Today's blog will most likely be shorter than the others which is because the trip is only 10 miles. When I reach Najera I will be about 124 miles into this journey. I was thinking about this on the way today. With the completion of my walk tomorrow I will have walked the equivalent of a walk to south San Diego and back. I can't help it, it's what you do when your walking for four hours.
I pack and as always I take a look outside. The sun is out and it looks like it will be a good day. I head down to the lobby and give the desk clerk my key. He smiles and just says "television". I forgot to bring the remote back to the front desk.
For those of you keeping score this error with the remote does not count in my "I lost this something scoresheet". Having just used the word "lose" ( as in lose my phone ) correctly for the first time since I started this blog instead of "loose" ( as in my pants are loose ) demonstrates the comment I made yesterday about my errors in writing the blog. While I am at it, from now on my "poles" will describe my my walking tools and they will no longer be referred to as my "polls", as in an election. Corrections and editorial work is on going but I can still feel my grade declining.
I return the remote and go directly to the coffee and bread feast in the small dining area. The couple from Brazil are there and they immediately greet me with Buenos Dias ! I have met them once at dinner in Viana. They came to our table to say hello to "The Mayor". They are the nicest people. I have also passed them on the trail and they always say Buen Camino regardless of the number of times you see them. They smile at all times.
I order my coffee and orange juice. The desk clerk also takes care of the dining room. I watch as he prepares the freshly squeezed orange juice. He brings it in a pitcher . It's delicious. I wonder what The a Four Seasons would charge for a pitcher of freshly squeezed OJ ? Mine is included with my room. The room charge is 48 Euro or about $65.
My coffee arrives at about the same time as Rainer. We start with the all important tropic, the weather. Rainier has already completed the research and tells me that it will be cold today probably a high of 10 C. Shortly after, both Michele and Big Billy arrive. I am surprised to see Big Billy because the last time I saw him in Viana he was thinking about staying an extra night because of the blisters on his feet. He tells me that he has decided to deal with the blisters and stay on the same schedule.
Rainer then mentions the treatment that is best including not putting anything on the blisters and especially don't wash your socks. That comment about the socks gets my attention because of my daily laundry habits including the washing of my socks. I ask why? Rainer points out that the more often the socks are washed the more quickly they will lose their shape. In addition the thickness will also be reduced from multiple washing which results in a different fit in your shoes. If the fit you have is working don't change it, simply stop washing them as often. Rainer is on his third Camino, my socks will no longer be a part of my daily Tide event.
Soon it's time to go and we all head out. I fall behind quickly because when we leave I am cold. The wind is up and it gets my attention quickly. I stop to add a layer and to get my REI gloves out as well. Within less than a minute or two I am passed by a guy with shorts and a tee shirt on. There must be somebody arranging this daily event designed to make me look like a wimp. It's working but I don't care, I'm cold.
Within a half an hour I catch up with the Michele, Big Billy and Rainer. We share a couple of words and I move past them. My pace is well ahead of theirs. It may be related to Big Billy's blisters. There is no violation by me moving on. Everyone just goes at their own pace. It's also better because if I join up they will be nice enough to switch to English for my benefit. Without me they can all stay in their native tongue, German.
I catch up with and pass the Brazilian couple and as always they are smiling and greet me with the customary Buen Camino. They left the Hotel well ahead of me so I am making good time. I'm not pushing it but the trail is flat and the temperature is perfect for walking. I am on a pace that is working for me.
There is only one hill of any size and its a three stager. Not that steep but lots of rocks and boulders and damage from the recent rains. I just take it slow .
As I reach the top I turn into another vineyard. The entire 4.5 miles will be right through the vineyards. I reach a point on the trail where there is a small group of buildings and the trail splits very dramatically into a choice of very left or very right. I stop and search for a Camino marker when a small tractor working in the field close by beeps its horn. I look over and the driver has his hand out the window pointing to the right telling me which way to go. I avoid a detour and wave at him with my poles and he beeps back again and waves goodby. These people are nice.
I have gone so quickly that I miss the tiny village I was going to meet Michele, Rainer and Big Billy in for coffee. I just go right past it. The next thing I know is that I am in a much larger town. As I cross a river on a bridge older than anyone I know I am not sure where I am. Is this the small village which Rainer described as the place where we would meet for coffee? I don't think so. As I reach the end of the bridge I spot a guy I have seen on The Camino a number of times before. We have always given each other the standard Camino greeting but I have never spoken with him . He is no doubt an American. I greet him again and after I move past him I stop and turn back and ask him if he knows how far it is to Najera? He is standing there looking at the same guide book I have in my backpack when he responds. "This is Najera". I am stunned. I am here in less than four and a half hours and I stopped for a couple of breaks. I tell him that I was thinking there were about two miles to go and I ask him where he is from. His name is Jerry and he is from Massachusetts and I immediately let him know that I grew up in Connecticut and that I have been a Redsox fan for 50 years. We are now bonded.
We chat for a short time but long enough to find out that his brother lives in Bakersfield California and that he has very bad blisters because he did not train and has the wrong shoes. We wish each other well and he moves on.
