It was another stuffy night and outside it was very humid. Leaving Logroño in the dark was not as troublesome as previous cities as the route was well marked.

The way follows inner city parks that act as an obstacle course with the automatic sprinklers spraying in every direction.

The path eventually splits to the left down through an underpass leading to a wide paved track leading from the outskirts of Logroño through a park with a reservoir. Very tame squirrels bounded about, coming up to you in search of food.

As you reached the far side of the reservoir the path ascended into Navarrete. I had gone ahead of the group and I reached a vineyard with a sign pointing to the left. There was a gaggle of confused peregrinos at this spot with a few cutting through the vineyard.

After a bit of deliberation I decided too, to cut through the vineyard. I was walking with two sisters from Swindon, a chap from the Philippines and a chap from Quebec. I joked this is a scene from the film “The Way” at which point, one of the group started playing ‘Thank you’ by Alanis Morrisette.

The way followed the highway out of Logroño from a lofty position, for the approach to Navarrete, I tagged along with a chap called Iván from Zaragoza, Spain.

We stopped at a bar for breakfast; Marcus and Brian joined us shortly afterwards. After fueling up I hit the road again. The route went through vineyards after vineyards. This truly is the wine capital of Spain.

It wasn’t long before I entered Ventosa where I sat with my fellow pilgrims at the bar. I joined Iván and two ladies France. We ended up all having paella together for our dinner. Although there was a language barrier, Iván was able to translate to keep the conversation going.

I had a great time and in the evening we were joined by the Camino Gang and fellow pilgrims that we had met along the way. The drink was flowing, the laughter was plentiful and Camino memories were made.

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.

We were up by 7 and Brian made us all breakfast, perfect to fuel us for today’s walk. Unfortunately Sandra’s feet were no better, so she decided to take a rest day in Luquin.

We all gathered outside the albergue to say goodbye. It was hard to say our farewells as our Camino family became one less.

The route was down hill to Los Arcos which made walking very easy. There had been no rain during the night and no clouds in the sky. It was a hot one today.

We soon arrived in Los Arcos where we had a quick bite to eat outside a small shop. A little hill lead us out of town on to a very straight and very flat dirt track. The scenery was vast, open and recently harvested farmland.

There was very little shade along this stretch and the sun was showing no mercy; perhaps a taster for the meseta? On a hill straight ahead was the village of Sansol.

My Achilles, on both feet were hurting at this point; they welcomed the rest stop we had outside a little shop in Sansol, where we had a cold drink. I also made a new friend; a doggo sat under my seat for shade.

Our destination of Torres del Rio was only 1k further on. We passed a bus stop where there was a pair of trainers left on the platform. Maybe the end point of someone’s Camino?

We dipped down the valley and up into Torres del Rio, to our oasis, Hostel Rural San Andres. From the entrance we could see a swimming pool! We checked in, stripped to our underwear and jumped in!

Me and Dirk then went for a walk around the village, calling in to the Templar church which has a 14th century sculpture of Jesus. I also got a stamp for my credential.

Overall it has been an easy day. My body is getting used to the backpack, I’m walking quicker, although I slowed towards the end on account of my Achilles. However after the brief rest stop they didn’t hurt.

As we had crossed over the 100km mark yesterday, we had a celebration; the food and drink was a plenty; we didn’t retire until 1 am.

From pilgrims who had walked the way previously, their advice is not to stop at the albergues in Los Arcos; our next stop. We tried for a hotel but they were all booked up.

With Sandra’s feet still causing her problems we opted for a short day and try for Villamayor de Monjardin. Then we can shoot past Los Arcos tomorrow aiming for Torres del Rio.

First we had to go to Decathlon to get new shoes for Sandra. As it didn’t open until 9am we headed to a café for some breakfast in the meantime. Once eaten and shoes obtained we head back on the Camino.

After 3 km we reached another iconic spot on the Camino; the ‘Fuente de Irache’. This is a winery that has two fountains, one dispensing wine the other water. It had been a tradition for the winery to offer a drink to pilgrims.

Just before this we came to a blacksmith who was selling trinkets and metal sculptures at a quirky little shop. He also had a stamp for our credentials. I picked up a little metal shell with the Santiago cross on it for good luck.

We reached the fountain and sampled the wine. It was like paint stripper, Brian joked it would cure alcoholism!

The path forked as there is an alternative path going through Luquin, but ours is to the right for Villamayor. It was easy going; walking along vineyards with amazing views of mountains in the distance.

We came in to a small village called Azqueta, 2km from our destination. As there was no rush, we stopped at the bar for a cold drink before moving on.

The path to Villamayor is overlooked by a castle ruin on top of a free standing hill, adding to the aesthetics. Just before our end point, there is a medieval fountain; it was tempting to soak our feet in the cold water.

We reached the albergue to find out it was full, however the concierge phoned an albergue in Luquin and reserved 5 beds for us. This was only 2km further away but on the alternative route to Los Arcos.

With the accommodation sorted we had dinner at the bar opposite the albergue, relaxing and enjoying the moment.

Once fed and watered we left for Casa Tiago, our albergue for the night. We arrived just before 5pm and booked in. It is a quaint little place in a sleepy village. A fully stocked kitchen to use, included in the price. However the best part is a terrace with stunning views.

