the old charming villages that we are so accustomed to visiting. We crossed the river, and headed towards the base of the red rocks that we spotted miles back.

Moody got us all checked in and settled. What a cool spot, again. My crew is beginning to be quite the asset. There was a bit of a mutiny in the beginning with my COP Team, but as our miles accumulate, I believe they are coming around. Although I did hear that Moody has secretly pocketed the number of a 24-hour taxi, just in case!

Yet, as we were relaxing in the Apartment, Moody said that he was looking for more of a challenge. A longer trail, more miles, bigger climbs and I’m grinning from ear to ear. Then the others called his bluff and burst my bubble. He just wants the Gold Star for the day. I was tempted to give it to him but when all was said and done, Mel actually was awarded the dubious honor. She was a work horse today, never heard her complain and she was like a mountain goat, climbing over the many passes today! In fact she came out, chest pumped, legs in a low squat and taunting the trail. Bring it on! I am a Beast! Mel, you have come a long, long way, and earned the very first, one and only Gold Star ⭐️

There is something to be said about edifying and lifting each other up. When we surround ourselves with positive individuals and God-loving people, it is easy to want to please one another. During these past few days, it has been such a joy to see friends who typically don’t call themselves hikers become just that! I am here to say that I’m watching Moody & Mel become strong and powerful on the trail. What an inspiration they are and so exciting to follow them on this journey. Way to go M&M You are warriors and beasts!

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭17‬ ‭