On my way to Navarette a walk of about 14 miles if you count the detour .... Yes I get lost

More about the wrong turn later. But first back to finish yesterday or my way to Viana.

Michele and are are really making good time and I don't seem to be aware of the fact that its raining. As we pass through a grove of olive trees Michele stops to show me something about one of the trees very near the path. He tells me that this tree is about three hundred years old and that at one time it was one tree but has now grown into four separate trees. He goes on to tell me that he knows this because his Father has hundreds of olive trees on his land in Sicily. 

Michele gets excited when discussing olives. He shows me with his wooden walking stick how to bring down the olives in October for the pressing. He points out with great pride that the family's olive oil is the purest you can find. I ask if they produce it for sale and he says no it's just for the family and friends. His personal usage tops 50 liters a year. He likes olive oil.

Michele's Father lives half of the year in Sicily and half the year in Dortmund . He is retired and is four years older than me. 

Back to the olives for a minute. As we leave this three hundred year old beauty I tell him that at one of my past homes we had olive trees brought in but we had them neutered so they would not produce the fruit. He stops dead in his tracks and just looks at me and says "olive trees without olives?" I can see him pondering this piece of info. We move on. 

The balance of the day is just very simple. The landscape is spectacular and the hills are manageable. I take lots of pictures some of which I will send to Robin to attach to the blog. I don't yet know how to do it but I'm working on it. Yes, I am technically challenged, but I bet I can sell you a car if you give me a shot at it.

We arrive in Viana. We have completed stage 7 in about 6 hours including our lunch and other breaks.

After checking in we agree to meet in the lounge for a beer and to meet up with the other German pilgrims.

I get my gear settled and head to the lounge. Michele is there having a coffee. The first guy through the door yells Michele's name. I am quickly introduced to Rainer who is walking The Camino for the third time. Now a second guy walks in and does the same thing. He's Big Billy. That's a name I have given him. He's six feet four and he is a big guy. Michele tells Rainer that he is still trying to get a room in Navarette. These guys have never met before The Camino and they have had dinner together every night from the start. 

Rainer makes a call and with that he finds Michele a room at the Rey Sancho Hotel. Ron asks me where I am staying in Navarette and I look at my iPad and I'm staying in Najera. Rainer had completed the Camino two times so when he looks at me and shakes his head and says "no" he has my attention.

Rainer takes out his German guide book and begins turning pages and writing down some numbers. I am waiting to see where this is going. I should point out that Raineris an aeronautical engineer so he is on this with very meticulous precision. When he completes his work he tells me that my plan will require a walk of more than 24 miles! This is a problem, a very big problem. 

Just yesterday I have asked Sharel to book me out to the very end. I have decided to go straight to Santiago without a break. This can't be done with my plan to go to Najera. I need to contact Sharel immediately. She will not be happy with this little problem. In order to fix this I need to go to Navarette tomorrow and then change all of the reservations she has already made for me by one day! 

I explain my dilemma to Rainer and he says quietly that if I want to keep my schedule I should consider taking the bus to Logrono which will cut off seven miles leaving me with about 17 to Najera. The bus is not an option. That would be far worse than using the donkey service. I can see that he likes my response to the bus idea. He's just trying to help.

I fire up my iPad and send the dreaded email to both Robin and Sharel. I flinch when I hit the send button. It's about six thirty in the morning in California. This will not be a good way to start her day.

They get it done! Robin sends me an email that tells me I am confirmed at the Rey Sancho Hotel and Sharel has already fixed the next three days after Navarette. No excuses, I just miscalculated the miles and that's as simply an explanation I can give. 

Michele makes the dinner reservation for five people but there are only four of us. The fifth dinner guest is not yet here but I will meet her at 7:30.

It's 7:30 and I head back down to the dining room where all have gathered and I meet our fifth person. Her name is not Sofia but that's what I am going to call her until I can find out her real name. I am introduced to her as she sits across the table from me. It's noisy in the restaurant and I can't hear worth a damn so I just let it go.  I will find out her real name later.

Sofia is17 years old and is walking The Camino alone. She can't possibly weigh 90 pounds and Big Billy tells me that she is carrying 23 pounds! That is insane. The target number is ten percent of your body weight. Sofia is carrying more that double that. Rainer just stares ahead and says nothing. I think I can read his mind. There is a long way to go.

I ask how her parents felt about this idea and she tells us that her Mother was in favor but her Father is not. Her mother walked The Camino and believes it is safe. 

Let me not forget that at this table for five everyone speaks at least two languages. All four speak perfect English. I am the only one who speaks only one language. I'm getting use to this but it's not making me feel any better.

While we are on the subject of backpacks and weight I ask Big Billy if he's heard about Michele's encounter with Janet from Indiana? He's not being argumentative but he responds very quickly. I should note here that when I ask the question I don't yet know that Big Billy has had dinner every night with Michele.

Big Billy turns to me and says with a great big smile on his face that "yes I have heard the story". He looks at Michele and says, "it was the medicine, a bandage and a good Doctor".  He turns and smiles at Michele. Im waiting for Michele to say something. He turns and looks at me and says "Jim knows, right Jim?". My response to Michele is yes. I turn to Big Billy and simply say "it had nothing to do with medicine".  Michele is just smiling. I think they have had this conversation before . The topic of weight is revisited.

We look at the menu and I decide to start with a little pasta, which turns out be very good. For my main course I go outside the box and order the Rabbit. I've never had Rabbit so why not. The waitress is now bringing out our main course and she hands me the fish. Everyone has their food and all of their orders are correct because no one is looking to send anything back. I keep quite, I don't want to delay the dinner. 

It turns out that the fish was excellent and it has with it roasted peppers. The wine is local, Rioja, it's very good and very reasonably priced. I am about to begin but first Michele hands me the olive oil. I put a little on the peppers and it works.

I will stop now and head to dinner. I will fill in some blanks as best I can. It was a late night. Tonight will be a very early. I will cover stage 8  which was today's walk to Navarette later. I need to eat.