30/05/07
I soon came to the first village Arrubal where I found a café with some workmen in it and had coffee but only packet cakes! It seemed that most of the work now was in a big industrial area I had seen as I arrived some way off to the left. Few people work the land here now, they told me.
No shops much here either I found after leaving and walking through the streets looking for the arrows, till I asked a chap getting into a tractor near the edge on the village. He pointed out a small bakers that sold some other food stuffs
as well. It was open so I bought some cake and bread and 6 eggs. 
On the way out of town
I passed a field with some nice little ponies in it and after 4 km I walked into the next village. There was a very impressive castle on one side of the square, flags flying proudly from the battlements. I was told, in the café that I found on the far side, that I should try in the town hall (ayuntamiento) to get a stamp on my credential. Leaving this café I went over to the castle and sure enough it was the town hall
.
I went in and was amazed at the transformation inside. It was completely modern, heaps of glass fronted offices on the first floor around a courtyard below. Sorry but I hate this kind of modernisation of ancient buildings.
I climbed the staircase and in the office I was given the stamp that I wanted. It had the staff or (bordón) of the peregrino on it and a castle. I went back to where I had entered the square and followed my yellow arrows. They soon took me onto a main road and the traffic was bad and the area looked a bit run down, typical ribbon development that you find coming into a big town, but soon my arrow told me to cross over and take a side road. To get to it I had to cross over the train lines. I noted that it was now considered too dangerous for cars but ok for peregrinos.
I climbed over the steel barrier and looked both ways and listened for trains then skipped rapidly across and over the opposite rail. Well this part of my camino would not have much traffic!
It was a pleasant walk through farmland and a few cherry orchards. I stopped at a track junction alongside a water channel (sequía). Here was a tree giving some shade and there was a nice rock to sit on out of the wind. A farm worker in the cherry orchard probably thought I would steal some of his cherries given a chance, but I was more interested in my eggs! I unpacked my rucksack and took out the little spirit stove, filled the pot and boiled the eggs taking two to eat now with my crusty bread and a little chorizo sausage. I was hungry and even my timing was perfect, those fresh boiled eggs were yummy. I let the others boil hard for later. A boiled egg is something you never seem to get in Spain, unless it is in a salad.
My energy renewed I proceeded towards Logroño.
It was very flat and easy walking, so I started to slow down. Once I stopped and propped the camera on a stone and got one of the few photos of myself with the colourful poppies.
I knew why! I didn't want to arrive! Funny that, it had only happened before as I arrived at Santiago. I had left my companion the river Ebro. Soon I could see the town in the distance and knew that from here my camino would change dramatically. From now on I would be travelling over a camino I had travelled on before in 2003. I asked myself how I felt about that and was surprised that I felt quite a little apprehensive.
Last time here I had been with old friends and stopped in a hostel. I decided that I would stop this time in an albergue if I could. The arrows now took me there and I joined a line of fellow peregrinos in the entrance. Here the cards were being stamped and bed numbers distributed and paid for. Two men were supervising. The elderly one, a German I think, came over to help me remove my pack. To say the least he got a surprise.
"That's ridiculous you are carrying to much weight!"
It was his tone that I didn't like so I retaliated
"If you had walked the Ebro camino that I have just done you would! Everything in there has been used. I have only slept four times under a roof in the 350 km that I have walked from Tortosa!"
He probably objected to my tone and said
"Oh I'm sure I could reduce it by half!"
I backed off and let him get on with it. I must not get in a fight now I had found company. I knew there was a few things in there, but not much and it was right what I had said, I had used everything. Oh I know I should have thrown out my sun glasses after I had lost the lens from the right eye. Funny how cussed you can get about throwing things away. It must be something about carrying all your possessions in that one sack, and in the weeks to come I was to find I would get more so yet.
Getting my stamp and bed number I climbed the stairs and entered the male dormitory. It was crowded and I was told my bed number was in the far corner. To get to it I had to remove my rucksack and lift it high above my head (17klos of it chuckle!) and squeeze between beds and half disrobed males. When getting to the outside wall in front, I had to rest the pack on my head, close the window (they open inwards) slide sideways past the end of a bunk bed to my left and the next pair. There against the side wall was my bunk, the top one. A small table was wedged between mine and the opposite bunk, against a partition that went across the head ends but only as high as the top bunk plus 20 centimetres. Over the top of that was another little room. Your head and your neighbour's head in the other little room, were just inches apart and I thought I'd be lucky if he didn't snore! The rucksack had to stand on the floor jammed against the table
Luckily I managed to shower and change before any roommates arrived. With three more men and their gear in this tiny space things later got worse.