The bar in town has a swimming pool and serves tapas. That’s tea sorted!

It was the best night sleep I’ve had so far, no noise and we had bed sheets, so no sleeping bags! We woke up at 7am but it was closer to 9 when we finally left.

It had rained during the night so the air was refreshed and cool; perfect walking weather. The route took us through the village centre and out over the old bridge.

Sandra and Dirk stopped at the pharmacy but I went ahead as my Achilles was hurting resulting in my pace being slower, that way I can be caught up.

The path descended from the village before climbing up through a pine forest. At this point a crayfish decided to cross the path in front of me! Just bizarre.

After the steep hill I hobbled into Maneru, stopping at a bar. It wasn’t long before Brian, who I’d last seen in Uterga, arrived followed by my two traveling companions.

Here I took some ibruprofen and put some kinesiology tape on my ankle and tendon. After an ommelete we continued on. The pain by this time had subsided.

The 3 of us left the town passing more farmland until Cirauqui came into view. Perched on top of a hill where the path wound up through the narrow streets past the centre of town where we got a stamp for our credentials.

As we descended out of town I crossed paths with a pilgrim called Gabriel, from Poland. She was walking at fast pace but we got chatting, so I kept up.

As we passed a ford, Gabriel wanted to soak her feet, but I continued on. In front I could see a sombrero peaking above a hedgerow. That could only mean it was Brian!

I caught him up and walked with him as we navigated a vicious hill. We entered a little village called Lorca where a much needed stop was required. In a local shop on the village square, I got us two ice cold Shandy’s. Perfect!

We then moved on following more farmland and passing through Villatuerta. Up a hill we came across and old church nestled amoungst an olive grove. We took a minute to explore before moving on to our final destination at Estella.

Once in town we booked into the albergue where we met Markus. At 7pm we headed to the main plaza for some food.

There was thunder and rain throughout the night. At 6 am the lights came on prompting everyone to get ready. I checked the weather forecast and at midday there was more thunderstorms.

Today we will be reaching another iconic milestone, the ‘Alto de Pardon’. The problem is it sits on top of a hill. This meant leaving asap, to cover the 13km to beat the storm.

We quickly packed our bags, pulled on our waterproofs and stepped out into the rain. The dawn streets were very picturesque in the rain.

The Camino left straight out of the city, although it wasn’t well marked and we ended up on the wrong road. A jogger stopped and pointed us in the right direction.

We were soon in Cizur Menor where we stopped for breakfast. I got the chance to use my pigeon Spanish! We finished up and went back out in the rain to start the ascent to Alto de Pardon. At this point it was very muddy so progress was slow.

As we approached Cizur the rain stopped and the sun came out. We paused at the church removing our waterproofs before continuing to the summit. Luck was on our side, as the rain held off until we began our descent. However it was a short shower, the last for the day.

About 1230 we reached Alto de Pardon where we were greeted with views back towards Pamplona with the Pyrenees as the backdrop, although obscured by the clouds.

It would had been nice to see the peaks to mirror the picture I took two days earlier, but I was glad I wasn’t having to dodge lightening bolts; an acceptable trade off considering the initial forecast.

After a few pictures we headed down into Uterga where we stopped for lunch. Finishing the much needed food stop, we continued on to Puente la Reina, passing through Obanos.

The route was mostly flat from Uterga causing the miles to fly by. The views were back and it was pleasant to walk again.

Sandra was struggling with her feet so we stopped in the first albergue we saw. After a shower and breaking the washing machine and being a royal pain in the neck to concierge around the usage of the drier. We headed to a local supermarket for some light snacks to bring back for the evening.

I remembered the earplugs this time and used my snood as an eye mask. The only bathroom for two dorms was accessed through our dorm. Throughout the night the door to the hallway was in constant use, flooding light over us weary pilgrims.

Just before 7, everyone was up packing their bags. All the activity spurred me to do the same. My clothes hadn’t fully dried, so a shoved it in the drier while I wrote in my journal.

Around 8 I set off with a fellow walker from Poland called Sandra. The morning air was crisp so I couldn’t wait to get moving.

After crossing the road outside the monestry, the sign to Santiago showing 790km away; reminding us of the task ahead.

From here it followed the road into a quaint village called Burguete. We stopped at a supermarket where I brought some fruit. The path merged with the main the road, before turning off on to a farm track and across a ford.

By this time the sun had burnt off the light cloud cover, giving views of the mountains I crossed the day before. The path passed some cows grazing on the verges before heading into more woodlands.

The path went up a short steep incline before descending into Espinal, where the church bell rang to announce our arrival. We called into a bar for a break at which point two fellow pilgrims who shared my dorm last night joined us; Dirk from Belgium and Markus from Paris.

They stopped for a drink before we all set off as a group. The trail was mainly in woodlands until we entered a little hamlet called Lintzoain where we had our sights set on a bar for dinner.

Unfortunately it was closed, so we sat outside in the shade and ate some of our snacks. While we were munching away, a bloke with three laden donkeys in tow, a dog and a small procession of goats walked past us!

From here it was a steep 75m rise before the 6km decent into Zubiri. Where we found room at an albergue. After a quick beer at a local bar we returned to the albergue for a pilgrims meal.