It's going to ran. I know it. I am now a professional forecaster. Maybe when I get back to Southern California I can get one of those really cushy jobs telling people that for the foreseeable future it's going to be sunny with temperatures ranging from 71 to 72. They get paid for this. They should come here and see what it's like to see the weather change from day to day, minute to minute. Ok, I will need to make a couple of changes which will include putting my backpack rain cover on before I leave.
Since we are on the subject of rain covers you may recall that on that dreadful snow and rain day I mentioned that all of the gear in my backpack was wet because of an REI equipment failure. Well that was incorrect and I apologize to REI. I realized my error this morning when I put on the cover exactly as I did on day 2 and just before I put the backpack on I noticed that there was a substantial gap on the side of the cover. Simply, I had put it on incorrectly. The REI equipment was not the problem it was an operator error. My excuse? I have been training for this journey in Southern California and I never walked in the rain! How could I ? It never rains. My lack of practice was the cause of the problem not the equipment. I should also point out that while I am on a boost REI attempt at making amends for my false criticism of their product I just want to go on record that my Limo's were purchased at REI and they have been the best investment I have made for The Camino. There, that should set the record straight.
Before I tell you what the first thing that happens to me when I step out of the Hotel Cerco let me first go to 1:30 am.
I slept from about 5:30 to 10:30. I just crashed. My shoulder was hurting and I was really tired. I wake up at 10:30 and I feel much better and the Advil is working. I can't get back to sleep so I decide I will go to my guide book and take a more detailed look at what's coming in stage 5 to Estella.
I look at my Hotel booking. I am staying at the Tixmista Hotel in Estella (Navarra) but everything I am looking at in my guide book refers to Estella (Lizarra). The guide book by John Brierley is priceless and as important as my passport. In each destination the guide book lists all of the Albergue's available only to Camino Pilgrims. In addition the guide goes into great detail about "Other Accommodations". I read it over and over and I cannot find my Hotel, the Hotel Tixmista listed anywhere nor does it appear on the maps provided in the guide for Estella.
Oh no. Are there two Estella's? Estella Navarra and Estrella Lizarra? Have I given Sharel the wrong Estrella? I don't handle these kind of situations very well. It's 1:30 in the morning so I send Robin an email asking if she can figure this out. Robin was a travel professional, meeting planner for 16 years so she knows how to navigate these problems and her tech skills are as good as it gets. She can figure it out. I don't want to contact Sharel because I have already driven her crazy by giving her a list of Hotels but with the wrong dates of arrival so this needs to be fixed without her getting any additional evidence that I am the customer from hell.
Within a minute Robin is back to me and has found my Hotel on Google Earth and forwarded the map and all of the details on how to get there once I exit The Camino. I am saved. Thank God for Robin and a 9 hour time change!
This brings me to another subject previously discussed in my ramblings. Remember the "cheaters" ?Well I have given this some additional thought and I was wrong in my comments about their credential being stamped with an * . Why the change of opinion? Because I am also a cheater if we really want to get down to the real Camino Pilgrims.
I stay in Hotels and have resources at my disposal to fix my problems almost instantly but the real "Pilgrims" are those who stay in the Albergue's. They sleep in rooms with as many as 100 strangers in bunk beds, share bathrooms and showers and the list goes on of all the things I am not doing. So from this point on I will discontinue referring to anyone on The Camino as "cheaters" for traveling The Camino in whatever way they choose. There are no cheaters.
So now that I have cleared up those issues lets get to today and my 15 miles to Estella. I leave the Hotel Cerco after my daily carb fix and step out into the street on my way to The Camino. I am greeted by a group of about six or seven kids on their way to school and they all appear to be about the same age as my grandson Brayden who is 7. Without exception they all greet me with smiling faces all with their little school backpacks with "Buenos Dias". It's a very cold morning and the sky is threatening but I am off to a great start.
The Camino is a short distance away and as you head out of the city you walk over the bridge which was renamed Queens Bride in honor of its benefactor Dona Mayor wife of Sancho the third. Today will be a different challenge.
At the start the trail climbs but not anything like the elevation changes I have encountered in the first 4 stages. This will be a cold, windy and gray different test. All of the stress related to the elevation comes early. I welcome the less difficult climb.
When I first arrived in Estella I was tired and my shoulders were very sore especially my left shoulder. I feel pretty good and again I come to realize that regardless of how you feel at breakfast once you get an hour in and heat up all of your muscles your discomfort is gone. Today is no different.
Today's walk is quite and regardless of the conditions it's good thinking weather. I think I already warned you about this time to think issue especially with me doing the thinking. Who else could find a connection between The Camino and NASCAR ? Leave it to me.
I have been to one NASCAR event in my life as the guest of a very good friend in Phoenix AZ. It was great fun and we did it like "cheaters". Big fancy bus with all of the trappings. So how can I connect The Camino to this?
