Day 7 & 8 Estella to Los Arcos to Viana

I am combining the last two days into one post because we didn’t take that many photos. It’s all the same landscape right now: Mown fields of hay or wheat or something, and ripe vineyards ready to be harvested. Country roads, no trees and no shade.

There is really no one on the Camino right now because of Covid. We see a handful of people. Mostly Italian or French. Which is great, because we walk in relative peace. Periodically we will see a peregrino, but not many. Someone today told us they’ve seen 5 Americans, and no Asians, where they usually see thousands.

The bad thing is that a lot of things are closed. Permanently or temporarily is unknown. But, it’s been frustrating because we come to a town to eat lunch, or dinner, and none of the normal restaurants are open. Often times, we have had to stop at the local mini mart and buy whatever they have. Or, we get to a town and receive a restaurant recommendation from the albergue owner only to find that the restaurant is either closed or doesn’t open until 8 pm. And, after walking all day long, I’m not waiting around to eat that late.

Also, normally the kitchens in the albergues are open to for the peregrinos to use. I’m talking about the I-bought-my-own-food-to-cook kitchens. But, there are so many Covid restrictions for cleanliness that they’ve had to close them down. So, we are forced to eat at the smaller cafes that cater to the peregrinos with a very simple menu, or we skip dinner all together.

Oh, and siesta is a BIG thing here in Spain. Everything closes for 3 hours or so from 2-5 or 3-6. So, no pharmacies, a few stores, and maybe only one cafe are open. We’ve also been told to plan ahead for Saturday and Sunday. Grocery stores close around 1pm on Saturday and don’t open again until late on Sunday.

A few interesting notes: Leaving Estella we ran into a blacksmith shop. I guess the best time of day to do some iron work is early in the morning before it gets too hot. Really neat stuff he was making. Then we came across the wine fountain at the Irache Vineyards. One fountain of wine, the other of water.

Coming into Los Arcos there was not a person in sight. There was a deserted road with only a small, black dog laying in the sun in the middle of the bricked road, not moving. He looked like he was dead, but one eye opened as I passed him. Both Bruce and I, later that evening, talked about how we expected the western whistle to play. All we needed was a dust storm and a tumble weed or two. We ran into the Fin at dinner, and funnily enough when we were talking about the desolation, she told us she imagined the same western motif when she walked into town that afternoon.

We did find a nice restaurant next to the church that opened at 7 for dinner, and was also open at 6:30am for breakfast. The woman who ran the cafe had walked the camino herself, so she was very welcoming. And it is clear that she understood how tired we were and all we wanted was to eat at go to bed.

There are two extreme types of service. There are times that I feel super unwelcome, and that I’m something, meaning a peregrino, they have to put up with, because they are located on the trail. The typical peregrino we’ve run into is on a very, very tight budget. But, even though we are there spending money, we seem to be a nuisance. Not sure what it is, really. I’m obviously a gringa. Are they pissed because I’m a potential Covid infector? Or just pissed because they have to work around potential infectors? Or just pissed in general.

Walking into Viana was a treat. A lively town with open restaurants and people drinking at tables. A lady walked by us and said, “Buen Camino.” in obvious gringo Spanish. So I said, “Thanks!”. Turns out she is from Canada, and she and her huband own the cafe that was not 50 feet from where we were standing. A simple cafe that has a few beers, wine and champagne. But, they do complimentary (for a donation) epsom salt foot baths. Yes, please. We dumped our stuff at the hotel, showered, and came back for a foot bath and some beer.

Update on my feet: When we left Estella I had put on some moleskin with a hole cut in it to accommodate the blister, and tape over that. I ended up with a 3rd blister in the same freaking spot. I’ve decided it must be a sock issue. My feet have swelled more than I thought they would. Granted, I was told my feet would swell, but holy cow, really? So, when leaving Los Arcos, I put on a super thin sock. I put more moleskin and even more tape to hold it all in place. That seems to do the trick. My pinky toes were super happy, and we arrive in Viana with no more new blisters!

Oh, and tonight, we are in an honest to goodness hotel with air conditioning, and amenities in the bathroom.

Tomorrow is a short day to Logroño. And a much needed two day rest.

16 Sep 2020 ~ 33,666 steps ~ 13.7 miles ~ 91º F 17 Sep 2020 ~ 29,693 steps ~ 12.3 miles ~ 77º F