9/14 Stage Nine: Viana to Navarette

Had a good night’s rest in a beautiful property in Viana, but still woke shaky and very tired. Very few villages to take a break on this stage. I needed to spend time in Logrono, a city of about 120,000, to take care of a few things: had left an adapter with three cables plugged into a wall somewhere, needed a stop at a Farmacia for a few things, needed to go by the Orange network store and recharge my SIM card.
I determined my body needed a break, so I bussed to Logrono, took care of my business, then bussed on to Navarette. It was the right decision. As I write the next morning, I’m rested and ready to walk on.

Logrono
Follow the arrow

Viana to Navarette

This is a post from Mary’s FB account. As I type this at 0300 AM Central, she is on her way to the next stop.

“Had a good night’s rest in a beautiful property in Viana, but still woke shaky and very tired. Very few villages to take a break on this stage. I needed to spend time in Logrono, a city of about 120,000, to take care of a few things: had left an adapter with three cables plugged into a wall somewhere, needed a stop at a Farmacia for a few things, needed to go by the Orange network store and recharge my SIM card. I determined my body needed a break, so I bussed to Logrono, took care of my business, then bussed on to Navarette. It was the right decision. As I write the next morning, I’m rested and ready to walk on.”

9/13 To Viana: Rest

The stone benches face the back of a church. It looks like a place where mass was held. Or some other ceremony. Baptism? Appears to be an alter and a font. Now, it’s a nice pilgrim rest stop.

The little bar on the path has an amazing selection. On the other side of the path, across from the bar, are 6 metal tables surrounded by red metal chairs.
A generator sits in his vehicle trunk supplying power to a little George Foreman type grill. I had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and a coke.

I wonder what the original purpose was?
Google has him on street view!

9/13 To Viana: Where’s the Arrow?

I walked out of Los Arcos to a highway intersection. Stood, scanning, scanning for an arrow pointing to the Camino. Zilch. Three options: left, right, straight. No arrow. No pilgrim. Me standing looking lost. Then, beep! Beep! A guy at the intersection rolling down his car window, “Camino!” With large sweeps of his arm showing me the way. Off I went. It took the help of two other villagers before I found my way.

September 16 Meddy Day! Meddy Day! – San Sol

A few days into my walk, I get a text with a

photo from Dana Ballentine, who has walked three Caminos and is planning her fourth. She’s my Camino mentor and lives close to me in Kansas. The photo is of a fellow she met on the Le Puy Camino in France who evidently started the same route I’m on a couple of days behind me. She also sent him a photo of me. On one of my many photo pauses, I hear a man behind me- Meddy Day! Meddy Day! Lo and behold, there was the guy whose photo I’ve been carrying for nearly a week!

September 16 Los Arcos to Viana 18.5 km / 11.5 miles

Breakfast and planning
Banana is for later. Drank my fresh-squeezed orange juice before I left the counter! Cafe Americana con leche. 
Sort of a late start, but I was tired and I had already shortened my day. I think about 12 miles today.
Leaving Los Arcos. Always watching for the yellow arrows!
Torres del Rio – Parroquia de San Andres
Many rock memorials along the way.
Casita Lucia – Another trail blessing. A chair. Coca-Cola. Snack.
San Sol – That last 3 km to a village is always 5 km long!