The Tasty Pilgrim

Anyone who wishes to see all the cultural treaures along this strech of the Camino would at least need a couple of days.There are so many ancient churches and cloisters. So I left Estella and Salvador the voluntario gave me a bear hug. Walked out of town and into the direction of Los Arcos. You pass the famous wine house of Irache with the wall which had one pump for water and another one for red wine. A very clever marketing idea, because millions of passers by stop here for photo. The landscape is really interesting, but it is cold and windy and raining. So you march on, but then you get onto the muddy paths.

Past few days it has been raining here, good for the vineyards and asparagus fields, but a nuisance for walking. Never mind it is all in the game. In one of the villages they had lots of birdcages on the balconies.

Birds singing and there was even one parrot. The parrot talked and whistled to all the pilgrims passing by to cheer us up. On the way I had bought two bananas and every hour ate something. Of course I drink regularly. Somewhere in a village called Sansol there was a bar. Everything really clean and the barman had a white shirt on and an apron, just like a French waiter. He spoke great French, by the way. I complemented him on the cleanliness of the place and he told me he had worked some years in Paris. He understood that pilgrims wanted to eat and drink in a clean place. I ordered a coffee and a large ham sandwich, indeed enormous, like half a French loaf. Many well known faces around me of all the other pilgrims. Then the door opened and the gilr from that previous life entered. She explained that the witches had wanted to stay a few days in a refugio run by Brasilian boys. They gave free massage to ladies she added and we had a great laugh. Time to walk on.

The rain had stopped, but the wind was still there. I tried to enjoy all the vineyards. If the path was really bad, I just walked through the vineyeards. This went well. Then I noticed that I had lost the water bottle, must have dropped it. I walked past fields with herbs, such as tyme and lavender. It cheered us up no end.

Beautiful bushes blooming in rose colours and heather in bloom. Then I arrived in Los Arcos where all the houses have arches. Tried to find a place in the refugio run by an American, but it was full. Even the hotel was full. Found a bed in the refugio Casa de Austria. The Spanish owner once worked in Austria in the car industry. He went back to Los Arcos when he had inherited the house. A friend of his advised him to have the Austrian Confraternity sponsor him. Now he is the richest man in town owning a chalet in Austria where he stays in winter. He can accomodate 160 persons in the high season. Being a " non-profit" business he does not pay any taxes. There was a nice Austrian couple from Vienna helping there. At a certain moment a girl came in looking for a bed. She started a conversation. Every day she walks 40 kilometers, but don´t ask how many times she slipped in the mud, being in a hurry. Anyway she was half Finish and half Italian. She had studied to become an actress in London working part time. I would expect her to speak perfect English with all those elocution lessons. Surprsingly her English was mediocre. Time to eat, I went out for a Menu Pelegrino in the hotel Monaco. Had to wait in the bar and sat with a very old Spanish gentleman who was 98 years old. He just loved to tell me how the region had changed fom the days he started working. Then it was time to enter the restaurant. I had fallen straight away in an episode the TV series Fauwlty Towers. The waiter was really mad and waving and shouting and rushing the whole time. He handed you a menu and said loudly "soup is good, chicken is good" then took the menu away and ran to another table. Indeed the soup and the chicken tasted nicely, I think they did not want to have too many dishes prepared in the kitchen. Then I found my way back and had to climb into the top bunk. Woke up several times because of snoring guys and a lady talking in her sleep. This morning someone started to back his things at five in the morning walking up the whole room. So I just got up at six.

The Muddy Pilgrim