I am in Najera, I am we'll ahead of schedule. Now all I need to do is find the Hostal Hispano and I will get settled and take a break. The weather is so good that I am looking forward to dumping all of my stuff and having a coffee by the river.
Najera is small and quaint to say the least. I find the Hostal in less than ten minutes. The difference between a Hostal and a Hotel is primarily the ownership structure and the amenities offered. The Hostal's front door is locked and there is a sign telling anyone with a reservation who arrives before 4:00 pm to go to the bar around the corner to check in. That's another difference between a Hostal and a Hotel.
I follow the instructions and when I walk into the bar I am greeted by a baby who cannot be a year old in one of those round things that let's them move around like they are walking when they are not. I've seen these before. As I walk in everyone stops what they are doing and stares at the old guy with the white beard, backpack, poles and shouts some kind of collective greeting. I feel like I just returned for the family reunion!
I am offered food, wine, beer and of course everyone speaks perfect English. Sharel has put me into this great little place in a perfect location with these really nice people and it costs about $60. I like Spain.
I take care of my gear, take a shower and decide that I will chill out and catch up on some reading. Ten minutes into that idea I am sound asleep. I wake up at 5:15. I will take a walk and try to find my German comrades. There are only three Hotels in Najera and they all sit on the riverbank. I step outside and it is beautiful, about 65 degrees with the sun shining. I think I will go find a seat at an outdoor cafe on the river and just take it all in. I see this as a bonus from The Camino for past which was very hard.
I am looking for a spot to sit and sure enough Rainer is at a table by himself having a glass of wine. The next two hours with Rainer are very interesting .
Rainer is an aeronautical engineer employed by a very large international airline. He has been with them for almost 40 years and will retire in two years. As noted before this is his third Camino. I ask him why he did the first and he tells me that he still does not know. Perhaps it was the challenge? He says yes, maybe. Rainer is a very intelligent man. When we had coffee this morning he had a long conversation with the desk clerk In perfect Spanish so that puts him in the three language group. German, Spanish and English.
I ask him about the second Camino and he says he still does not have an answer. I don't ask him about the third Camino which we are now on. It just does not seem right to pursue the topic.
He goes on to tell me about a small part of The Camino's history including a great story about a very wealthy French women and The Camino. I will try to get it straight.
There was a French woman who was poor before she walked The Camino. Some time after her Camino experience her fortunes changed for the better and she became a very wealthy woman. As she grew older she called in all of her children who were all estranged from each other to tell them how each of them could get their share or get nothing, The rule was that in order to inherit their share of her fortune they would all have to walk The Camino together. Each one who completed The Camino as a part of the group would receive their share.
The story goes on about how walking together heals their personal wounds and they complete the Camino together fully reunited.
Rainer is currently carrying four stones from friends who have asked him to place their stones at a specific place. The stones from each person have their own meaning and purpose. I don't think there is any doubt that there is a spiritual purpose to the four stones. If you have seen the movie The Way you will recall the placing of the stones.
I am with Rainer one on one for the next two hours before we meet Michele for dinner. Big Billy is busy holding a table for more than three hours in order to secure a good spot from which to watch the European equivalent to our Super Bowl, the European Soccer Championship. This year for the first time there are two German Clubs in the final. One of them is Dortmund where both Michele and Big Billy live. This is a really big deal. Big Billy has brought with him his yellow Dortmund shirt to wear at the restaurant. By the way Big Billy's real name is Christopher but I like Big Billy better so for my blog he will remain known as Big Billy. My privilege.
Michele, Rainer and I go next door to have dinner while Billy holds down the table. The restaurant- bar has already told him that he would need to order food for the table of empty chairs at least twice before the big game starts. Just in case you were not aware the other team is Munich.
How about this. There are 22,000 seats available in a lottery for the game. More than 500,000 are in the lottery and I am sitting with Big Billy who has one of the 22,000 seats. He proudly shows me his ticket on his iPhone. It's value on a system like eBay is more than 5,000 Euro or nearly $7000 dollars . I ask him what he did with the ticket and he tells me that he gave it to a friend in London. By the way the game is being played in London.
Michele, Rainer and I finish our three course dinner including tax, tip and wine, a cost of about $15 each and go next door to be with Bill Billy for the start of the game. I took a picture of Big Billy in his yellow Dortmund shirt which I sent to Robin.
The game starts and the place is packed. Soccer is big here and the European Championship attracts even those who don't care just like the Superbowl. In the first ten minutes the action is slow and very defensive but suddenly Dortmund has a great opportunity to score but just misses. Big Billy jumps up when his team misses the great opportunity to score taking with him all of the beer and anything else on the table. No problem. When Big Billy stands up and starts to clean up the mess no one would be dumb enough to tell Billy "down in front".
I leave at half time while 99% of the fans step outside to smoke and no one will know that I am gone. Tomorrow The Camino takes me Santo Domingo a trip of about 14 miles. I need the rest far more than I need to see the end of the game.
Good night.
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