Tenth and eleventh days El Camino Logroño to Nájera to Santo Domingo

Logroño was the first city or town we have seen so far that was littered with trash. Early in the morning, comes the first shift of street cleaners to hose down the streets and shove the trash into piles. Apparently, a second shift scoops it up.




Today's walk to Nájera was 18.71 miles. We started out perky as these young folk:





A river where lots of locals, adults and children, were fishing:




Around the bend, swans and cygnets:




That is some bull!





Not a peregrino:





It is always exciting to see art along the way:





It is too hard to choose a single photo of grapes, so here are two:








We did not know what this was either, although it did have a mattress on the floor. You would not want to sleep on it!





By and by, at 16.69 miles we came upon this map. We were only one red square from Nájera:





There were festivities in town that evening. At first we got a kick out of the bands playing and people congregating:




Little did we know what was to come! More and more people, old and young, filled the streets. There was singing and shouting and several bands playing and bells ringing. The cacophony of shouting and bands playing and children crying got louder and louder; it did not stop ALL NIGHT. I mean at 2:00 a.m., and at 3:00 a.m. it was still going on. At about 5:45 a.m. there was some guy shouting "toros, toros!"

At breakfast this morning we were dead, but thankful that we had a "short (14 mi. i.e. 14.24) day" ahead. That the coffee machine was not working was almost enough to send us over the edge.

Intrepid souls that we are, we faced the day's demands as best we could with plans to stop twice for coffee because why not when you can?

A short while after we set out, we came upon this marker. "Oh, no!" shouts Ian! Not 581 K more! Well, at least not today:





Go places, see new things, change occupations:





Yes, vineyards do need watering:



After a while it is all a blur:



Our hotel tonight is very modest but run by a lovely young woman. As soon as you throw open the windows to let the light stream in, take a hot shower, and lie down for a rest, yes, we all needed a rest today, you love every inch of your plain little room. Best of all, after last night we are loving the quiet.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Calle de Margubete,Santo Domingo de la Calzada,Spain