May 2nd-Los Arcos to Logrono

Its been a week since i started my Camino, Today i added up the miles and its 102, I am amazed that its gone so quick and that i feel so good, Last night 15 of us met for dinner, We basically took over the restuarant, There was a downstair area which was a bit like a cave, Very nice, Again the pilgrims menu was very good and there was wine left over, The festival that was wasn't or did not happen in Los Arcos, I had my best sleep to  date with only 5 of us in the room, My knee woke me a few times and when i got up at 6am it was slightly puffed and warm, I hoped that it was not going to get worse or infected, I had an 18 mile walk to do, I had booked breakfast as it said that there was toast, I can not eat bread and jam in the mornings but toast and jam yes, I knew it was took good to be true and so it was, The toast was that packet stuff that shatters into a thousand  pieces when you bite it, I had a coffee and left, There was a small cafe down the road where i had a cafe con leche and pain au chocolate and decided to make a start, I would walk alone, I think the other guys were leaving later and as i was up and out it made sense, I thought i would take it very slow and easy, I had a long way to go and did not want to aggravate my knee or foot, The  walk was steady and after 5 or so miles i came across the town of Torres Del Rio, It is beautiful and looked mostly renovated, I wish i had stayed there last night, Los Arcos was ok but not as nice as other places we had stayed, Once again i stopped and had a cafe con leche and gave my foot a massage, I was told by somebody to press hard on the area that hurt and then massage it out, It worked and the further i waled the better my foot felt, I took some ibuprofen for the knee, The route had some walking on road but mainly hard pressed trail through farmland,There were 2 steep hills both up and down and on the down sections i could really feel the knee tighten so easy does it, Its strange what goes through your mind, On one part of the decent people had chopped the corner quite a bit, It was a short cut but very steep, I carried on the normal trail but one guy cut the corner and exited in front of me, It went through my mind that this was not the place to cut corners and wondered if he had spent his life doing the same, As i say strange things go through your mind, Before i knew it i was entering the town of Viana, I was surprised as that had meant i had already walked 12 miles, I was feeling good, My foot was now not uncomfortable and my knee was feeling good, Once again i stopped for Cafe Con Leche and Tortilla for a late morning snack, I sat around for 20 minutes resting my feet and gave them a massage before heading off for the last 6 miles, Coming out of Viana you go through a narrow section that made me feel uncomfortable, It was a zig zag type of path so you could not see the end, A wall on one side and hedgerow on the other, It was just the place to get mugged, I kept looking over my shoulder and was gald when i was out in the open, Its the first place that i felt uncomfortable on the Camino and if i was a woman i would not want to walk a lone there, It did not get much better as the trail now was tarmac or concrete, Really hard on your feet, I increased my pace and made good time, I was feeling good, As you get near Logrono you exit Navarra and enter the La Rioja region, A milestone for me, I have looked forward to being in this great wine region, My initial impressions were not good though, You enter Logrono from the north which is its industrial area, The beautiful scent of wild flowers that i have had since the start was replaced with the smell of heavy industry and cheap plastic, I again increased my pace, I walked the last 6 miles in 1.5 hours, The Camino always brings you into the old part of town and so it did here, A short walk and i found the municipal Aubergue and booked in, Its clean and has good facilities, There are around 24 beds to the room so i expect some snorers but hope to sleep well as i have a 19 mile walk tomorrow,

Hope you are not eating-Hikers feet
Pussy 3rd toe

 Weeping heel blisters

Beer O'Clock with Larry and Ruth and Chris and Richard

The Church in Los Arcos was somewhat Ornate

Early morning start and 1st village of the day

 3 dead Shrews in 3 days-what does that mean?

Beautiful Torres Del Rio

 Pilgrims pile stones on some markers

 Dramatic sky

 Wine region

 Old Stone building along the trail

The Camino was busy today, Always 30-40 people in sight

 Lots of Graffiti along the route, on the bridges and under passes

 Entering La Rioja region

 Route marker in Logrono

Stormy skies over Logrono

 Lots of padlocks attached to the bridge with names of lost ones

Dave