I went downstairs and in the entrance I managed to get on the Internet using one of the computers that were supplied for your use for a donation. It took some while to do my post as I had been unable to get on since I left Barcelona. Now I had to find my way around town. I got a town map from my 'friend' the attendant!
I thought I would remember the town and much of it I did, but was grateful of the map as I remembered the main street and cathedral but would have been lost in the back streets.
I had had three great friends with me when I came here last time and two of us had gone through a homesick session. All four of us had hit the town, had a great meal and got plastered. It felt strange now as I came to the cathedral to be here again. I saw a hardware store (ferretera) so went to buy new rubbers for my sticks. I asked where to find a bank, drew some cash, then bought some bread and chorizo. Coming back down the main street I met a German that I had seen before in the albergue and I joined him in a beer. We spent a pleasant time sitting in the sun joking about getting the language muddled. You see, when I met him I had gone into the bar intending to ask the waiter 'Is there waiter service at the outside tables or should I order at the inside bar?' but had blurted out instead "Is there servicios outside?" (servicios is toilets!!)
We went back to the albergue and I asked the attendant to recommend a place to eat and was pointed out a doorway where a lady was standing. The new German friend agreed to meet later and to eat there. When I looked later to my surprise it was a food shop not a restaurant so I had got it wrong again! I came back in and met my new friend and we went to meet some of his friends and found a restaurant. Here I was the only Spanish speaking person and was sent inside to find out the menu and if we could sit outside in the small square at the tables there. The waiter explained to me the peregrinos menu was 9E inside but 12E outside! I returned and it became a joke that they would take this idea home to Germany make more money there, charging more to sit on the pavement!
We took the cheaper option and were given a table inside. I wish I could remember their names. One I think was, Ami, Lidia, Listel, Katarina, Mary, Guillermo? They were names not so easy for me to remember, so I may be wrong on some. I remember we were to meet a Mary so that one is right. There were 7 of us and we had a great time, most spoke good English. On leaving we arranged to meet here in the morning at seven thirty.
The neighbour did snore, as did a great number of the dorm that night!
Arrubal to Logroño
I soon came to the first village Arrubal where I found a café with some workmen in it and had coffee but only packet cakes! It seemed that most of the work now was in a big industrial area I had seen as I arrived some way off to the left. Few people work the land here now, they told me.
No shops much here either I found after leaving and walking through the streets looking for the arrows, till I asked a chap getting into a tractor near the edge on the village. He pointed out a small bakers that sold some other food stuffs
as well. It was open so I bought some cake and bread and 6 eggs. 
On the way out of townI passed a field with some nice little ponies in it and after 4 km I walked into the next village. There was a very impressive castle on one side of the square, flags flying proudly from the battlements. I was told, in the café that I found on the far side, that I should try in the town hall (ayuntamiento) to get a stamp on my credential. Leaving this café I went over to the castle and sure enough it was the town hall
.
I went in and was amazed at the transformation inside. It was completely modern, heaps of glass fronted offices on the first floor around a courtyard below. Sorry but I hate this kind of modernisation of ancient buildings.I climbed the staircase and in the office I was given the stamp that I wanted. It had the staff or (bordón) of the peregrino on it and a castle. I went back to where I had entered the square and followed my yellow arrows. They soon took me onto a main road and the traffic was bad and the area looked a bit run down, typical ribbon development that you find coming into a big town, but soon my arrow told me to cross over and take a side road. To get to it I had to cross over the train lines. I noted that it was now considered too dangerous for cars but ok for peregrinos.
I climbed over the steel barrier and looked both ways and listened for trains then skipped rapidly across and over the opposite rail. Well this part of my camino would not have much traffic!It was a pleasant walk through farmland and a few cherry orchards. I stopped at a track junction alongside a water channel (sequía). Here was a tree giving some shade and there was a nice rock to sit on out of the wind. A farm worker in the cherry orchard probably thought I would steal some of his cherries given a chance, but I was more interested in my eggs! I unpacked my rucksack and took out the little spirit stove, filled the pot and boiled the eggs taking two to eat now with my crusty bread and a little chorizo sausage. I was hungry and even my timing was perfect, those fresh boiled eggs were yummy. I let the others boil hard for later. A boiled egg is something you never seem to get in Spain, unless it is in a salad.
My energy renewed I proceeded towards Logroño.
It was very flat and easy walking, so I started to slow down. Once I stopped and propped the camera on a stone and got one of the few photos of myself with the colourful poppies.
I knew why! I didn't want to arrive! Funny that, it had only happened before as I arrived at Santiago. I had left my companion the river Ebro. Soon I could see the town in the distance and knew that from here my camino would change dramatically. From now on I would be travelling over a camino I had travelled on before in 2003. I asked myself how I felt about that and was surprised that I felt quite a little apprehensive.Last time here I had been with old friends and stopped in a hostel. I decided that I would stop this time in an albergue if I could. The arrows now took me there and I joined a line of fellow peregrinos in the entrance. Here the cards were being stamped and bed numbers distributed and paid for. Two men were supervising. The elderly one, a German I think, came over to help me remove my pack. To say the least he got a surprise.
