We wake late & get a pretty slow start. After finding breakfast at a bar, we strike off. I am feeling like walking alone a bit again today so I let Jenny take a long lead. Little Basque toe is so swollen that it barely fits into my shoe, but I decide to start in my trail shoes anyhow.
As I walk through Najera, some beautiful snow capped mountains come into view. As picturesque as they are, all I can think about is how much I don't want to walk over them. We have planned to stop at the supermacado here for supplies and soon I see Jenny stopped waiting for me. We sort that quickly & decide to stop for a quick coffee. Charlotte & Jane are at the same spot having a break so we chat a while and I remove my shoes & change into socks & sandals...yes, you read that correctly. Little Basque toe has decided to behave very badly and I can barely walk today because of the pressure inside of my shoe. As soon a I make the change he is happy, but so swollen that he sticks out of the side of my sandal like a growth of some sort. Jenny is amused by my new fashion statement & takes it upon herself to declare me "more German" than she is today. Oddly enough, it turns out that several German people attempt to speak to me throughout the day. While my toe is much happier, I do look ridiculous and my heels and arches ache from the lack of support under the weight of my pack.
My walk is so painful today that I struggle to have thoughts about anything else. We climb Alto del Najera and pass through beautiful farmland planted with grapes or filled with grazing sheep.
I stop to talk with a farmer planting what looks to be short 6" sticks into a freshly tilled field and he tells me, "For the wine"
Amazing, they are literally just cuts from a grape vine that he sticks into the ground every six paces. It can't be that easy, but maybe the soil here in Rioja is just magic.
Next, I come upon the sweetest little man & woman walking arm in arm. They must be around 80 and are walking the Camino each day but shipping their heavy packs. They wear tiny little ones that they have decorated & it makes me smile. I have seen them several times in the past few days, but today I couldn't resist taking a photo. I think it's safe to say that they have shared a lifetime of love.
As we enter Azofra, I know I must stop. Jenny isn't sure what she is going to do, she feels good today & I urge her to carry on. I check into the Municipal albergue, and am told that there are only two beds per room, laundry facilities, and a foot fountain/wading pool in the courtyard...all for 7euros! We peek into the sunny courtyard & see every face we know. Jenny decides to stay. All of my Camino Ninjas are here as well. The only drawback is no wifi. I really want to talk with my Login so this is a bummer.
We had briefly met an American man as we left breakfast this morning, who said he was from Louisiana but spoke German. When he spoke English, he had a bizzare accent that wasn't German and just a weird countenance all around. He made Jenny feel really uncomfortable in the few short minutes they chatted, which was strange because she tends to give everyone a good first chance. As we walked away, she decided his Camino name would be "Shifty Eyed Jack" which I have to admit, suits him very well. Since he was also here, we assumed we would get more of his story, whether we wanted to or not. I knew it was only a matter of time before he attempted another conversation with Jenny.
We take our showers, start our laundry, & go out to stick our feet in the pool & sit in the sun. It's not 2 minutes before Jack seeks Jenny out to chat. I enjoy watching the interaction between them because it's obvious that he is trying as hard as he can to get her story, and she's not giving it easily.
After a bit I rescue her by reminding that we need to pop up to the store. The shop owner is so nice that we buy much more than we should, but all the pilgrims have spread the word that she is the one to go to in town. Word travels fast in our little traveling community. She treats us all to complimentary cookies and sweets while we wait patiently to enter her 6x4 foot customer area.
While in line we are told that the municipal is now full & the small community has begun to put pilgrims in the school on the floor to keep them out of the cold temperatures expected tonight. As we leave, we notice people bustling about the tiny village with pads & blankets in hand. Apparently an all call has gone out to help and every resident is responding.
A short while later we run into Daniel from Sweden. He tells us that he & Yan are staying at the school & that it's crowded with no bathing facilities, but they are very happy to be sleeping indoors.
On the way we see a sign for botanical gardens, so we decide to check it out. After walking two miles in our flip flops we arrive at a closed gate. We take a few quick photos of the pretty plants behind the gate & then walk back. We had already walked 12 miles today and then added 4 miles to that for pure pleasure. On the way back we discuss how good it is to get out & walk for exercise in the afternoons. Maybe something we should consider doing more often...and then we laugh ourselves silly.
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