Beginning Week Two on the Camino

Today was our eighth day on the Camino. We walked 21 kilomters from Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzado. As of now, we have walked 142 kilometers in total.

Our walk today took us past vineyards and crops that are watered by gravity flow aquaducts. These semi-circular concrete pipes are situated so that water flows down hill to water the crops. Jim took waaaay too many pictures of these things. He promises to thoroughly edit these down to a few aquaduct photos to show to interested friends and family members!

We met a Canadian couple today, one of only a handful of Canadians we have met on the trip to date. Mike is riding a bike and Suzanne is walking. They travel together and he rides beside her at a walking pace. Mike was originally training to walk the Camino but developed heel problems that could not be treated. He switched to biking and they are doing the Camino that way.

Speaking of biking, there are a number of people doing the Camino by bike. They are riding mountain bikes with thick tires and carrying saddle bags. Everyone wears bike helmets which is quite a change from when Jim bike toured in Europe during 1983. At that time, no one wore them. Jim actually caused a Dutch woman to break into whoops of laughter at seeing him wearing his bike helmet!

Talk about what a difference a day makes. Last night, we spent with 93 of our new friends in an alburgue that resembled something out of U.S. basic training movies. You know the one, with about 50 bunk beds lined up along each wall and one down the centre of the room. As one Norwegian fellow said this morning,¨It was so hot last night, it felt like a sauna, but not a good one, a smelly one!¨

Tonight we are at the Hilton of alburgues. Thoroughly modern with beautiful clean rooms, open windows, and just 12 people each to a large sized room. It has tables to sit outside on a patio, a modern kitchen, and plenty of showers and washroom facilities for everyone. This place actually has a capacity of 130 people. However, it feels so much more roomy and comfortable because it is spread over two stories.

We are really enjoying Spain and thinking that it would be fun to come back sometime and rent a place and stay a few weeks, perhaps in Barcelona. This would also be an incentive to keep learning Spanish after this trip is over.