Peace, contentment, joy!  Without being obnoxious, this was the theme of the day… I sit at the end of my day soaking up some sun, with a cool breeze at my back feeling such gratitude for this prolonged period of stress free living. 

After the guilty pleasure of a night in a sweet hotel room all by myself, I set off in the pink dawn softly singing the hawaiian chant that greets the morning sun ‘e ala e’…

I am almost immediately passed by Axel, a man from Germany, who I will end up playing leap frog with all day.  Ater talking for a while, we both agree we need some silent time to fully appreciate nature during the golden time of morning.  

In some ways the walk is unremarkable this morning, compared to other days…but Mother Nature never fails to please if you pay attention to the details…the snow covered mountains in the distance, the beautiful birdsong and field after field of budding grapevines as we begin our walk through the Rioja district, famous for its wine.

We stop for 2nd breakfast in Najera, then I go off to find a pharmacia, I have somehow hurt my foot, not sure what’s going on, something in my arch, feels like maybe a little subluxation of a joint… I buy some tape, and break down and purchase ibuprofen also…yet another thing to add to my list of things I never normally do …but I’m going to walk anyway, why not do it pain free…wow, the smallest dose they sell here is 600mg… I know I could easily do with half of that… The pharmacist helpfully tells me I can take two if need be… I smile to myself, I’m a little too fond of my liver and kidneys for that😄.  I feel almost immediate relief, and am grateful to be a modern day pilgrim with access to drugs…

As I’m leaving Najera, I run into Axel again, admiring the eagle like birds soaring above the cliff faces behind the town.  The rock formations are quite spectacular.

We continue to walk together and alone, joined by others in fleeting conversations.  “Where are you from?” “Where did you start?” We stop at Azofra, I decide I need a short day to rest my foot.  

7 euros for tonight’s accommodations … A bargain after paying ten times that last night.  After a short day, I even have the energy to walk around the village a little in search of a church…it is closed, but I sit quietly outside for a few minutes, then go to a cafe for a snack.

There is a very primal feel to the Camino lifestyle.  I  am once again greeted by communal bathrooms even more primitive than the last…the shower head is so close to the wall it is challenging to even get wet…I don’t bother trying to wash my hair today.

Then off to hand wash my clothes and hang them to dry in the glorious sunshine, while I sit here, feet up writing to you.