The alarm went off a 6 am with a start, calling the end of a very hot night. Despite having the windows open, it was stuffy. The gang assembled out the front at 7 am to begin the journey to Logroño; I opted for the transporter.
The sun had yet to light the sky and the street lights showed us the way out of the village. As we ascended above the village the sunlight peaked over the mountains in the distance.
About a mile into the journey we were treated with a beautiful sunrise over the village of Sansol. We had to stop and take the time to admire the view.
It was good to get back on the Camino, I felt fully refreshed, my achilles seemed strong and full of energy; so I pushed ahead leaving the group briefly. Soon Marcus caught up with me as I was taking a picture.
The path was undulating as we entered the village of Viana, we stopped at a bar on the main thoroughfare to have breakfast.
From here the route wasn’t so clear and we got a little disoriented, luckily a lady saw our predicament and pulled over her car to point us in the correct direction.
The trail followed the highway between Viana and Logroño and crossed over it at one point, to pass through the industrialised outskirts. At this point me and Brian were leading the charge into town.
The heat was high today and so was our thirst. As the descent into Logroño began, we came across another iconic stop on the Camino. A little house with a stall outside beneath a fig tree.
The lady who lived here dedicated most of her life to serving pilgrims on the way. She was known for her generosity and a major figure on the route. Felisa Rodriguez Medel. She died in 2002 and her granddaughter has taken over mantle.
There is a plaque on the house in honour of Felisa. There is also a special stamp for your credentials, inscribed on it is “Higos, Agua y Amor” which means “Figs, Water and Love”. This is apt on account of the huge fig tree, a great oasis and a lot of kindness from the hosts.
We stopped for a few drinks so the whole group could catch up, in order to all walk into town together. On the way in, there was a huge foot bath! A long line of bags propped up against it, as the peregrinos dipped their feet in the soothing water.
I kicked off my shoes and joined in; just pure happiness. After some frolicking in the cooling waters, we dried our feet to continue on to our destination.
The town is quite modern, built up around the old town centre. We passed an elaborately carved church that invited us in to explore. We were treated to a stunning and ornate interior.
After taking some pictures we continued on to our room for the night. Having a few drinks at a bar just outside while we waited to check in.
Stu's Camino 
It’s all looking stunning
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