"That's ridiculous you are carrying to much weight!"
It was his tone that I didn't like so I retaliated
"If you had walked the Ebro camino that I have just done you would! Everything in there has been used. I have only slept four times under a roof in the 350 km that I have walked from Tortosa!"
He probably objected to my tone and said
"Oh I'm sure I could reduce it by half!"
I backed off and let him get on with it. I must not get in a fight now I had found company. I knew there was a few things in there, but not much and it was right what I had said, I had used everything. Oh I know I should have thrown out my sun glasses after I had lost the lens from the right eye. Funny how cussed you can get about throwing things away. It must be something about carrying all your possessions in that one sack, and in the weeks to come I was to find I would get more so yet.
Getting my stamp and bed number I climbed the stairs and entered the male dormitory. It was crowded and I was told my bed number was in the far corner. To get to it I had to remove my rucksack and lift it high above my head (17klos of it chuckle!) and squeeze between beds and half disrobed males. When getting to the outside wall in front, I had to rest the pack on my head, close the window (they open inwards) slide sideways past the end of a bunk bed to my left and the next pair. There against the side wall was my bunk, the top one. A small table was wedged between mine and the opposite bunk, against a partition that went across the head ends but only as high as the top bunk plus 20 centimetres. Over the top of that was another little room. Your head and your neighbour's head in the other little room, were just inches apart and I thought I'd be lucky if he didn't snore! The rucksack had to stand on the floor jammed against the table
Luckily I managed to shower and change before any roommates arrived. With three more men and their gear in this tiny space things later got worse.
I went downstairs and in the entrance I managed to get on the Internet using one of the computers that were supplied for your use for a donation. It took some while to do my post as I had been unable to get on since I left Barcelona. Now I had to find my way around town. I got a town map from my 'friend' the attendant!
I thought I would remember the town and much of it I did, but was grateful of the map as I remembered the main street and cathedral but would have been lost in the back streets.
I had had three great friends with me when I came here last time and two of us had gone through a homesick session. All four of us had hit the town, had a great meal and got plastered. It felt strange now as I came to the cathedral to be here again. I saw a hardware store (ferretera) so went to buy new rubbers for my sticks. I asked where to find a bank, drew some cash, then bought some bread and chorizo. Coming back down the main street I met a German that I had seen before in the albergue and I joined him in a beer. We spent a pleasant time sitting in the sun joking about getting the language muddled. You see, when I met him I had gone into the bar intending to ask the waiter 'Is there waiter service at the outside tables or should I order at the inside bar?' but had blurted out instead "Is there servicios outside?" (servicios is toilets!!)
We went back to the albergue and I asked the attendant to recommend a place to eat and was pointed out a doorway where a lady was standing. The new German friend agreed to meet later and to eat there. When I looked later to my surprise it was a food shop not a restaurant so I had got it wrong again! I came back in and met my new friend and we went to meet some of his friends and found a restaurant. Here I was the only Spanish speaking person and was sent inside to find out the menu and if we could sit outside in the small square at the tables there. The waiter explained to me the peregrinos menu was 9E inside but 12E outside! I returned and it became a joke that they would take this idea home to Germany make more money there, charging more to sit on the pavement!
We took the cheaper option and were given a table inside. I wish I could remember their names. One I think was, Ami, Lidia, Listel, Katarina, Mary, Guillermo? They were names not so easy for me to remember, so I may be wrong on some. I remember we were to meet a Mary so that one is right. There were 7 of us and we had a great time, most spoke good English. On leaving we arranged to meet here in the morning at seven thirty.
The neighbour did snore, as did a great number of the dorm that night!
END DAY 15 = approx. 15.5 km Total = 337.9 km according to book
31/05/07 
The hills started and I was enjoying the company of a Scandinavian lady. I was in a bit of a strange mood as I was spending too much time remembering all the things that happened before when I walked this way with Biel an Luke. I see now I never took many photos, preferring to remember it as it had been, not what I saw now. This was almost a new experience for me to walk over my old camino path. I had done it a little before near Santiago, but never here. I do believe it spoilt my day. For this is great country but I remember little of what I saw. To make this camino different from the old journey, I decided to try to stop in different towns most of the time if I could.