It occurred to me today that I am seeing the same people everyday and on a day like today even more frequently . Here's the NASCAR connection. When you watch a NASCAR event the cars race around the track in less than 25 seconds per lap, you soon realize that there are cars on every part of the track. Who's in first, third or last? It's hard to keep track even with the giant pole in the center of the track that shows the car numbers for the top ten or so. Regardless, how can you find them when they are traveling at 200 miles an hour ?
Pit stops! That's the key. When the leader goes into the pit for tires and fuel he will be passed by the second place car unless they go to the pits at the same time. Make sense? It's the same on The Camino. I pass a bunch of people who have stopped to take off their shoes (aka tires) and drink something ( aka fuel ) . There will soon be a point where I will stop for a drink ( fuel ) and perhaps an equipment adjustment (aka tires ) and when I do I will see the same people I passed an hour ago pass me.
It's not a race, at least not for me and I believe not for the vast majority on The Camino. The only real difference is that none of the people I see and or pass on The Camino have all of the NASCAR sponsor logos or a number on their backpack. Perhaps there's an opportunity to get Go Daddy or Budweiser involved in The Camino!
I can see it now. In addition to your credential you would be assigned a number and if lucky a couple of sponsors who think you can finish. Nike could give you the shoes, REI the gear and Columbia your clothing. I think I'm on to something here.
Ok. Where was I? The balance of the walk was just quite and pleasant in spite of the cold. I walked through vineyards, olive groves and beautiful little villages on my way to Estella . I was about five miles from Estella when it started to rain a bit more heavily. It was perfect timing for me because there was a tiny Albergue and a cafe-bar at the top of the hill. I stopped in. Trying my best to order something in Spanish I pointed ( it's ok to point ) at a sandwich which I wanted and tried to order it in Spanish, my best Spanish and she handed me a different one. I just took it. My Spanish is just not very good.
La Bodega Del Camino was doing a very nice business. If I had waited for just a minute or two longer I would have seen the pasta being delivered to the table of three next to me and I would not now be stuck with this sandwich. I did however successfully order my Cerveca. This tiny place also has an Albergue and free wifi. I finish my speed lunch and start the final five miles to Estella. The day has been overcast and with rain showers off and on but now it's starting to pick up. There is also a noticeable drop in the temperature and the wind is more challenging. I am just hoping I can reach my Hotel before this turns into a more serious storm.
I have a map and it shows me that the Hotel Tixmista is a long way from where I will be leaving The Camino. I am trying my best to figure out which plaza is which but the streets are so narrow and with the massive stone structures it is impossible to see anything that might be found on my map. It's raining so I duck under the cover of a building where I am now trying to find a street name, any name on the map. No luck. At that moment a well dressed older man asks me in perfect English "do you speak English, can I help you"?
I hand him my map and the piece of paper with the name of the Hotel Tixmista on it to him and he appears to be confused . He then politely stops a young women to look at the map and they share information. The woman then points directly over my shoulder and makes several hand gestures, smiles and leaves. He thanks her, I thank her.
My new found guide in perfect English tells me to walk to the end of the road I am standing on pointing behind me, look for the Hospital and then turn left and the Hotel will be a short distance from there. I thank him several times and about 15 minutes later I am standing in the Hotel lobby . Let me just say that the Spanish people I have met have all gone out if their way to help me. They are a very nice people.
Today's walk has taken about seven hours and I am ready to eat something which requires both a fork and knife.
I check in, take care of my gear and head down stairs to see what the restaurant serves. I ask for a menu and before the front desk clerk ( he does multiple tasks ) brings it to me he points out that the restaurant does not open until 8:30. It's now 4:30. I ask if there are any other places near by and he tells me that the Yerri hotel has food now and it's just a short walk.
I get to the Yerri hotel and bar and all they have are the same sandwiches I had yesterday and at lunch today. I need something better, you know like something cooked. I decide to go for a walk. Yes, I just walked about 14 miles and now I'm going for a stroll. It's getting colder and I make sure I don't stray from the path I am on to be sure I won't need help getting back. I can't find anything which serves before 8:30. I head back to the Hotel.
With two hours to go I will just take a glass of wine to my room and read while I wait. I fall asleep never touching the wine and luckily I wake at about 8:45. Perfect. I make my way back to the restaurant and the waiter-desk clerk who poured me the glass of wine two hours ago has noticed that I have returned with the same glass of wine. He looks confused.
Dinner is a small plate of pasta to start and a sirloin with spinach. It's cooked, hot and good. I am ready to get some sleep.
Tomorrow I am off to Los Arcos which will have some early challenges and a total distance of 13.1 miles. Good night.
Another great story Jim!!
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