Today, I’m cooling my Hokas in Logroño, capital of the La Rioja wine-growing region. There are plenty of other pilgrims here, although those who stopped in Viana last night, as I did, often carry on further along The Way.
Since my last post, from Zubiri, I’ve passed along to Pamplona, then on to Puente La Reina, Estella, Los Arcos, and Viana. These are all hikes in the neighborhood of 22 kms, or 5-6 hours. I’d forgotten how much of my trail time would be spent going up tough climbs or picking my way down steep descents. These early weeks on the Camino never fail to put the lie to my supposedly successful summer conditioning efforts! But it’s knocking me into shape.
I’ve met some great people out here, par for the course on the Camino. Andreas, from Munster, Germany, who I met early on, has moved far ahead of me now but sends back the occasional encouraging text. Peter from Brighton is about a day ahead of me, as I presume are Kelly and Annette from Austin, TX. Leigha and Allison, charming retirees from Fort Worth, have been trail and lunch companions several times and are now ahead of me but I’m pretty sure we’ll meet again. True small-town Texas natives, they shared some good stories with me about Country & Western dancing (did you know I taught C&W dancing in D.C. during the 80s?). Buen Camino, cowgirls!
As usual, once I’ve settled into the Camino routine, I’ve begun to think about all the blessings I have in my life. Not the least of which is my lovely French wife, who is currently in Nice, basking poolside with friends. Every day, as I hike through the gorgeous Spanish countryside, I marvel at how wonderful this life is, and how lucky I am.
It has been hot, however, and the lodgings I’ve had that featured air conditioning were extremely welcome. How hot? 95-100 degrees F. Usually, the heat doesn’t come on until midday or later, so getting out early helps. I anticipated the heat and came equipped with a “Koolgator”, a neckerchief filled with beads that, after soaking, retain water and provide evaporative cooling for hours. I also brought an aluminized sun umbrella that clips to my backpack strap and provides hands-free personal shade in the wide open spaces.
Tomorrow I’ll be able to sleep in a bit in order to have a later start for my short 13 km hike to Navarrete. It’s supposed to rain overnight but end around 6:00 am. Which means I cooler temps (yay!), no rain on me directly (yay!), higher humidity (boo!), and a possibly muddy trail (boo!). Whatever, still I progress along the Camino.
And I thank you for coming along and for your kind comments. Cheers!
The Occasionally-Examined Life 