Naverrete was the first small town I came too, I had stopped in a hostel here with Biel before. This time I was with Francesca and we stopped for coffee at a bar that was busy with peregrinos. We sat in the sun and drank our coffees outside. Everywhere I looked building work was going on. I was shocked to see a vaulted street that I had walked through and thought so incredible unique and beautiful was now blocked off. A new albergue was being created in the old building above and was filling in the very street that had been there, so it become part of the albergue! Progress is not always good! We entered the church to look around as I saw the door was open. It was very dark and I took a photo and said my usual thanks.
This time it was not the choir practice day that had made my last entrance to this church so wonderful, old memories were intruding again. We left town and soon started climbing into the hills. I don’t remember where I met her or how but I was now walking with the charming Katarina Palagová. I know I was for I have the photos we took of each other. You see as we climbed, we came to a place where peregrinos have put stones on top of each other. There were hundreds of these little piles and some big ones too. It was, I believe, the way the camino was marked in the old days. We both placed stones on top of other stones as we went up like so many have done, and as I had done once before. Here we stopped and took those photos of each other meaning to send each a copy but sadly her Email I have is wrong and won't work, so I am unable too! 
Ventosa and the Alto de San Antón then down into Nájera was fourteen km.
I came into this town remembering how bad my feet had been before and they were bad this time too. I had stopped here but that time in an old Albergue in a back street, this time we got a newer building. My chores done and clean and refreshed again, I walked into town and bought new rubbers for my stick-ends and ate a few tapas. I came back to the albergue, moved my washing into the weak sun and met again some of the German friends. We sat outside and I spent a lot of time telling the new ones of my hardships and mishap's on the Ebro way. We walked back into the town looking for a restaurant that would please all the gang. This turned out to be quite difficult. At last we returned to the first place we had looked at! The barman found a table for us and we all settled in and we had a lot of laughs over a dinner of tapas and a large quantity of red wine. I was quite light headed when we returned in a heavy shower of rain, only to find luckily, the kind 'conserje' had brought all our washing inside, which we had all completely forgotten about!
Logroño to Nájera
I was not very early up so was late arriving at the café only to see it was closed anyway. I left and was soon passing the reservoir that I remembered from before. Today there was a number of fishermen enjoying their pastime in the cool morning air. 
The hills started and I was enjoying the company of a Scandinavian lady. I was in a bit of a strange mood as I was spending too much time remembering all the things that happened before when I walked this way with Biel an Luke. I see now I never took many photos, preferring to remember it as it had been, not what I saw now. This was almost a new experience for me to walk over my old camino path. I had done it a little before near Santiago, but never here. I do believe it spoilt my day. For this is great country but I remember little of what I saw. To make this camino different from the old journey, I decided to try to stop in different towns most of the time if I could.
Naverrete was the first small town I came too, I had stopped in a hostel here with Biel before. This time I was with Francesca and we stopped for coffee at a bar that was busy with peregrinos. We sat in the sun and drank our coffees outside. Everywhere I looked building work was going on. I was shocked to see a vaulted street that I had walked through and thought so incredible unique and beautiful was now blocked off. A new albergue was being created in the old building above and was filling in the very street that had been there, so it become part of the albergue! Progress is not always good! We entered the church to look around as I saw the door was open. It was very dark and I took a photo and said my usual thanks. 
This time it was not the choir practice day that had made my last entrance to this church so wonderful, old memories were intruding again. We left town and soon started climbing into the hills. I don’t remember where I met her or how but I was now walking with the charming Katarina Palagová. I know I was for I have the photos we took of each other. You see as we climbed, we came to a place where peregrinos have put stones on top of each other. There were hundreds of these little piles and some big ones too. It was, I believe, the way the camino was marked in the old days. We both placed stones on top of other stones as we went up like so many have done, and as I had done once before. Here we stopped and took those photos of each other meaning to send each a copy but sadly her Email I have is wrong and won't work, so I am unable too! 
Ventosa and the Alto de San Antón then down into Nájera was fourteen km.
I came into this town remembering how bad my feet had been before and they were bad this time too. I had stopped here but that time in an old Albergue in a back street, this time we got a newer building. My chores done and clean and refreshed again, I walked into town and bought new rubbers for my stick-ends and ate a few tapas. I came back to the albergue, moved my washing into the weak sun and met again some of the German friends. We sat outside and I spent a lot of time telling the new ones of my hardships and mishap's on the Ebro way. We walked back into the town looking for a restaurant that would please all the gang. This turned out to be quite difficult. At last we returned to the first place we had looked at! The barman found a table for us and we all settled in and we had a lot of laughs over a dinner of tapas and a large quantity of red wine. I was quite light headed when we returned in a heavy shower of rain, only to find luckily, the kind 'conserje' had brought all our washing inside, which we had all completely forgotten about!
END DAY 16 = approx 29 km Sub Total = 29 km Total = 366.9 km
