Logrono extras+May 3rd Logrono to Najera

What a nice town Logrono turned out to be, Its the capital of the Rioja region, Sure there are huge imposing churches similar to other place, It has a relaxed feel, A nice square in the centre with lots of bars and eateries, I had a glass of wine (Rioja) which was very nice, I asked the price and when the barman told me i thought i had misunderstood so offered a hand full of change, He took 80 cents!!, Later i bumped into some pilgrim friends and we had dinner together, There was Chris and his English brother Richard, 2 German ladies, Annie from the UK and an Australian nun, All of whom i had the pleasure of walking with at one time or another, Chris was to leave on Saturday back to the UK so they were all staying an extra night in Logrono, It was a fun evening and we all had our fair share of Vino Tinto which was now 70 cents a glass and very nice light bodied easily drinkable wine, This meant that i would be walking alone to Najera, Nearly 19 miles away,There must have been a party or something as the noise filled our dorm until gone 4 am, I was up at 6 and by 6.30 i was out, Logrono was not as well signed as Pamplona but i was out of town and in the countryside in an hour hoping that i could get some coffee and breakfast as i needed some tablets as my left Knee was swollen and painful, The coffee or whatever it was was 6 miles away, I had something to eat and some Ibuprofen and an hour later it started to ease, Its a worry and my body is telling me to slooooow down, So today i plodded 19 miles to Najera, I made good time by taking it easy and steady, The cool weather and slow pace meant that i did not need to stop much and was in Najera around 1.30pm, The first Aubergue was booked out and the only other was on a donation basis i.e give what you want, Back to basics, 90 beds in one room, I was not happy and looked around for something else, There was nothing and there was no way i could walk another 5  miles to the next town, I think the lck of sleep the night before along with the uninspiring walk, Yes it was not as nice as before, Lots of tarmac, next to main roads, hard compacted mud and rocks which are all hell for your feet made it a forgettable day, So far Rioja has not been as i had hoped, After a beer or 2 and something to eat i went back to the Aubergue and there was alot of people who i have been walking with on and off since the start and suddenly it did not seem quite so bad, A shortish day of around 13 miles tomorrow, Lets hope the knee starts to heel, I do not plan a short day until i hit Burgos in 4 days time, Fingers crossed

Fountain as you leave Logrono 

 Camino sculptures

 The Way marking

Logrono church showing El Sid i think cutting heads off

 1st glass of Rioja wine

 Some great  wall signs

 Accommodation can be intimate

 Another great wall design showing pilgrims stamps, Early as i was leaving

 The mouth is a hole in the wall

Professional Camino Graffiti designs in an underpass

 The sign of Logrono

Small stick crosses on the fences, It went for miles

 The Bull on the hill

 Looks like the pilgrims hospital is shut

 One of the many large wineries along the route

Navarrette street sign

 Cemetery on the way

 Finally after over 10 miles a decent Cafe Con Leche and Tortilla

 Stone pilgrim

 Not what you expect on the Camino

Not a shrew this time just a field mouse

 Wine region just before Najera (Na Heer a)

 Stone building just before Najera

A shepherd blocks the route with his sheep and then poses for a picture

 Another route marker

So when i got here i was not a happy bunny but am mellowing to the place, I think after the sheer beauty of the last week the difference will take some getting used to

Dave