Day 4 - September 8

Day 4: Estella to Longono. We ended our night back at the hotel restaurant after a fruitless effort to find a good restaurant in the historic center. A combination of restaurants not opening until 8 PM and the impossibility of driving on those small narrow streets let us on a goose chase that brought us back to our starting point, our hotel that was slightly off the Camino. We kicked off with our favorite beer called Amstell Oro and a few peppers with anchovies that tasted great because of the salt deficiency we had developed over the day. There are thousands of pilgrims on the trail which has created a lodging scarcity. We’ve learned from numerous Americans there is a company named Camino way to facilitate logistics by transporting overnight bags from town to town and setting up reservations which must be a driver of the lack of hotel availability as they must be dealing in large blocks. Definitely something to think about if you are looking to rid yourself of the dreaded heavy pack. As I think forward to a Portugal run next year this will be something to look into.

We were pleasantly surprised by the three course meal served at the hotel, mixed salad with IMO the best tomatoes in the world, battered fish and a flan with a bottle of red wine from the local region of Navarro. Amy and I could barely stay awake during the meal but happily ate and drank as we refilled our tanks and numbed some of the pain in our bodies. Sleep came quickly for both of us a welcome sign that we are getting used to the routine of the daily mileage.

Once again there was a freight train of pilgrims from our start town. By 20km at Los Arcos we had passed 150 others. We saw wonderful medieval towns along the route today. Long stretches of well groomed trail through fields of golden wheat and then in the distance a walled city protecting a magnificent church at the highest point comes into view every 5-10km and we enter the city through a gate, run along the small bricked streets and then out the other side in no time at all. Várea was a place I could stay for a night showing nice hotels and a vibrant dining scene.

We also began seeing vines along the route today and at some point crossed into Rioja region. Can’t wait to sample the goods tonight…

On another note, there is so much history on the Camino. It seems every village we visit has a banner showing something like, “1020 to 2020 - our 1,000 year celebration”. The path, stones and benches along the Camino have been worn down by how many travelers over thousands of years?

We approached Logrono on the Puenta de la Piedra bridge, an impressive span that leads into the heart of the historic town. Christina found us a nice hotel on the far side of town so we ran the extra few km’s to call it a day after 33 miles. Both Amy and I are tired, sore and stiff; third full day and hopefully the turn will happen tomorrow.

Off to a Thai restaurant next door and well deserved few hours of rest before lights out and repeat performance.

Cheers,

David.